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A day after winning his record 17th WWE title, John Cena ran into a familiar foe on Monday Night Raw.

Trump will never be the fertilization president.

Demonstrators sought the release of Mohsen Mahdawi and Mahmoud Khalil, who organized pro-Palestinian protests and have been taken into ICE custody.

The post Red Sox Fans Screaming Racial Slurs Throughout Mascot Race appeared first on The Onion.

The post Solitary Consignment appeared first on The Onion.

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Nestled in the busy city of Bangkok, Nor and Fons 700-square-foot condo is a serene retreat that seamlessly blends their shared passion for design. Nor, a set and graphic designer in the film industry with a background in architecture who recently worked on the new White Lotus series, and Fon, a creative force with a passion for interior design, have created a space that feels both personal and inspiring.READ MORE...

Washington star forward Alex Ovechkin made some personal history in the Capitals' Game 1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night, scoring the first playoff overtime goal of his storied career en route to a 3-2 win for the No. 1 seed in the East.

The Detroit Pistons snapped their NBA-record, 15-game postseason losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 100-94 on Monday.

Europes weapons makers are prospering as the continent reconsiders its post-Cold War stance of favoring domestic investment over military spending.

In rural England, increasingly sophisticated farming equipment has become a target for thieves, adding to pressure on farming communities.

LOS ANGELESSaying the new format would help him present the series as he had always intended, Severance creator Dan Erickson announced Monday that the TV shows next season would be released solely as episode recaps on Vulture.com. After some debate in the writers room, we concluded that 500-word write-ups in New York magazines pop culture section were the perfect way to continue unfolding the mystery of Lumon Industries and its severed employees, said Erickson, admitting that it was a creative risk, but that reading the outstanding work already put out by Vultures renowned freelancers as they summarized the shows earlier seasons gave him confidence this would be a change for the better. From here on out, every Friday youll have to turn to Vulture to get your Severance fix. Trust us here. Once you read a few of these season-three recaps, youll realize you wont miss cinematography, music, lighting, sets, Ben Stillers directing, or even actors bringing to life the story of Mark, Gemma, Dylan, Mr. Milchick, and Helly R. All you need is the incredible work of this entertainment news website. Plus, these will have a little unanswered question section at the end, which is always fun. Erickson added that it was difficult to part ways with Apple TV+, but Vulture had simply made the better offer.The post Severance Creator Says Next Season Of Show Will Solely Be Released As TV Recaps On Vulture.com appeared first on The Onion.

VATICAN CITYLanding in the emergency room after he ended his solemn Easter blessing by vomiting bright colors from a balcony onto the crowd in St. Peters Square, His Holiness Pope Francis was admitted back into the hospital Sunday as a result of eating an entire bag of jelly beans. Ugh, noI promised myself Id just have a few, but then I couldnt stop, the Supreme Pontiff said as he collapsed before the horrified gathering of the faithful, who less than a month after welcoming the pope home from his lengthy stay in Romes Gemelli Hospital were now splattered in the partially digested contents of a 32-ounce pouch of Jelly Bellys. Those things started disagreeing with me during mass, especially after they were joined in my stomach by the body and blood of Christ. I hope this doesnt set back my pneumonia recovery too much, because I think I aspirated a couple of the licorice ones. At press time, Vatican insiders confirmed the Pope was housing Peeps in the hospitals recovery room.The post Pope Francis Back In Hospital After Eating Entire Bag Of Jelly Beans appeared first on The Onion.

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ESPN 100 senior Shelton Henderson, who decommitted from Duke last week, announced his commitment to Miami on Monday.

Nico Harrison said he underestimated the level to which Mavericks fans cared for Luka Doncic and reiterated the blowback to the trade would've eased if the team had been healthy.

Picking trade fights with countries across the Asia-Pacific plays right into Beiings plans to increase its sway over the region.

Those tariff clouds? Indians wish them away as they welcome Vice President JD Vance for a four-day visit.

Four ant smugglers pleaded guilty after being caught by the Kenyan Wildlife Service attempting to sneak hundreds of giant African harvester ants out of the country, which are valued by some exotic animal dealers at over $200 each. What do you think?God forbid four men have a picnic.James Merle, Frame PositionerGive me some sugar and an afternoon, and Ill get you ants.Greg Price, Systems AnalystNot surprised with how expensive ants have gotten.Ronald Jefferson, Botanical SurgeonThe post 4 Men Caught Smuggling Hundreds Of Ants appeared first on The Onion.

Colossal Biosciences claims it has brought back the dire wolf, a species that went extinct thousands of years ago, by editing the genes of gray wolves. The Onion examines the pros and cons of resurrecting extinct species.PRO: No other problems for science to tackle right nowCON: Some of them are bugsPRO: New animals at the zoo to huck rocks atCON: Woolly mammoths ill-equipped for modern service economyPRO: Would be interesting to see how cat interacts with ankylosaurCON: Not enough krill to go aroundPRO: Get to call the dodo ugly to its faceCON: Whos gonna walk them?The post Pros And Cons Of Bringing Back Extinct Species appeared first on The Onion.

