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Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 06:50:54+00:00
|
[
"South Australia",
"Georgia Gardner",
"Animals",
"Dogs",
"New South Wales",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Lifestyle",
"Jared Karran",
"Cats",
"Josh Fishlock"
] |
# Miniature dachshund reunited with owner after 18 months lost
By Rod Mcguirk
May 7th, 2025, 06:50 AM
---
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Valerie, a miniature dachshund lost for 18 months — or around half her life — on an Australian island, has been reunited with her owners, her rescuers said Wednesday.
Owner Georgia Gardner said her pet approached without hesitation when they were reunited by Kangala Wildlife Rescue on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia state on Tuesday for the first time since November 2023.
"She ran straight up to me — I just burst into tears," Gardner said in a statement released on Wednesday.
"She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried," Gardner added.
The almost 3-year-old Valerie was trapped on April 25 in remarkably good condition after 529 days spent living like a feral animal. Valerie had weighted 4 kilograms (9 pounds) when she was lost and now weighs 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds). There is speculation that she survived on road kill and animal droppings.
Gardner and her partner, Josh Fishlock, had been holidaying on the island and were away from their campsite fishing when their pet escaped from a pen. The couple searched but eventually had to return to the mainland without her.
Volunteers from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit service, spotted the distinctive addition to the Australian wilderness in March.
She was captured after volunteers spent an estimated 1,000 hours searching while covering 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) of the island.
Having seen video camera images of the dog sniffing a trap last month, Kangala Wildlife Rescue director Jared Karran said he was surprised by how small she was in reality.
"If it was a miracle that she's survived — seeing her size — it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there," Karran said.
Gardner and Fishlock will drive Valerie back to their home in Albury in New South Wales state.
Garner said she had been working with a dog behaviorist to help Valerie transition to home life. Valerie will be kept on a raw food diet "considering her incredible condition when she was found," Gardner said.
In Albury, Valerie will be reunited with rescue cat Lucy and cattle dog Mason. She will also be introduced to her owners' new dachshund, Dorothy.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 16:39:42+00:00
|
[
"The Hague",
"Israel",
"Netherlands",
"Netherlands government",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"Geert Wilders",
"International agreements",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"David Prins",
"Caspar Veldkamp",
"Politics",
"Human rights",
"War and unrest"
] |
# Huge crowd piles pressure on Dutch government to seek an end to Israel's campaign in Gaza
By Molly Quell
May 18th, 2025, 04:39 PM
---
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Tens of thousands of red-clad protesters marched through the Dutch capital on Sunday to demand their government do more to halt Israel's campaign in Gaza, in what organizers called the country's biggest demonstration in two decades.
Human rights groups and aid agencies — including Amnesty International, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders — estimated the peaceful crowd at more than 100,000 people, and the streets of The Hague were packed with the old, young and even some babies on their first protest.
"We hope this is a wake-up call for the government," said teacher Roos Lingbeek, attending the march with her husband and their 12-week-old daughter, Dido, who slept in a carrier as her parents brandished a sign simply reading: "STOP."
The march took the young family past the Peace Palace, headquarters of the United Nations' International Court of Justice, where last year judges ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza.
As the protest wound its way past the court, canals and the seat of the Netherlands' right-wing government, Israeli forces continued to pound northern Gaza, where they have launched new ground operations.
Airstrikes in the offensive killed at least 103 people, including dozens of children, overnight and into Sunday, hospitals and medics said, and forced northern Gaza's main hospital to close.
An Israeli blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is now in its third month, with global food security experts warning of famine across the territory of more than 2 million people.
David Prins, whose yarmulke was printed with the image of a watermelon — which shares the colors of the Palestinian flag — told The Associated Press he was attending the protest "to speak out against the atrocities." The 64-year-old was standing across the street from the synagogue he attended growing up, which overlooks the field where the demonstration began.
Protesters walked a 3-mile (5-kilometer) loop around the city center of The Hague, to symbolically create the red line they say the government has failed to set.
"We are calling on the Dutch government: stop political, economic and military support to Israel as long as it blocks access to aid supplies and while it is guilty of genocide, war crimes and structural human rights violations in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories," Marjon Rozema, of Amnesty International, told the AP.
Israel strongly denies that it is committing genocide or violating international law in Gaza.
Some unable to make the trek through the city sat along the route to cheer on the marchers. "It's beyond time for the government to act," Aletha Steijns told the AP, while holding crutches for a knee injury. She was joined by several friends in camping chairs on the sidewalk.
Dutch policy toward Israel is just one of many issues causing splits in the Netherlands' fragile coalition government. Hard-right leader Geert Wilders is staunchly pro-Israel and his anti-immigrant Party for Freedom holds the largest number of seats in the country's parliament.
Last week, however, foreign affairs minister Caspar Veldkamp of the minority center-right VVD party urged the European Union to review a trade agreement with Israel, arguing that its blockade of humanitarian aid violated international law. Wilders hit back, denouncing the call as an "affront to cabinet policy."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 05:36:24+00:00
|
[
"Taiwan",
"China",
"Donald Trump",
"NVIDIA Corp.",
"International trade",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"Government policy",
"Taiwan government",
"Jensen Huang",
"Economic policy",
"Business",
"Politics",
"Vehicle ramming attacks",
"Engineering"
] |
# Taiwan's president downplays tariff tensions with the US as 'frictions between friends'
By Simina Mistreanu
May 20th, 2025, 05:36 AM
---
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Taiwanese president said Tuesday that trade tensions between the United States and Taiwan are just "frictions between friends" in a show of optimism as tariff negotiations are underway with Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 32% tariffs on all imports from Taiwan as part of sweeping duties levied against all U.S. trading partners last month.
The tariffs on Taiwanese goods were subsequently lowered to 10% for 90 days to allow for trade negotiations. Officials from both sides held a first round of talks last month, to be followed by another one in the coming weeks.
In a speech marking his first year as president and focusing on Taiwan's strategies to defuse the effects of U.S. tariffs and military threats from China, Lai Ching-te struck an accommodating tone despite the tariff pressure.
The U.S. and Taiwan have long "cooperated and have also encouraged each other to grow," he said. "There are bound to be frictions between friends, but they can eventually be reconciled."
"Even if there are differences of opinion, as long as there is a foundation of trust and sincere dialogue, they can understand each other better and deepen their friendship," he added.
The U.S. has traditionally been Taiwan's strongest unofficial ally in the face of military threats by China, which considers the self-ruled island its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. Washington is bound by its own laws to provide Taipei with the means to defend itself.
Lai said Taiwan would continue to strengthen its national defense capabilities, both through foreign military procurement and domestic arms development, and stand "shoulder to shoulder" with its allies "to exert deterrent power."
"We will prepare adequately to avoid war and achieve the goal of peace," he said.
He kept open the possibility of talks with Beijing, saying that "Taiwan is very willing to engage in exchanges and cooperation with China" as long as there is mutual respect and dignity.
Taiwan's economy is supported by massive semiconductor firms that supply microchips globally as well as other electronics, advanced manufacturing and green tech makers.
Lai said he would continue to encourage foreign investment in Taiwan, citing Monday's announcement by American technology company Nvidia about opening a new office in northern Taipei.
Nvidia's Taiwan-born CEO Jensen Huang also announced his company would build an artificial intelligence supercomputer on the island in partnership with chipmaker TSMC, tech firm Foxconn and the Taiwanese government.
He also backed increased investments by Taiwanese firms in the U.S.
In March, TSMC responded to Trump's tariff threats by pledging a new $100 billion investment in the U.S., in addition to earlier commitments to invest more than $65 billion in three factories in Arizona, one of which began production late last year.
However, Lai's controversial proposal to completely remove tariffs on U.S. goods "on the basis of reciprocity," in addition to bumping up procurement of U.S. products, triggered protests last week by Taiwanese farmers.
Lai opened his speech by offering his "deepest condolences" to the families of three people, including two 12-year-old girls, who were killed when a driver plowed through pedestrians in New Taipei City on Monday. He promised a speedy investigation into the tragedy that has shaken many on this self-governing island of 23 million people.
___
Associated Press video journalist Johnson Lai in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 23:00:17+00:00
|
[
"Vince Vaughn",
"Susan Sarandon",
"Movies",
"Liz Maccie",
"Staten Island",
"Film Reviews",
"Joe Scaravella",
"Stephen Chbosky",
"Lindsey Bahr",
"Entertainment",
"Linda Cardellini",
"Florian Ballhaus",
"Brenda Vaccaro",
"Drea de Matteo",
"Joe Manganiello",
"Talia Shire",
"Lorraine Bracco"
] |
# 'Nonnas' review: Vince Vaughn leads sweet, schmaltzy comfort food movie
By Lindsey Bahr
May 8th, 2025, 11:00 PM
---
The new Vince Vaughn movie "Nonnas" aspires to be a bit of cinematic comfort food. It's based on a heartwarming true story, features a lot of shots of simmering Sunday sauces and touts a lovable cast of veteran Italian American actors in Talia Shire, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro and Susan Sarandon. One would hope that those are the kind of ingredients that would be difficult to mess up too badly.
And "Nonnas," streaming on Netflix Friday, is what it wants to be: A glossy, movie version of the local joint. Nothing's groundbreaking or particularly unexpected, the story beats are predictable, and the music choices and Italian American stereotypes a bit cliché. And yet it's done with an evident earnestness and kindness that makes it impossible to write off. Is it a sign of the times that a bunch of people just being kind to one another is basically enough?
"Nonnas" was directed by Stephen Chbosky ("Perks of Being a Wallflower") working off of a script by Liz Maccie, whom he is married to, and based on the true story of a New Yorker named Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) who starts a Staten Island restaurant with Italian grandmothers as the chefs.
Joe has no business savvy or restaurant knowledge, just an idea after the loss of his own mother and grandmother. He just wants to pay tribute to the way that they always made him feel with their cooking in the kitchen. There's a gauzy, sun soaked flashback to the neighborhood in the 1960s showing a young Joe watching his mother and grandmother make the Sunday sauce that's so idealized, so full of smiles as substitute for character, it might as well be a Prego commercial.
There is an obvious reverence for cultural predecessors like "Moonstruck" and "My Cousin Vinny" baked into "Nonnas," though it can't quite find the natural rhythm that might have made it work better. It whiplashes between big comedic swings (including a food fight between the feuding nonnas) and utter sincerity and it is in no rush to get anywhere fast.
But perhaps the greatest miscalculation is centering the story on Joe instead of the women. The nonnas are met where they are in life — a former nun (Shire), a hair salon owner (Sarandon), a retiree (Bracco) who's estranged from her kids and a widow (Vaccaro) who needs to get out of the house. It seems like there was a missed opportunity to get to know their stories and recipes more. If food is love, give the audience a chance to fall in love with them through their favorite dishes. Instead, they bond not over food or new appreciation of one another's heritage, but a makeover.
Still, it's worth noting that "Nonnas" is not nearly as gimmicky as it could have been. Vaughn is good in a more subdued role — the stereotypes-for-comedy's-sake are left for his friends ( Joe Manganiello and Drea de Matteo) to live and die by. A love story with his old prom date (played by Linda Cardellini) feels a little tacked on to everything else, but I suppose is also just another layer to the second chances narrative.
Chbosky and his cinematographer Florian Ballhaus take care to shoot working class Staten Island beautifully, without gimmicks to overromanticize the reality. Even the "before" images of the restaurant have a glint to them, drawing the audience in to see the potential that Joe sees. Be sure to keep watching through the credits for a little real-life coda.
"Nonnas," like comfort food, may be a little obvious, a little safe, but that's the point.
"Nonnas," a Netflix release streaming Friday, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for "suggestive material, language and thematic elements." Running time: 111 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-11 04:06:57+00:00
|
[
"Movies",
"Cannes Film Festival",
"Kleber Mendonca Filho",
"Kristen Stewart",
"Robert De Niro",
"Quentin Tarantino",
"Paul Mescal",
"Tom Cruise",
"Jennifer Lawrence",
"Denzel Washington",
"Josh OConnor",
"Scarlett Johansson",
"Brazil",
"Donald Trump",
"Jafar Panahi",
"Chie Hayakawa",
"George Sherman",
"Sergei Loznitsa",
"Harris Dickinson",
"Entertainment",
"Robert Pattinson",
"Richard Linklater",
"Business",
"Ari Aster",
"Spike Lee",
"Wes Anderson",
"Oliver Hermanus",
"Lynne Ramsay"
] |
# Cannes readies for 78th edition with new challenges on the horizon
By Jake Coyle
May 11th, 2025, 04:06 AM
---
Nowhere is the border-crossing nature of cinema more evident than the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off Tuesday in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to enact tariffs on international films.
Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d'Or, to give out at the end. Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories.
"You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation," says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who's returning to Cannes with "The Secret Agent," a thriller set during Brazil's dictatorship. "You've got to really prepare for the whole experience because it's quite intense — not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as you go up the steps at the Palais."
Perhaps as much as ever, all eyes in the movie world will be on the 78th Cannes Film Festival when it gets underway this week. That's not just because of the long list of anticipated films set to premiere at the Cote d'Azur festival (including films from Spike Lee, Wes Anderson, Lynne Ramsay, Richard Linklater and Ari Aster) and the extensive coterie of stars set to walk the fabled red carpet (Jennifer Lawrence, Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart among them).