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A wooden statue portraying a pregnant woman is seen in the foreground as members of Amazon Indigenous populations prepare for a Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession from St. Angelo Castle to the Vatican, Oct. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)2025-04-22T04:09:13Z VATICAN CITY (AP) As Amazonian bishops gathered at the Vatican on Oct. 21, 2019, a man entered a nearby church after dawn and stole three Indigenous statues brought to Rome for the occasion. He threw them into the Tiber River in a videotaped protest to denounce what he called the pagan idolatry taking place on Pope Francis watch.The incident underscored the lengths to which Pope Francis traditionalist critics were willing to go to vent their opposition to historys first Latin American pope. From individual protests to social media campaigns, conferences and petitions, conservatives made clear they believed themselves to be more Catholic than the pope and forged unusually vocal resistance to his authority.Their token leaders in the College of Cardinals will likely be maneuvering to ensure someone more sympathetic to their sensibilities will be elected to replace Francis, who died Monday at 88. Some wanted me deadEvery pope has his critics. And Francis probably expected he would face opposition to his radical reform agenda after Catholics for two generations grew used to more conservative popes.Some wanted me dead, he quipped once after he heard some prelates in Rome had started plotting a future conclave while he was in the hospital.Francis critics were unique in having a living alternate as a point of reference, Pope Benedict XVI, who resided as pope emeritus in the Vatican Gardens for the first decade of Francis pontificate. Such an anomaly made the dynamics of the Francis opposition a historical first. It exacerbated divisions that experts say must be addressed before another pope decides to step down. They say norms are necessary to prevent a retired pope from being an inspiration for the faithful in ways that discredit his successor or impact his leadership.Francis tolerated the right-wing opposition for a while, often responding to their attacks with silence. At times, he even seemed to relish in the criticism as evidence of how far a church obsessed with rules and regulations had strayed from Jesus Gospel-mandated call to welcome the stranger, feed the poor and show mercy to all.Its an honor if the Americans attack me, he once said, referring to the U.S.-based nexus of opposition.After Benedicts death in 2022, Francis tried to blunt the opposition and consolidate his progressive reforms, even though it seemed the right-wing knives were out for him.Within days of Benedicts funeral, his longtime secretary published a tell-all memoir highly critical of Francis. It also emerged posthumously that Cardinal George Pell wrote a devastating memo that circulated anonymously, calling Francis pontificate a catastrophe.While saying he welcomed criticism, Francis tried to neutralize the opposition through key appointments and targeted removals, even while trying to make the church a welcoming field hospital for wounded souls, especially LGBTQ+ Catholics.After one gesture of outreach Francis approved blessings for same-sex couples African bishops united in disapproval in a remarkable continent-wide dissent to a papal directive. If you look at all the history of the reform of the church, where you have the strongest resistance or debated points, its really usually a very important point, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who helped spearhead one of Francis progressive agenda items to make the church more responsive to the needs of laypeople.Wary of Francis from the startConservative and traditionalist Catholics were wary of Francis after their beloved Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to resign.They grimaced when Francis emerged on the loggia of St. Peters Basilica after his 2013 election without the ermine-rimmed, red velvet cape of his predecessors. They gasped a few weeks later when he washed the feet of women and Muslims on Holy Thursday, a ritual previously restricted to men.We dont like this pope, headlined Italys conservative daily Il Foglio a few months into his papacy. The Dictator Pope was the title of book by a British traditionalist published a few years later. Over time, the critics worst fears came true.One breaking point came in 2016, when Francis opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion. Some accused Francis of heresy.Four conservative cardinals formally asked him to clarify himself, issuing dubia or questions to him. They argued church doctrine held that Catholics who remarried without a church annulment were living in sin and couldnt receive the sacraments.He never replied. Reversing Benedict on the Latin MassConservatives could not have known that Francis would take one of the most controversial steps of his pontificate by reimposing restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Benedict had relaxed.The reversal of Benedicts signature liturgical legacy was evidence that Francis had essentially declared war on traditionalists, the ancient liturgy and Benedicts papacy itself.Francis HATES US. Francis HATES Tradition. Francis HATES all that is good and beautiful, the traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli tweeted. But it concluded: FRANCIS WILL DIE, THE LATIN MASS WILL LIVE FOREVER.Francis insisted his aim was to preserve church unity. Critics accused him of the opposite, of driving a wedge, and the outrage wasnt limited to U.S.-based conservative Catholic media or fringe right-wing bloggers who had popularized Francis-bashing.Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of the dubia prelates whom Francis sacked early on as the Vaticans supreme court justice, blasted the severity of the papal crackdown.Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vaticans retired liturgy chief, responded with tweets quoting Benedicts original 2007 law to relax the restrictions that Francis had overturned. They were accompanied by a photo of Benedict wearing the red cape that Francis had eschewed the night of his election.A year earlier, Sarah orchestrated a media firestorm by persuading Benedict to co-author a book reaffirming priestly celibacy at a time when Francis was considering ordaining married men to address a clergy shortage in the Amazon.The book, and the prospect of a retired pope trying to influence a reigning one, created the nightmare scenario that canon lawyers and theologians had warned of in 2013, when Benedict decided to retain the white cassock of the papacy in retirement and call himself Emeritus Pope, rather than revert to his birth name.The scandal died down after Benedict removed himself as a co-author and Francis fired his secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, believed to have been behind it.After Benedict died and Gaenswein penned his highly critical, tell-all memoir Nothing But the Truth, Francis exiled him from the Vatican. Then, after a time in his native Germany, made him an ambassador.After Burke joined a bigger group of cardinals questioning Francis 2023 synod on the churchs future, Francis cut him off financially.Francis was more tolerant with another critic, the retired archbishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen. He excoriated the pope for agreeing in 2018 to a deal with China over the nomination of bishops, accusing Francis of selling out Chinas underground Catholics who stayed loyal to the Holy See during decades of persecution.Francis received Zen at the Vatican and later called him a tender soul.Francis won few friends with his frequent denunciations of clericalism the idea that priests should be put on a pedestal. He made it a tradition to use his Christmas greeting to publicly shame Vatican bureaucrats, accusing them of being careerist, money-grubbing gossips with spiritual Alzheimers.German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller complained that Francis treated Vatican monsignors like uneducated children.A major U.S. critic emergesFrancis biggest conservative critic was the Vaticans former ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. In 2018, he said Francis had covered up accusations that then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, an American, had slept with his seminarians.Vigano demanded Francis resign for allegedly rehabilitating McCarrick from sanctions imposed by Benedict. The furor faded after Francis defrocked McCarrick and Vigano was discredited with conspiracy theories about COVID-19. McCarrick died earlier this month.In 2024, Francis excommunicated Vigano after finding him guilty of schism.Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh said Francis dismantled much of the resistance. He lists the Amazonian synod as a defining positive moment of his pontificate -- not because of the incident with the statues but because the meeting emphasized his key pastoral priority of accompanying the faithful.The native peoples of Amazonia were right here in St. Peters Square, and Francis walked across to the synod with them, Ivereigh said, recalling the feathered headdresses and Indigenous statues that were on display.The pastor among his people, walking together. And I thought, That is him. That sums him up, he said. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican's family and laity office, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Rome, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Paolo Santalucia, File)2025-04-22T04:05:32Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Cardinal Kevin Farrell remembers the day Pope Francis asked him to be the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the death of one pope and before the election of another. They were flying back to Rome from the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama, and Francis popped the question in business class.Farrell, 77, had been in Rome only a few years, summoned out of the blue from his job as bishop of Dallas, to reorganize the Vaticans laity office, a key part of Francis reforms. Three years into the job, Francis asked him to take on another role that is steeped in myth and mystery but also has real-world responsibilities: managing the Vatican as camerlengo or chamberlain during the often traumatic interregnum between papacies and helping to organize the conclave to elect the next pontiff.I said to him I would accept the position but on one condition, Farrell recalled in a 2022 interview, smiling as he remembered their airborne conversation. The condition was that the pope would have to preach at Farrells own funeral, reflecting Farrells hope that he would die before Francis and never have to act as a camerlengo. The joke was twofold: Farrell didnt particularly want the heavy responsibility. But more personally, he didnt want to entertain the possibility of outliving Francis, whom he credited with having set the Catholic Church on a crucial path of renewal, redirecting it away from culture war defensiveness and back to its Gospel-driven essence of inclusion.We were defending ourselves always: Self-preservation was the theme of the church, Farrell said. And Pope Francis moved us beyond self-preservation to a message of welcome and accompaniment. The camerlengos roleWith Francis death, though, Farrell is in the spotlight, albeit only until a new pope is elected. Farrell on Monday morning announced the death from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived and died. In a short statement read live on Vatican television, he said Francis entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church.According to tradition, the camerlengo certifies the popes death, seals the papal apartment and breaks the popes fishermans ring, as a symbol of a vacancy at the Holy See. He leads the procession accompanying the coffin into St. Peters Basilica and presides over the burial.The camerlengo also gets written reports from Vatican offices about their current assets; a copy of the current and projected budget for the Holy See; and any other information from the Vaticans economic ministry that would be useful for cardinals and the future pope. He and the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, then play key roles organizing the meetings of cardinals preceding the conclave.Farrell, a no-nonsense Irish-born American, said the financial duties are far more important than the ceremonial ones and the ones for which he is more qualified. Farrell already heads top Vatican committees on finances, investments and confidential matters, as well as its supreme court, making him particularly well-suited to deliver a financial prospectus to the new pope. From Ireland to the U.S.The man Francis chose to bridge his papacy was born in Dublin on Sept. 2, 1947. He entered the Legionaries of Christ religious order in 1966 and was ordained a priest for the Mexican-based order in 1978. He left six years later long before revelations that its founder was a pedophile who sexually abused his young seminarians and became a diocesan priest in the Washington Archdiocese.He worked in a series of parishes but also took on increasing charge of the books in the archdiocese he has a keen mind for finances but says he never finished his MBA. He became auxiliary bishop of Washington in 2001 and served under the ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick before being made bishop of Dallas in 2007. Farrell has said repeatedly that during his years in Washington, he never heard the rumors that McCarrick had behaved inappropriately with seminarians, sleeping with them in his bed while he was a bishop in New Jersey. McCarrick, who died earlier this month, was defrocked after a Vatican investigation in 2019 found he sexually abused children as well as adults. Farrell said he was happy and very comfortable as bishop in Dallas when his secretary came to him in May 2016 to tell him the pope was on the phone.And I said the popes not on the phone. Popes dont use telephones, Farrell said, assuming another bishop was playing a prank. And so I picked up the phone. I was about to tell him where to go, when all of a sudden the voice on the line said quietly in Spanish: Soy Francisco This is Francis.The two had never met, but Francis knew Farrell spoke Spanish fluently, given his years in the Mexican-based Legion. A Vatican assignmentFrancis also knew that Farrell had made it a policy in both Washington and Dallas to put qualified lay experts, rather than priests, in positions of authority in running the dioceses.Farrell said Francis asked him to do the same with the Holy Sees laity office, which the pontiff wanted to rebuild by merging it with the Vaticans family and life departments and serve as a model of lay-led governance of church management.I was trying to come up with every reason why I should not do it. And he said, Well, you think about it for three days and Ill call you back, Farrell recalled. Three days later, at the same time, I get a telephone call and then I gave him all my reasons that I had formulated. And he said, Well, why dont you come on over and talk to me?Well, that was the end, Farrell said.He moved to Rome in October 2016 to head the laity office. Within hours of his arrival, Francis announced that Farrell would be made a cardinal.It was a sign, later confirmed with his nomination as camerlengo, that Francis fully intended to entrust Farrell with some of the most important responsibilities of the church, including after he was gone. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