As the movies, and the Oscar race, have grown more international, the global launchpad of Cannes has become only more central to the larger film ecosystem — even with the ongoing absence of Netflix. Recent editions of Cannes have produced a string of Academy Awards contenders, including this year's best-picture winner, "Anora."
At the same time, geopolitics course through Cannes unlike any other festival. The Cannes red carpet can be as much a platform for political protest as it is for glamour. This year's festival will include a dissident Iranian filmmaker (Jafar Panahi), a Ukrainian filmmaker (Sergei Loznitsa) and the first Nigerian production in the official selection (Akinola Davies Jr.'s "My Father's Shadow").
## The many roads to Cannes
In the run-up to the festival, three filmmakers from different corners of the world spoke about their roads to the Cannes competition lineup. For many directors, reaching the Cannes competition — this year, that's 22 movies vying for the Palme d'Or — is career milestone.
"It's meaningful for me. It's meaningful for the country," says Oliver Hermanus, speaking from outside Cape Town. Hermanus, the South African filmmaker of "Moffie" and "Living," is in competition for the first time with "The History of Sound," a period love story starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor.
"I was born here and made movies here for most of my career, so I still see myself as a South African filmmaker who's interested in the South African perspective on things and South African representation," adds Hermanus. "The competition is something I've always wanted to be part of."
Chie Hayakawa, the Japanese filmmaker of 2022's "Plan 75," is also in competition for the first time. She first came to Cannes with a student film that she never expected to make it into the festival's shorts program. This week, she'll debut "Renoir," a semiautobiographical tale about an 11-year-old girl with a father who has terminal cancer.
"It gives me a huge encouragement and keeps me motivated to making films," Hayakawa said from Tokyo. "I don't feel like I'm going to compete with other films. But it meaningful. I know how prestigious and meaningful it is to be in competition."
"Film is global and easily crosses the borders of any country or culture," she adds. "That's what special about Cannes."
## Will tariffs topple Cannes?
Cannes' global approach is part of what makes this year more complicated than usual. Trump sent shock waves through Hollywood and the international film community when he announced on May 4 that all movies "produced in Foreign Lands" will face 100% tariffs.
The White House has said no final decisions have been made. Options being explored include federal incentives for U.S.-based productions, rather than tariffs. But the announcement was a reminder of how international tensions can destabilize even the oldest cultural institutions.
Filho first attended Cannes as a critic. Once he began making movies, the allure of the festival remained. To him, participating in Cannes means joining a timeline of cinema history. "The Secret Agent" marks his third time in competition.
"I have always felt that there was a seriousness that I appreciated," Filho says. "For example, I will be attending a 2 a.m. test for sound and picture. This is done with scientist types who will take care of the projection and how everything will go."
As to the threat of tariffs? He shrugs.
"I have been trained by Brazil, because we had a very strange and weird historic moment under (former president Jair) Bolsonaro," Filho said. "I used my training to say: This is probably some bad idea or misunderstanding that will be corrected in the coming days or weeks. Even for leaders like them, Bolsonaro and Trump, it makes no sense whatsoever."
## 'Everything to lose, everything to gain'
The Cannes Film Festival originally emerged in the World War II years, when the rise of fascism in Italy led to the founding of an alternative to the then-government controlled Venice Film Festival. In the time since, Cannes' resolute commitment to cinema has made it a beacon to filmmakers. Countless directors have come to make their name.
This year is no different, though some of the first-time filmmakers at Cannes are already particularly well-known. Stewart ("The Chronology of Water"), Scarlett Johansson ("Eleanor the Great") and Harris Dickinson ("Urchin") will all be unveiling their feature directorial debuts in Cannes' Un Certain Regard sidebar section.
Many Cannes veterans will be back, too, including Tom Cruise ("Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning"), Robert De Niro (who's to receive an honorary Palme d'Or 49 years after "Taxi Driver" premiered in Cannes) and Quentin Tarantino (to pay tribute to low-budget Western director George Sherman).
Hermanus first came to Cannes with his 2011 film "Beauty." He went naively optimistic before realizing, he laughs, that a Cannes selection is "a potential invitation to a beheading.
"Even going now with 'The History of Sound,' I'm trying to be realistic about the fact that it's a gladiatorial arena. It's everything to lose and everything to gain," says Hermanus. "When Cannes selected us, it came down to me and Paul going, 'Oh God, here comes the real stress. Will we survive the intensity of Cannes?' — which we both agreed is the reason to go."
___
For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival,
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 04:01:24+00:00
|
[
"George Clooney",
"Audra McDonald",
"Bob Odenkirk",
"Kieran Culkin",
"Jake Gyllenhaal",
"Bill Burr",
"Branden Jacobs-Jenkins",
"Sarah Snook",
"Tony Awards",
"Katie Holmes",
"John Proctor",
"Denzel Washington",
"David Cromer",
"Edward R. Murrow",
"Jennifer Simard",
"Mary Todd Lincoln",
"Rachel Zegler",
"Lea Salonga",
"Sadie Sink",
"Cynthia Erivo",
"Jasmine Amy Rogers",
"Robert Downey Jr.",
"Movies",
"New York City Wire",
"Nicole Scherzinger",
"Elton John",
"David Yazbek",
"Classical music",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Megan Hilty",
"Angela Lansbury",
"Wim Wenders",
"Bernadette Peters",
"Tyne Daly",
"Christopher Gattelli",
"James Monroe",
"Patti LuPone",
"Gavin Creel",
"Jez Butterworth",
"Erik Della Penna",
"Stephen Sondheim",
"Jim Parsons",
"David Mamet",
"Mia Farrow",
"Kimberly Belflower",
"Theater",
"Louis McCartney",
"Adrienne Warren"
] |
# 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' lead Tony Award nominations
By Mark Kennedy
May 1st, 2025, 04:01 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Three Broadway shows — "Buena Vista Social Club," "Death Becomes Her" and "Maybe Happy Ending" — each earned a leading 10 Tony Award nominations Thursday, as nominators spread out the joy and gave nods to George Clooney,Sarah Snook and Bob Odenkirk in their debuts.
Twenty-nine shows got at least one nomination across the 26 Tony categories, even long-closed shows like "A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical" and "Swept Away."
James Monroe Iglehart, who played Armstrong in his musical, wasn't expecting the nomination and woke to his phone blowing up. "I was like, 'What's going on? Is everything OK?' And then I was, 'OK! How cool is that?" he said. "I'm just really excited to be a part of this crop of amazing performers."
"Buena Vista Social Club," which takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders' 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the album "Buena Vista Social Club," will face off for best musical crown with "Death Becomes Her," based on the 1992 cult classic film of the same name about frenemeies who seek a magic eternal youth and beauty potion.
The category also includes "Maybe Happy Ending," a rom-com musical about a pair of androids that crackles with humanity and " Dead Outlaw," a musical about a real life alcoholic drifter who was shot dead in 1911 and whose afterlife proved to be stranger than fiction as he was displayed at carnivals and sideshows for decades.
A second show with a corpse, the British import "Operation Mincemeat," also made it, the improbably true story about a British deception operation designed to mislead Nazi Germany about the location of the Allied landing at Sicily.
"What I think is so cool about this year is that the shows are so widely different and I love that for Broadway," says Christopher Gattelli, the choreographer and first-time director of "Death Becomes Her," who earned nods for both jobs.
"We have chamber pieces and really small intimate shows and these wildly funny black box shows, and so, I love that it's been such a great scope of a year. I love that we get to add to that mix."
"Dead Outlaw" — conceived by David Yazbek, who wrote the music and lyrics with Erik Della Penna — reunites Yazbek with book writer Itamar Moses and the director David Cromer, who collaborated so winningly on the Tony-winning "The Band's Visit." Yazbek said Thursday that the team learned a lesson with that show that they applied to "Dead Outlaw."
"If you make the thing you want to make and make it true to itself and leave the rest of it up to the fates, then you might actually get the reception that you want. And so we sort of stuck to that approach," he said.
## Best play category
In the best play category, "English," Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sanaz Toossi's look at four Iranian students preparing for an English language exam, made the cut. As did "The Hills of California," Jez Butterworth's look at a family gathering for the impending death of its matriarch set in a hotel in the summer of 1976 in England.
They'll compete with "John Proctor Is the Villain," Kimberly Belflower's examination of girlhood, feminism, the #MeToo movement and a compelling rebuttal to "The Crucible," and "Purpose," Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drawing-room drama about an accomplished Black family destroying itself from within.
The category is completed with "Oh, Mary!," an irreverent, raunchy, gleefully deranged revisionist history by Cole Escola centered on Mary Todd Lincoln, portrayed as a boozy, narcissistic, potty-mouthed first lady determined to strike out of the subordinate role into which history has placed her.
Jacobs-Jenkins, whose "Appropriate," won best play revival last year, said Thursday morning that his category was filled with plays that started regionally or off-Broadway, showing the art's strength.
"I hope people kind of see the diversity of what's happening in terms of writing for the American stages right now. It's really an amazing time," he said. "I think that's just the testament to how fruitful the form is."
## Acting nods and some missing
Audra McDonald, as expected, heard her name called for her turn as Rose in a hailed revival of "Gypsy," a role that led to previous Tonys for the likes of Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly and Patti LuPone. McDonald, already a holder for the most Tonys by a performer — with six — now vies for a seventh.
She will face off against Nicole Scherzinger in "Sunset Blvd.," Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard in "Death Becomes Her," and Jasmine Amy Rogers from "Boop! The Musical," which follows the Depression-era cartoon character as she goes on a journey of transformation.
McDonald credits the late Broadway star Gavin Creel for suggesting she lead "Gypsy" some eight years ago during a dinner party at her house. It wasn't on her radar, and she didn't think a Black-led "Gypsy" would fly. Creel insisted. He died the first day of "Gypsy" rehearsals. "We have another reason to thank him," she said.
Clooney got a nod as a leading actor in a play for his retelling the story of legendary reporter Edward R. Murrow in an adaptation of his 2005 film "Good Night, and Good Luck." Another hot ticket — a revival of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross" earned Odenkirk a nod, but not for his co-stars Kieran Culkin or comedian Bill Burr. (The snub derails Culkin possibly winning an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony in less than 18 months.)
Snook, Culkin's "Succession" co-star, earned a nomination for playing all 26 parts in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Stranger Things" star Sadie Sink earned one for leading "John Proctor is the Villain." "Stranger Things: The First Shadow," an effects-driven prequel to her old Netflix hit show, earned five nods, including for lead actor Louis McCartney.
The news was less good for Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, both in their Broadway debuts. Neither got nominations for their "Romeo + Juliet" pitched to Generation X and millennials. Robert Downey Jr., who also made his Broadway debut in the play "McNeal," also wasn't recognized. Mia Farrow earned a nomination for "The Roommate" but her co-star, the Broadway diva Patti LuPone, did not.
And, in a shock, an edgy "Othello" with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal that producers are charging north of $900 for orchestra seats, got not a single nomination. Idina Menzel's return to Broadway in "Redwood," a contemporary fable about trees, grief and the quest for healing, also got no nominations, nor did "The Last Five Years," with Nick Jonas and Tony-winner Adrienne Warren
Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," starring Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes, earned a best play revival Tony nomination, but nothing for its actors. Elton John's musical about 1980s televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker and the Stephen Sondheim revue starring Tony Award-winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga both came up blank.
The Tony Awards will be handed out June 8 at Radio City Music Hall during a telecast hosted by "Wicked" star and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-11 16:07:10+00:00
|
[
"Ryan Coogler",
"Kerry Washington",
"Joe Carnahan",
"Paul Rudd",
"Movies",
"Horror",
"Box Office",
"International Finance Corporation",
"Canada",
"Business",
"Josh Hartnett",
"Entertainment",
"Omar Sy",
"Paul Dergarabedian"
] |
# 'Thunderbolts' and 'Sinners' top box office charts once more
By Lindsey Bahr
May 11th, 2025, 04:07 PM
---
Marvel's "Thunderbolts" and Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" dominated the North American box office charts again this weekend.
Now in their second and fourth weekends respectively, the two films had some new competition, including a horror movie, a Kerry Washington action pic, a Josh Hartnett airplane thriller, and a Shakespeare-inspired musical. None of the additions made a significant impact.
"Thunderbolts" took first place, with $33.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That's down 55% from its opening. Internationally, it added $34 million, bringing its global total to $272.2 million. In just two weekends, the Walt Disney Co. release is already the fourth biggest of the year, globally and domestically.
The movie is also faring better than the previous Marvel movie, "Captain America: Brave New World," which took a big 68% dive in its second weekend. The key difference was reviews, which don't always dictate the fate of superhero movies, but good word of mouth has helped "Thunderbolts."
"The holding power of this film harkens back to the heyday of Marvel," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "The currency of the long-term playability is more important than the sheer opening weekends."
The studio also has another big movie coming later this summer in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
"Sinners," meanwhile, crossed the $200 million mark in North American ticket sales this weekend, which is especially notable for an original R-rated movie. It added $21.1 million domestically, and $6.6 million internationally, bringing its global total to $283.3 million. Next weekend, it's also returning to 70mm IMAX screens "by popular demand," IMAX said.