Chivas has sacked head coach Gerardo Espinoza after the Liga MX giants recently closed out the 2025 Clausura regular season without making the playoffs.

Jamie Vardy criticised himself and his fellow Leicester City players following their relegation from the Premier League, saying his own performance in the campaign had been an "embarrassment".

The president said he had confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after The New York Times reported that he had shared details about a military strike in another group chat.

A leading sociologist, he explored American society up close living in a Levittown at one point to gain insight into issues of race, class, the media and even the Yankees.

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Trader Thomas McCauley works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2025-04-21T19:00:56Z NEW YORK (AP) Global financial markets have been turned upside down this year by President Donald Trumps burgeoning trade war. Markets are not in full panic, but the double-digit declines in major U.S. stock indexes are testing nerves. U.S. markets had been on a two-year tear coming into 2025, though many believed that stock prices had become overinflated. Trumps trade war pushed that sentiment into hyperdrive. The S&P 500 has tumbled more than 12%, and U.S. markets are being outpaced in Europe, Asia, and just about everywhere else. Trading in traditional safe havens like U.S. Treasurys and the dollar has become erratic and unpredictable. On Monday, the dollar struck a three-year low and U.S. Treasury yields have been soaring. Typically, yields would fall as investors seek a safe place to park their money. U.S. Treasurys no longer appear to provide the shelter they once did. Only gold, a commodity traded internationally, has maintained its reputation as a safe zone. The price of gold is hitting one record high after another.Heres a roundup of what is happening in various segments of the financial market: StocksU.S. stocks have been losing ground in a sharp reversal after two years of stellar gains.The S&P 500 index, which is considered a benchmark for the broader markets health, is down 12.3% in 2025. It gained more than 20% in both 2023 and 2024. The benchmark index is already in correction, having fallen more than 10% from the record it set in February. There have been only five weeks in which its ended in positive territory this year and with Mondays decline its moving closer to bear market territory, or a 20% drop from recent highs. Its worse on the growth-focused Nasdaq composite, which has plunged nearly 18 %. Overseas markets have largely performed much better than their U.S. counterparts. BondsTreasurys, typically considered a less risky area of the market, have been volatile throughout the year.The 10-year Treasury, which influences mortgage rates and other loans, was as high as 4.80% in January but then fell until Trump announced the broad details of his tariff policy in early April. Yields then began to spike this month. The recent jump in bond yields, which happens when bond prices fall, reflects rising anxiety about inflation and a potential recession.Treasury bonds are essentially IOUs from the U.S. government and theyre how Washington pays its bills. Bond prices typically move in the opposite direction of stock prices, but prices for both have fallen in tandem. That raises more significant concerns, namely a loss of faith in the U.S. as a safe place to invest.GoldIn all of the economic uncertainty, gold is soaring setting record after record in 2025. New York spot gold hit another all-time high Thursday, closing at about $3,343 per Troy ounce the standard for measuring precious metals per FactSet. The price is up nearly 27% this year.Gold futures rose to more than $3,432 Monday.Interest in gold spikes in times of uncertainty as investors seek a safe place for their money, although there can still be some volatility. The price of spot gold fell for three straight trading days following Trumps sweeping Liberation Day announcement on April 2, for example, but soon rebounded overall. Foreign ExchangeThe U.S. dollar, the worlds reserve currency, is falling under the weight of uncertainty over tariffs, inflation and the direction of the U.S. economy.The U.S. dollar is down a steep 9% for the year when measured against a basket of other currencies, including the euro, Japanese yen, Canadian Dollar and Swiss franc.The dollar began to erode almost immediately in 2025, but those losses have accelerated over the past two months. A weakened dollar means it is more difficult for the U.S. government, businesses and consumers to borrow money at lower rates. It also means less purchasing power for U.S. consumers and the potential for stunted economic growth. Oil There is good news and bad news about energy prices. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. on Monday was $3.15, down sharply from $3.67 at this time last year. Thats the good news. The bad news is that energy prices fall when people start anticipating an economic slowdown. Factories produce less, families call off vacations and businesses cut travel expenses. Oil prices hit a four-year low this month with anxiety over the impact of tariffs on global economic growth sinking in. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, stood at around $62.40 per barrel Monday. Thats down nearly 14% year to date. And Brent crude, the European standard, was just above $66 down nearly 13% since the start of 2025.Economists are warning that the steep tariffs Trump is pursuing could cause a recession, which could carry significant implications for the supply chain and jobs in the energy sector. BitcoinBitcoin has continued to undulate. The worlds largest cryptocurrency has been on a rollercoaster since the start of the year with the volatile asset climbing to more than $109,000 ahead of Trumps inauguration in January, only to dip under $75,000 amid wider market sell-offs this month. As of midday Monday, bitcoins going price was above $87,000, per CoinMarketCap.Thats more than $6,000 lower than what bitcoin was trading at the start of 2025 but still significantly higher than in recent years. At this time last year, bitcoin traded around $65,000. And in April 2023, months after the November 2022 collapse of FTX crushed crypto, the digital asset went for under $30,000.Trump, once a crypto skeptic, became a major promoter of the industry throughout his campaign and last month, he signed an executive order establishing a government reserve of bitcoin. WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Grantham-Philips is a business reporter who covers trending news for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto

Robyn Redding, from left, and Gianna Holliday plant a sequoia tree seedling as Andrew "Birch" Kemp brings mulch in Detroit, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)2025-04-22T04:07:46Z DETROIT (AP) Arborists are turning vacant land on Detroits eastside into a small urban forest, not of elms, oaks and red maples indigenous to the city but giant sequoias, the worlds largest trees that can live for thousands of years.The project on four lots will not only replace long-standing blight with majestic trees, but could also improve air quality and help preserve the trees that are native to Californias Sierra Nevada, where they are threatened by ever-hotter wildfires.Detroit is the pilot city for the Giant Sequoia Filter Forest. The nonprofit Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is donating dozens of sequoia saplings that will be planted by staff and volunteers from Arboretum Detroit, another nonprofit, to mark Earth Day on April 22.Co-founder David Milarch says Archangel also plans to plant sequoias in Los Angeles, Oakland, California, and London. What are giant sequoias?The massive conifers can grow to more than 300 feet (90 meters) tall with a more than 30-foot (9-meter) circumference at the base. They can live for more than 3,000 years.Heres a tree that is bigger than your house when its mature, taller than your buildings, and lives longer than you can comprehend, said Andrew Birch Kemp, Arboretum Detroits executive director.The sequoias will eventually provide a full canopy that protects everything beneath, he said.It may be sad to call these .5- and 1-acre treescapes forests, Kemp said. We are expanding on this and shading our neighborhood in the only way possible, planting lots of trees. Giant sequoias are resilient against disease and insects, and are usually well-adapted to fire. Thick bark protects their trunks and their canopies tend to be too high for flames to reach. But climate change is making the big trees more vulnerable to wildfires out West, Kemp said.The fires are getting so hot that its even threatening them, he said. Descendants of Stagg and Waterfall Archangel, based in Copemish, Michigan, preserves the genetics of old-growth trees for research and reforestation. The sequoia saplings destined for Detroit are clones of two giants known as Stagg the worlds fifth-largest tree and Waterfall, of the Alder Creek grove, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.In 2010, Archangel began gathering cones and climbers scaled high into the trees to gather new-growth clippings from which they were able to develop and grow saplings.A decade later, a wildfire burned through the grove. Waterfall was destroyed but Stagg survived. They will both live on in the Motor City.Why Detroit?Sequoias need space, and metropolitan Detroit has plenty of it.In the 1950s, 1.8 million people called Detroit home, but the citys population has since shrunk to about one-third of that number. Tens of thousands of homes were left empty and neglected.While the city has demolished at least 24,000 vacant structures since it emerged from bankruptcy in 2014, thousands of empty lots remain. Kemp estimates that only about 10-15% of the original houses remain in the neighborhood where the sequoias will grow. Theres not another urban area I know of that has the kind of potential that we do to reforest, he said. We could all live in shady, fresh air beauty. Its like no reason we cant be the greenest city in the world.Within the last decade, 11 sequoias were planted on vacant lots owned by Arboretum Detroit and nine others were planted on private properties around the neighborhood. Each now reaches 12 to 15 feet (3.6 to 4.5 meters) tall. Arboretum Detroit has another 200 in its nursery. Kemp believes the trees will thrive in Detroit.Theyre safer here ... we dont have wildfires like (California). The soil stays pretty moist, even in the summer, he said. They like to have that winter irrigation, so when the snow melts they can get a good drink. How will the sequoias impact Detroit?Caring for the sequoias will fall to future generations, so Milarch has instigated what he calls tree school to teach Detroits youth how and why to look after the new trees.We empower our kids to teach them how to do this and give them the materials and the way to do this themselves, Milarch said. They take ownership. They grow them in the classrooms and plant them around the schools. They know were in environmental trouble.Some of them may never have even walked in a forest, Kemp said.How can we expect children who have never seen a forest to care about deforestation on the other side of the world? Kemp said. It is our responsibility to offer them their birthright.City residents are exposed to extreme air pollution and have high rates of asthma. The Detroit sequoias will grow near a heavily industrial area, a former incinerator and two interstates, he said.Kemps nonprofit has already planted about 650 trees comprising around 80 species in some 40 lots in the area. But he believes the sequoias will have the greatest impact. Because these trees grow so fast, so large and theyre evergreen theyll do amazing work filtering the air here, Kemp said. We live in pretty much a pollution hot spot. Were trying to combat that. Were trying to breathe clean air. Were trying to create shade. Were trying to soak up the stormwater, and I think sequoias among all the trees we plant may be the strongest, best candidates for that.