Warner Bros.' other juggernaut, "A Minecraft Movie," has made $409 million domestically and $909.6 million globally in its six weekends in theaters. It added just under $8 million to take third place this weekend, followed by "The Accountant 2" in fourth with $6.1 million.
Several new movies also opened in wide release this weekend, but none seemed to break through the noise. The biggest of the bunch was "Clown in a Cornfield," which earned $3.7 million (a relative high water mark for its distributor IFC) and cracked the top five.
"The second weekend in May, there is typically a bit of a lull," Dergarabedian said. "IFC picked a perfect date for this clown to scare people into the theater."
"Shadow Force," a Lionsgate action pic with Washington and Omar Sy from "The Grey" filmmaker Joe Carnahan, made $2 million from 2,170 screens. Vertical's "Flight or Fight," starring Hartnett as a mercenary on a plane full of assassins, also debuted with an estimated $2 million from 2,153 screens.
In limited release, the Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd movie "Friendship" launched on six screens in New York and Los Angeles and scored the best per-screen average of the year ($75,317) with many sellouts reported. A24 plans to expand the release nationwide over Memorial Day.
Overall, it was a relatively quiet weekend, but thanks to "A Minecraft Movie," "Sinners" and "Thunderbolts," the year-to-date box office is up around 16% from last year, according to Comscore data. Compared with 2019, however, it's down over 32%.
Next week, "Final Destination: Bloodlines" should give the marketplace another jolt before two giants debut over the holiday weekend: "Lilo & Stitch" and "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning."
## Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. "Thunderbolts," $33.1 million.
2. "Sinners," $21.1 million.
3. "A Minecraft Movie," $8 million.
4. "The Accountant 2," $6.1 million.
5. "Clown in a Cornfield," $3.7 million.
6. "Shadow Force," $2 million.
7. "Fight or Flight," $2 million.
8. "Until Dawn," $2 million.
9. "The Amateur," $1.1 million.
10. "The King of Kings," $680,656.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-11 09:45:18+00:00
|
[
"Gaza Strip",
"Israel",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Blockades",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Food and beverage manufacturing",
"War and unrest",
"Foreign aid",
"Israel government",
"Ali al-Dbary",
"Mohammed al-Bursh",
"United Nations",
"Philanthropy",
"Hamas",
"Health",
"Palestinian territories government",
"Religion"
] |
# Israel's blockade means Gaza's hospitals cannot provide food to recovering patients
By Mohammed Jahjouh
May 11th, 2025, 09:45 AM
---
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — It cost a fortune, she said, but Asmaa Fayez managed to buy a few zucchinis in a Gaza market. She cooked them with rice and brought it to her 4-year-old son, who has been in the hospital for the past week. The soup was his only meal of the day, and he asked for more.
"It's all finished, darling," Fayez replied softly. Still, it was an improvement from the canned beans and tuna she brings on other days, she said.
Hospital patients are among the most vulnerable as Palestinians across Gaza struggle to feed themselves, with Israel's blockade on food and other supplies entering the territory now in its third month.
With hospitals unable to provide food, families must bring whatever they can find for loved ones.
"Most, if not all, wounded patients have lost weight, especially in the past two months," Dr. Khaled Alserr, a general surgeon at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, told The Associated Press. Nutritional supplements for intensive care unit patients are lacking, he said.
"Our hands are tied when it comes to making the best choice for patients. Choices are limited," he said.
## Hunger worsens as supplies dwindle
Malnutrition is on the rise across Gaza, aid groups say. Thousands of children have been found with acute malnutrition in the past month, but adults as well are not getting proper nutrients, according to the U.N. It estimates that 16,000 pregnant women and new mothers this year face acute malnutrition.
Since Israel's blockade began on March 2, food sources have been drying up. Aid groups have stopped food distribution. Bakeries have closed. Charity kitchens handing out bowls of pasta or lentils remain the last lifeline for most of the population, but they are rapidly closing for lack of supplies, the U.N. says.
Markets are empty of almost everything but canned goods and small amounts of vegetables, and prices have been rising. Local production of vegetables has plummeted because Israeli forces have damaged 80% of Gaza's farmlands, the U.N. says, and much of the rest is inaccessible inside newly declared military zones.
Fayez's son, Ali al-Dbary, was admitted to Nasser Hospital because of a blocked intestine, suffering from severe cramps and unable to use the bathroom. Fayez believes it's because he has been eating little but canned goods. She splurged on the zucchini, which now costs around $10 a kilogram (2.2 pounds). Before the war it was less than a dollar.
Doctors said the hospital doesn't have a functioning scanner to diagnose her son and decide whether he needs surgery.
Israel says it imposed the blockade and resumed its military campaign in March to pressure Hamas to release its remaining hostages and disarm.
Hamas ignited the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage, most of whom have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants.
## Concern over Israeli plans to control aid
Israeli officials have asserted that enough food entered Gaza during a two-month ceasefire earlier this year. Rights groups have disputed that and called the blockade a "starvation tactic" and a potential war crime.
Now Israeli plans to control aid distribution in Gaza, using private contractors to distribute supplies. The U.N. and aid groups have rejected the idea, saying it could restrict who is eligible to give and receive aid and could force large numbers of Palestinians to move — which would violate international law.
Those under care at hospitals, and their families who scrounge to feed them, would face further challenges under Israel's proposal. Moving to reach aid could be out of the question.
Another patient at Nasser Hospital, 19-year-old Asmaa Faraj, had shrapnel in her chest from an airstrike that hit close to her tent and a nearby charity kitchen in camps for displaced people outside Khan Younis.
When the AP visited, the only food she had was a small bag of dates, a date cookie and some water bottles. Her sister brought her some pickles.
"People used to bring fruits as a gift when they visited sick people in hospitals," said the sister, Salwa Faraj. "Today, we have bottles of water."
She said her sister needs protein, fruits and vegetables but none are available.
Mohammed al-Bursh managed to find a few cans of tuna and beans to bring for his 30-year-old son, Sobhi, who was wounded in an airstrike three months ago. Sobhi's left foot was amputated, and he has two shattered vertebrae in his neck.
Al-Bursh gently gave his son spoonfuls of beans as he lay still in the hospital bed, a brace on his neck.
"Everything is expensive," Sobhi al-Bursh said, gritting with pain that he says is constant. He said he limits what he eats to help save his father money.
He believes that his body needs meat to heal. "It has been three months, and nothing heals," he said.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 11:16:40+00:00
|
[
"Protests and demonstrations",
"Mali",
"Europe",
"Censorship",
"Mali government",
"Islam",
"Ibrahim Boubacar Keita"
] |
# Several dozen people in Mali hold a rare protest against the army after massacre allegations
By Baba Ahmed
May 15th, 2025, 11:16 AM
---
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Several dozen people, notably women and children, have demonstrated in the central Malian village of Diafarabé following allegations that the Malian army killed more than 20 people.
The protest happened on Wednesday, two days after the alleged massacre. Although allegations of Malian army killings are frequent in this part of West Africa, demonstrations have been rare since military rule and restrictions on freedom of expression were installed in Mali.
"The women are demonstrating their anger to denounce the alleged murder of 27 people by the Malian army last Monday," said Diowro Diallo, president of the Fulani association Dental Wuwardé.
"The army arrested 28 men who were at the Diafrabé market to sell their animals," Diallo told The Associated Press on Thursday. "The soldiers crossed the river behind the village with the prisoners, but one escaped and returned to the village to report that the army had executed the others,"
Diafarabé, a predominantly Fulani ethnic village located in central Mali, is an area where JNIM, an Al Qaida-linked group, is active and regularly targets the Malian army with attacks.
The army said it has launched an inquiry.
"An investigation has been opened following these allegations, and we are waiting for its conclusion to determine what happened," Malian army spokesman Col. Maj. Souleymane Dembélé said Thursday.
Last December, Human Rights Watch published a report accusing the Malian army and the Wagner Group of deliberately killing dozens of civilians and setting fire to at least 100 houses during military operations in central and northern Mali.
Human rights associations have regularly accused the Malian army of human rights violations since the beginning of the country's security and political crisis in 2012. In 2020, a group of military officers took advantage of the widespread discontent against democratically elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta to stage a coup and seize power.
Mali's military government cut military cooperation with France and the European Union, which had troops in Mali as part of the fight against extremism, and forged new security ties with Russia instead. However, analysts say that the security situation has worsened.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 15:02:34+00:00
|
[
"Music",
"Ice Spice",
"Hip hop and rap",
"Music Reviews",
"New York",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Entertainment"
] |
# PinkPantheress' 'Fancy That' review: A lighthearted level up
By Kiana Doyle
May 7th, 2025, 03:02 PM
---
For the curious and ultra-trendy, Charli xcx's neon, vomit green party banger "BRAT " was more than an album; it inspired the cultural moment of "BRAT summer." While internet-pop sensation PinkPantheress' style is quite different, it seems her sophomore mixtape is coming out just in time for a "Fancy That" season of her own.
Gen Z immediately flocked to 24-year-old British singer-songwriter PinkPantheress' "Fancy That" singles on TikTok, the platform on which she's come up significantly in the last few years, with earlier hits like the U.K. garage "Break it Off" and "Boy's a Liar PT. 2," featuring New York rapper Ice Spice.
A producer first and foremost, PinkPantheress launched with those viral songs — her sweet soprano carrying addictive choruses that resonate with the very online.
Across "Fancy That," with grounded but baby-soft vocals, PinkPantheress' signature sound is reminiscent of '90s British electronic music as pulsing club beats layer over dreamy synths, melding U.K. garage with bedroom hyperpop.
The mixtape is a leveling up for a young artist indulging in the flirty fun of liking someone whom you shouldn't. That's clear from the strong opener "Illegal," with its bold synths and bolder lyrics.
"My name is Pink and I'm really glad to meet you / You're recommended to me by some people / Hey, ouuuuu, is this illegal?" she sings.
Despite the throes of forbidden, complicated or even unrequited love, there's a lightheartedness to her new tracks, and listeners won't find a single sappy ballad across the album.
It's an on-and-off romance, as she puts her foot down in next track, the fun and layered "Girl Like Me." "I'm not a fan of the way we're moving," she sings. "No explanation for why we do this."
She explores themes of infatuation and obsession in energetic album highlights "Tonight" and "Stateside," pining after famous musicians and American boys. Both feature catchy and bouncy production, a simple choice but oh so danceable.
"Never met a British girl, you say? No one treats me this way / Are all boys out here the same?" she teases in the latter.
The final dance track "Romeo" is a whirlwind of violins, evoking the feeling of butterflies in the stomach or racing pulses.
Only nine songs long, "Fancy That" is fun, uncomplicated and anything but overdone. It's a successful step forward for the rising artist.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 16:58:50+00:00
|
[
"Mike DeWine",
"Donald Trump",
"Vivek Ramaswamy",
"JD Vance",
"Jon Husted",
"Lara Trump",
"Ohio",
"Heather Hill",
"Political endorsements",
"Voting",
"Jr.",
"Robert Sprague",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"Amy Acton",
"Keith Faber",
"Elections",
"Jim Tressel",
"Dave Yost",
"Politics",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Emily Hottinger"
] |
# Trump-backed Vivek Ramaswamy wins Ohio Republican Party's endorsement in 2026 governor's race
By Julie Carr Smyth
May 9th, 2025, 04:58 PM
---
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Trump-backed biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy won the Ohio Republican Party's gubernatorial endorsement Friday, overcoming more experienced and potentially more popular rivals to land coveted institutional and monetary support nearly a year before the 2026 primary.
Ramaswamy, 39, former co-chair of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency initiative, benefited from Trump's backing and from an 11th-hour post on X by Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., who urged members of the State Central Committee to back him.
"I understand that early endorsements aren't the norm, but these are not ordinary times," the younger Trump wrote. "We have a country to save, and we don't have any time or money to waste."
Lara Trump, former co-chair of the Republican National Committee and daughter-in-law to the president, opened Friday's meeting by phone. She stopped short of calling for a Ramaswamy endorsement, but reminded the committee that the GOP's motto headed into 2026 is, "Unite, unite, unite!"
The party's governing board held both the debate and vote for Ramaswamy behind closed doors, as objections swirled from some corners of the party that taking sides in the race was unfair, premature or both. Term-limited Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who formally heads the state party, had himself warned that the near-year until next year's primary is "a lifetime" in politics.
## Others making a bid for governor
Friday's march toward the early endorsement came even as DeWine's lieutenant governor, Jim Tressel, broke his silence late Thursday to say he is also considering a bid for governor. Tressel is a championship-winning former Ohio State Buckeyes head football coach who could play well among a sports fan base known as Buckeye Nation and the university's 600,000 living alumni. The filing deadline for the race is Feb. 4, 2026.
More immediately, the endorsement was a blow to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, 68, the fourth-term state officeholder who is Ramaswamy's best known primary rival.
In a statement, Yost's campaign manager, Emily Hottinger, congratulated Ramaswamy.
"The Attorney General is going to take a few days to consult with key supporters about the path forward," she said, "but the people of Ohio deserve a choice, not a premature coronation of an untested candidate."
Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director who helped lead Ohio through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the only announced Democrat in the race.
## Ramaswamy's candidacy
Ramaswamy, 39, an unsuccessful 2024 presidential candidate, staged a spirited campaign launch in February, and Trump endorsed Ramaswamy the same day as "Young, Strong, and Smart!" He has been barnstorming the state ever since.