Kawhi Leonard, who scored 39 points Monday night to help the Clippers even their series with the Nuggets, said afterward, "I'm just happy that I'm able to move" after watching the past two playoffs from the sidelines.

The Knicks-Pistons first-round playoff series is even -- and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said afterward the free throws need to be as well.

The plainclothes guards were involved in the forcible removal of a woman from a meeting hosted by local Republicans in Coeur dAlene, prosecutors said.

Closing arguments in the libel case are expected on Tuesday, after which the nine jurors will begin deliberations.

Sleeper sofas have always felt a bit like a compromise. Theyre great in theory an entire guest bed, hiding in plain sight! But in reality, most are bulky to move and uncomfortable to sleep on. Weve spent more than a few restless nights on sleeper sofas, cursing the metal bars (IYKYK) and wishing they could be as comfortable as they are functional. Now, theres a solution.DreamSofas new sleeper collection is redefining comfort and design.READ MORE...

Pull up a wicker chair and grab your best staring wistfully at the ocean cardigan: The seaside cottage trend is here to stay. We love this look for its serene color palette, natural materials, and overall organic vibe. Another reason to love it? How easy it is to bring to life in any space.With on-trend, affordable furniture and decor from Walmart, you can give any (or every)room a touch of coastal charm with quality pieces that will last way beyond the seaside high season.READ MORE...

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, left, prays in front of the body of Pope Francis laid out in state inside his private chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)2025-04-22T07:37:12Z VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican releases first images of Pope Francis, showing him in his casket with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him.This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, left, prays in front of the body of Pope Francis laid out in state inside his private chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)2025-04-22T05:56:55Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Cardinals gathered Tuesday at the Vatican to begin scheduling Pope Francis funeral and burial, planning the conclave to elect his successor and making other decisions about running the Catholic Church as world leaders and ordinary faithful grieved the death of historys first Latin American pope.Most immediately, they will determine when his body can be moved into St. Peters Basilica for public viewing. The first images of Francis were released Tuesday, showing him in the wooden casket, in red vestments and his bishops miter, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived.Francis died Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke that put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and making what would be his final greeting to followers from his popemobile, looping around St. Peters Square. In retrospect, his Easter appearance from the same loggia where he was introduced to the world as the first Latin American pope on March 13, 2013, was a perfect bookend to a 12-year papacy that sought to shake up the church and return it to its Gospel-mandated mission of caring for the poorest. The Vatican announced that the first meeting of the Congregation of Cardinals, the gathering of the cardinals currently in Rome, would begin Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the Vaticans synod hall. They could decide to allow public viewing of Francis as soon as Wednesday morning in St. Peters Basilica. Under norms approved by Francis last year, the funeral and burial must occur between Friday and Sunday.In his final will, Francis confirmed he would be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, which is outside the Vatican and home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary. After every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus, who in turn holds a jeweled golden book. Francis stopped by the basilica on his way home from the Gemelli hospital on March 23, after his 38-day hospital stay, to deliver flowers to be placed before the icon.He returned April 12 to pray before the Madonna for the last time.The world reacts Bells tolled in chapels, churches and cathedrals around the world and flags flew at half staff in Italy, India, Taiwan and the U.S. after Francis death was announced by the Vatican camerlengo. Soccer matches in Italy and Argentina were suspended in honor of the Argentine pope who was a lifelong fan of the San Lorenzo soccer club. World leaders praised Francis for his moral leadership and compassion, while ordinary faithful remembered his simplicity and humanity.Like every Argentine, I think he was a rebel, said 23-year-old Catalina Favaro, who had come to pay her respects in the Buenos Aires church where Francis discovered his priestly vocation. He may have been contradictory, but that was nice, too. In East Timor, where Francis final outdoor Mass drew nearly half of the population last September, President Jose Ramos-Horta praised Francis courage. Papa Francisco was a brave man who was not afraid to speak out against the rulers of the world who seek war, but do not want to seek peace, Ramos-Horta said.He challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home this Earth is a gift we must protect for future generations, said Nigerias President Bola Tinubu, who is Muslim. Nigeria is Africas most populous country and has around 30 million Catholics, representing about 14% of the total population. Viewing the popes coffinThe popes formal apartments in the Apostolic Palace were sealed Monday evening, following a centuries-old ritual. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo had the task of announcing the death and confirming it once the cause was determined, presided over the ritual.Francis chose not to live in the palace, though, but in the Domus Santa Marta hotel on the other side of Vatican City. He died there and his body was transferred to the hotel chapel in the lobby, where a private viewing was being held Tuesday for Vatican officials and members of the pontifical household.In changes made by Francis last year, his body was not placed in three wooden coffins, as it had been for previous popes. Rather, Francis was placed in a simplified wooden coffin with a zinc coffin inside. Once in St. Peters, his coffin will not be put on an elevated bier, but will just be be placed simply facing the pews, with the Pasqual candle nearby. Funeral and burialThe burial must take place between the fourth and sixth day after his death, meaning a likely date is Saturday or Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend. Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected.The funeral will be presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals or, if that is not possible, by the vice dean or another senior cardinal. The current dean is Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91. The vice dean is Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 81. Re and Farrell, the camerlengo, will have key roles in the coming days as they summon the cardinals and prepare for the conclave to elect Francis successor.Choosing the next popeAfter the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the novendiali. During this period, cardinals arrive in Rome to participate in meetings before the conclave to elect the next pope.To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must begin 15-20 days after the sede vacante the vacant See is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions. After voting sessions, the ballots are burned in a special stove. Black smoke indicates that no pope has been elected, while white smoke indicates that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.The one who has secured two-thirds of the votes wins. If he accepts, his election is announced by a cardinal from the loggia of St. Peters Basilica who announces Habemus Papam, Latin for We have a pope.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The rare smile Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou wore four days ago in Frankfurt was replaced by the more familiar frown as a 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest made it 18 Premier League losses for the London club this season.