He said Friday that the state party endorsement puts his campaign in "an incredibly strong" position headed into 2026, when he said he will work to appeal to not just Republicans but all voters.
"The way we're running this campaign is really not about left versus right," he told reporters after the vote. "It is about up versus down. And we in Ohio choose up." He said the next "policy-rich" phase of the campaign will feature his proposed solutions to the state's lagging population growth, a looming energy shortage and deficiencies in educational achievement.
A native of Cincinnati, Ramaswamy had shown interest in the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance before, but DeWine chose then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as Vance's successor. In a separate vote Friday, the Central Committee joined Trump in endorsing Husted in his 2026 bid to retain his seat for the remainder of Vance's unexpired term.
With decades in Ohio politics, Husted had been considered the front-runner for governor when he suddenly accepted the Senate appointment. Removing him from the gubernatorial race opened a pathway for Ramaswamy in state politics that could deter him from challenging Vance — a fellow Cincinnatian whom he has known since Yale Law School — for the presidency in 2028.
## Where the other contenders stand
Rather than attend the party meeting, Yost had joined DeWine in attending the funeral of a retired Hamilton County sheriff's deputy struck and killed last week by the father of a teen who had been fatally shot by police a day earlier. He said in a letter to Central Committee members obtained by The Associated Press that it was a difficult decision.
"My favorite part of a trial was always the closing argument — the distillation of all the evidence, its meaning, and the application of reason and law," Yost wrote. "I relish the battle. But I believe this is the right thing to do (regardless of whether it is politically wise) and have so chosen my course."
Ohio's other three statewide officeholders attended the meeting, with both Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Treasurer Robert Sprague urging the committee to endorse Ramaswamy. Auditor Keith Faber didn't mention the gubernatorial contender, instead warning against a ban on police immunity that is working its way to the statewide ballot.
In an interview, another gubernatorial candidate, Appalachian entrepreneur Heather Hill, called the endorsement decision unfair. She said the party should have remained neutral — as it often has in the past — and allowed the candidates to battle it out in the primary.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-11 06:09:15+00:00
|
[
"Saudi Arabia",
"Riyadh",
"Donald Trump",
"Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud",
"Financial markets",
"Earnings",
"Middle East",
"Business",
"Saudi Arabia government",
"NVIDIA Corp.",
"Energy markets",
"Alphabet",
"Inc.",
"Energy industry",
"Apple",
"Amin H. Nasser",
"Microsoft Corp.",
"Amazon.com"
] |
# Saudi oil giant Aramco announces first-quarter profits of $26 billion, down 4.6% from a year earlier
By Gabe Levin
May 11th, 2025, 06:09 AM
---
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco posted first-quarter profits of $26 billion on Sunday, down 4.6% from the prior year as falling global oil prices undermine the kingdom's multi-trillion-dollar development plans.
Aramco, formally known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., had revenues of $108.1 billion over the quarter, the company reported in a filing on Riyadh's Tadawul stock exchange. The company saw $107.2 billion in revenues and profits of $27.2 billion the same quarter last year.
Saudi Arabia has promised to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the course of President Donald Trump's term.
Trump, who is set to touch down in Riyadh on Tuesday on his first official foreign trip since he retook the Oval Office, said in January that he wants that number to be even higher, at around $1 trillion.
Meanwhile, the Saudi de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has his sights set on a $500 billion project to build Neom, a vast, futuristic city in the desert along the Red Sea. The kingdom will also need new stadiums and infrastructure costing tens of billions of dollars by 2034, when Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup.
The announcement of Aramco's first-quarter results comes as the OPEC+ alliance has ramped up oil production. The oil cartel has agreed to boost output by 411,000 barrels per day next month, as uncertainty driven by U.S. tariffs has rippled through Middle Eastern markets. That means Saudi Arabia will likely need to borrow or spend reserve funds to finance the crown prince's expensive goals.
Aramco's stock traded at over $6 a share Sunday, down from a high of around $8 last year. It has dropped over the past year as oil prices have dipped, and in recent months.
"Global trade dynamics affected energy markets in the first quarter of 2025, with economic uncertainty impacting oil prices," Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser said in a statement.
Benchmark Brent crude traded Friday at over $63 a barrel, down from highs of over $80 in the last year.
Aramco has a market value of over $1.6 trillion, making it the sixth richest company behind Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, Amazon and Alphabet, the owner of Google. Analysts see the company as a trend leader for global oil markets.
A fraction of Aramco trades on the Tadawul while the lion's share of the company is owned by Saudi Arabia's government, helping pay for expenditures and adding to the wealth of the country's Al Saud royal family.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 04:27:26+00:00
|
[
"Michigan City",
"Indiana",
"Crime",
"Capital punishment",
"Law enforcement",
"Benjamin Ritchie",
"Bill Toney",
"Legal proceedings",
"Joseph Corcoran",
"Richard Holy",
"Prisons",
"Mike Braun",
"Steve Schutte",
"Tod Rokita",
"Mark Hamner"
] |
# Indiana executes Benjamin Ritchie for 2000 killing of a police officer
By Sophia Tareen and Ed White
May 19th, 2025, 04:27 AM
---
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana man convicted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in 2000 was executed Tuesday by lethal injection in the state's second execution in 15 years.
Benjamin Ritchie, 45, had been on Indiana's death row since 2002, when he was convicted of killing Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a chase on foot.
Ritchie was executed at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, according to Indiana Department of Correction officials. IDOC said in a statement that the process started shortly after midnight and Ritchie was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m.
Ritchie's last meal was from the Olive Garden and he expressed love, support and peace for his friends and family, according to the statement.
Under state law, he was allowed five witnesses at his execution, which included his attorney Steve Schutte, who told reporters he had a limited view of the process.
"I couldn't see his face. He was lying flat by that time," Schutte said. "He sat up, twitched, laid back down."
The process was carried out hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case, exhausting all of Ritchie's legal options to fight the death sentence.
Dozens of people, both anti-death penalty advocates and supporters of Toney, stood outside the prison until early Tuesday.
Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide. Prison officials provided photos of the execution chamber before Joseph Corcoran's execution, showing a space that looks like an operating room with a gurney, fluorescent lighting and an adjacent viewing room. They've since offered few other details.
Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bars media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted one execution in the last half-century.
The Associated Press and other media organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana seeking media access, but a federal judge denied a preliminary injunction last week that would have allowed journalists to witness Ritchie's execution and future ones. The judge found that barring the news media doesn't violate the First Amendment nor does it single out the news media for unequal treatment.
The execution in Indiana was among 12 scheduled in eight states this year. Texas and Tennessee also plan to execute prisoners this week.
## The 2000 fatal shooting of a police officer
Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, near Indianapolis. He then fired at Toney during a foot chase, killing him.