Real Betis scored three goals in a first-half blitz to beat Girona 3-1 in La Liga on Monday and keep alive its hopes of European football next season.

The Catholic faithful took heart when the pontiff, after two brushes with death, emerged from a hospital and resumed some of his duties. Their joy proved short-lived.

Ms. Menendez had been charged with her husband, Robert Menendez, a former New Jersey senator convicted in July of trading his political influence for gold, cash and a Mercedes-Benz.

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After a winter of hiding under blankets and hanging out exclusively with our pets, spring gives us the energy to socialize again. Now, to send the memo to our homes. Waking up your spaces style from hibernation can mean making a couple of new decorative touches or a few bigger upgrades: Any of them will get you excited to embrace the warmer days with friends and festivities.READ MORE...

U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, left, meet at an hotel in Vienna, July 9, 2015. (Carlos Barria/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-04-22T05:04:57Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program will move Wednesday to whats known as the expert level a sign analysts say shows that the talks are moving forward rapidly. However, experts not involved in the talks who spoke with The Associated Press warn that this doesnt necessarily signal a deal is imminent. Instead, it means that the talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff havent broken down at what likely is the top-level trade Tehran limiting its atomic program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Agreeing to technical talks suggests both sides are expressing pragmatic, realistic objectives for the negotiations and want to explore the details, said Kelsey Davenport, the director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association who long has studied Irans nuclear program. If Witkoff was making maximalist demands during his talks with Araghchi, such as dismantlement of the enrichment program, Iran would have no incentive to meet at the technical level. That technical level, however, remains filled with possible landmines. Just how much enrichment by Iran would be comfortable for the United States? What about Tehrans ballistic missile program, which U.S. President Donald Trump first cited in pulling America unilaterally out of the accord in 2018? Which sanctions could be lifted and which would be remain in place on the Islamic Republic? The most important determinant of expert talks value lies in whether there is a political commitment to do something and experts just need to figure out what, said Richard Nephew, an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked on Iran sanctions while at the U.S. State Department during negotiations over what became the 2015 nuclear deal.If the experts also have to discuss big concepts, without political agreement, it can just result in spun wheels. Experts and the 2015 nuclear dealThe 2015 nuclear deal saw senior experts involved in both sides of the deal. For the U.S. under President Barack Obama, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz reached an understanding working with Ali Akbar Salehi, then the leader of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. Both mens technical background proved key to nailing down the specifics of the deal. Under the 2015 agreement, Iran agreed to enrich uranium only to 3.67% purity and keep a stockpile of only 300 kilograms (661 pounds). Today, Iran enriches some uranium up to 60% purity a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency put Irans overall uranium stockpile in February at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds). The deal also limited the types of centrifuges Iran could spin, further slowing Tehrans ability to rush for a bomb, if it chose to do so. It also set out the provisions of how and when sanctions would be lifted, as well as time limits for the accord itself. Reaching limits, relief and timelines require the knowledge of experts, analysts say.A nonproliferation agreement is meaningless if it cannot be effectively implemented and verified, Davenport said. The United States needs a strong technical team to negotiate the detailed restrictions and intrusive monitoring that will be necessary to ensure any move by Iran toward nuclear weapons is quickly detected and there is sufficient time to respond. It remains unclear who the two sides will be sending for those negotiations. Hiccups already heard in these negotiationsBoth the Americans and the Iranians have been tightlipped over exactly whats been discussed so far, though both sides have expressed optimism about the pace. However, there has been one noticeable dispute stemming from comments Witkoff made in a television interview, suggesting Tehran could be able to enrich up to 3.67% purity. However, analysts noted that was the level set by the 2015 deal under Obama.Witkoff hours later issued a statement suggesting that comparison struck a nerve: A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program, Witkoff added. Araghchi responded by warning that Iran must be able to enrich.The core issue of enrichment itself is not negotiable, he said.Despite that, experts who spoke to the AP said they remained positive about the talks trajectory so far. Although still early stages, Im encouraged so far, said Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat once involved in past nuclear negotiations with Tehran. The pace of negotiations to include starting expert level meetings this Wednesday is good. He added that so far, there didnt appear to be any mutually exclusive red lines for the talks as well signaling there likely wasnt immediately any roadblocks to reaching a deal. Nephew similarly described reaching the expert level as a positive sign. However, he cautioned that the hard work potentially was just beginning for the negotiations. They imply the need to get into real details, to discuss concepts that senior (officials) might not understand and to answer questions. I also think too much can be read into them starting, Nephew said. Expert talks can sometimes be a fudge for seniors to avoid working on tough issues lets have experts discuss it while we move on to other things or to sidestep big political decisions.Corey Hinderstein, the vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former U.S. government nuclear expert, described herself as feeling cautious optimism over the expert talks beginning. Heads of delegation are responsible for setting strategic goals and defining success, she said. But if there is a deal to be made, the technical experts are the ones who will get it done.___The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.___Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/ JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

General view of the Memorial for the murdered Jews of Europe, the so called Holocaust Memorial in central Berlin, Germany, June 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)2025-04-22T05:35:52Z BERLIN (AP) Eighty years after the Holocaust, more than 200,000 Jewish survivors are still alive but 70% of them will be gone within the next 10 years meaning time is running out to hear the voices of the last generation who suffered through one of the worst atrocities in history.Currently, the survivors median age is 87, and more than 1,400 of them are over 100 years old, a new report said Tuesday.We have known that this population of survivors would be the last, our final opportunity to hear their first-hand testimonies, to spend time with them, our last chance to meet a survivor, said Greg Schneider, the executive vice president of the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference, which published the study.The reports analysis of population projections and mortality rates provides details through 2040. It is based on the extensive data collected since 1952 by the Claims Conference, which includes survivors who receive direct payments or social welfare services funded by the organization as a result of ongoing negotiations with Germany. 90% of Holocaust survivors will pass away in the next 15 yearsNotably, nearly 50% of all Holocaust survivors will pass away within the next six years, while 70% will die within 10 years and 90% within 15 years, according to the report titled Vanishing Witnesses. Those still alive are often of frail health and suffer from ailments that come with age and have been amplified by traumas in their youth.Six million European Jews were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust.It is not clear exactly how many Jews survived the death camps, the ghettos or somewhere in hiding across Nazi-occupied Europe, but their numbers were a far cry from the pre-war Jewish population in Europe.In Poland, of the 3.3 million Jews living there in 1939, only about 300,000 survived. Around 560,000 Jews lived in Germany in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power. After the Holocaust, their numbers had diminished to about 15,000 through emigration and extermination.After the end of World War II, survivors settled all over the globe and even today they are still living in 90 different countries.Mortality rates vary across locationsThe Vanishing Witnesses report shows that mortality rates for survivors vary greatly across locations depending on access to health care and economic stability. For example, Israel, which is home to about half of all Holocaust survivors, had 110,100 survivors as of October 2024 and is estimated to see their population decline to 62,900 by 2030, a drop of 43%.The United States had 34,600 in the fall of 2024, but is projected to lose 39% over that same time, dropping to 21,100 survivors. Countries in the former Soviet Union had 25,500 survivors in October 2024, but are expected to be at 11,800 in five years, down 54 % by the start of 2030.This report is a stark reminder that our time is almost up, our survivors are leaving us and this is the moment to hear their voices, said Gideon Taylor, the president of the Claims Conference. Many survivors worry who will keep alive their memoriesAlbrecht Weinberg, a 100-year-old survivor from Germany who lost almost his entire family in the Holocaust, said that even today the horrendous memories are haunting him. I sleep with it, I wake up with it, I sweat, I have nightmares; that is my present.Weinberg survived the concentration and death camps Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora, Bergen-Belsen and three death marches at the end of the war. He spent many years teaching high school students and others about the atrocities he had to live through. Still, he worries what will happen when he is no longer around to bear witness.When my generation is not in this world anymore, when we disappear from the world, then the next generation can only read it out of the book. KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Grieshaber is a Berlin-based reporter covering Germany and Austria for The Associated Press. She covers general news as well as migration, populism and religion. mailto