At the time Ritchie was on probation from a 1998 burglary conviction.
Toney, 31, had worked at the Beech Grove Police Department for two years. The married father of two was the first officer of the small department to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty.
Relatives spoke at a clemency hearing last week in support of the execution.
"It's time. We're all tired," said Dee Dee Horen, who was Toney's wife. "It is time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It's time for us to remember Bill, to remember Bill's life, and not his death."
## Appealing a death sentence
Ritchie's attorneys fought the death sentence, arguing his legal counsel at trial was ineffective because his lawyers failed to fully investigate and present evidence on his fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood lead exposure.
Current defense attorneys say Ritchie suffered "severe brain damage" because his mother abused alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and that he struggled with decision-making. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005.
Disability rights advocates argued that Ritchie's brain damage should have excluded him from the death penalty.
"This is a foolish, senseless, agonizing waste of time and money," said Schutte, who added that Ritchie was no longer "the same person who committed that crime."
Attorney General Todd Rokita said the execution honored Toney's "sacrifice to the community."
Republican Gov. Mike Braun rejected Ritchie's clemency bid last week without explanation.
The Indiana Supreme Court denied a request to stop the execution. Ritchie's attorneys challenged that decision in federal court, which a judge rejected. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower court on Sunday.
As the sun set Monday, the Rev. Richard Holy, a Catholic priest, recited the rosary with about 20 people in the prison parking lot.
"We don't have to keep taking one life to exact justice for taking another," he said.
Dozens also showed up to honor Toney's memory.
"I support the death penalty in certain cases and this is one of them," said Mark Hamner, an Indianapolis-area officer.
## Expressing regret and awaiting execution
Attorneys said Ritchie changed during his more than two decades behind bars and had shown remorse.
In court as a young man, Ritchie smiled at Horen and laughed as the verdict was read.
He told a parole board he deeply regretted his actions, especially how he acted with Toney's widow.
"I wish I could go back to the day in court, because that man's wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me, and that punk kid should have just kept his mouth shut and let her say whatever she needed to say," Ritchie said.
Ritchie, who was also a father, spent his last days getting visits from friends and family.
"I've ruined my life and other people's lives, and I'm so sorry for that night," he told the parole board earlier this month. "You can't take back what you did."
___
Tareen reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer John O'Connor contributed from Springfield, Illinois.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 20:16:27+00:00
|
[
"Texas",
"Greg Abbott",
"School choice",
"Donald Trump",
"Education funding",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Politics",
"Education",
"Education costs",
"U.S. Democratic Party"
] |
# Texas governor signs $1 billion voucher bill in milestone for school choice supporters nationally
By Nadia Lathan
May 3rd, 2025, 08:16 PM
---
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas will implement a $1 billion school voucher program, one of the largest in the country, that uses public dollars to fund private school tuition under a bill Gov. Greg Abbott signed Saturday, capping off a yearslong effort by Republicans.
School voucher supporters have long targeted the state, where past efforts buckled for decades against resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. Last month President Donald Trump called lawmakers before a key vote needed to finally get the bill to Abbott's desk.
Texas joins more than 30 other states that have implemented a similar program, of which about a dozen have launched or expanded their programs in recent years to make most students eligible.
School vouchers have been Abbott's primary focus this year, coming off a 2024 election cycle in which he led a campaign to oust GOP lawmakers who voted against a similar bill last session.
Republican lawmakers and bill supporters say it will give parents more choice by letting them pull their children out of poor-performing public schools.
"Gone are the days that families are limited to only the schools assigned by government," Abbott said before signing the bill at the governor's mansion. "The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child."
Democrats and Republicans in rural districts have criticized the program, saying it will drain financial resources from Texas' more than 5 million public school students and subsidize the private education of wealthy families.
Beginning next school year, Texas families can receive $10,000 per year to help pay for students' private school tuition. Children with disabilities can qualify for as much as $30,000 a year. The program will be capped at $1 billion for the first year and cover up to 90,000 students but could cost up to $4.5 billion a year by 2030.
___
Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 21:06:54+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Qatar",
"Karoline Leavitt",
"Laura Loomer",
"Brian Schatz",
"Josh Hawley",
"Rand Paul",
"Cory Booker",
"Chris Murphy",
"John Thune",
"George W. Bush",
"Middle East",
"District of Columbia",
"Christopher Coons",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Politics",
"Qatar government",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"William Evanina",
"Constitutional law",
"Richard Painter",
"The Boeing Co.",
"Jessica Levinson"
] |
# Trump's plan to accept free jet from Qatar raises questions
By Chris Megerian, Zeke Miller, and Bernard Condon
May 12th, 2025, 09:06 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer.
"I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer," the Republican told reporters on Monday. "I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.'"
Critics of the plan worry that the move threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.
"This is unprecedented," said Jessica Levinson, a constitutional law expert at Loyola Law School. "We just haven't tested these boundaries before."
Trump tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he wouldn't fly around in the gifted Boeing 747 when his term ends. Instead, he said, the $400 million plane would be donated to a future presidential library, similar to how the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum piece.
"It would go directly to the library after I leave office," Trump said. "I wouldn't be using it."
However, that did little to quell the controversy over the plane. Democrats are united in outrage, and even some of the Republican president's allies are worried. Laura Loomer, an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has tried to purge disloyal officials from the administration, wrote on social media that she would "take a bullet for Trump" but said she's "so disappointed."
Congressional Republicans have also expressed some doubts about the plan.
"My view is that it would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America. That would be ideal," said Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley.
And Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul flatly said he was a "No" on whether Trump should accept the plane. When asked to elaborate on his reasoning, Paul replied: "I don't think it looks good or smells good." The Republican shrugged when asked by a reporter if there were "constitutional questions."
Trump will likely face persistent questions about the plane in the coming days as he travels to the Middle East, including a stop in Qatar.
## Why does Trump want the Qatari plane?
The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, and Trump is eager to replace them. During his first term, he displayed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office, complete with a revised paint scheme that echoed the red, white and dark blue design of his personal plane.
Boeing has been working on retrofitting 747s that were originally built for a now-defunct Russian airliner. But the program has faced nearly a decade of delays — with perhaps more on the way — from a series of issues, including a critical subcontractor's bankruptcy and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff who could be awarded high-level security clearances.
The new planes aren't due to be finished until near the end of Trump's term, and he's out of patience. He has described the situation as "a total mess," and he has complained that Air Force One isn't as nice as the planes flown by some Arab leaders.
"It's not even the same ballgame," he said.
Trump said Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, offered a replacement plane that could be used while the government was waiting for Boeing to finish.
"We give free things out," he said. "We'll take one, too."
He bristled at suggestions that he should turn down the plane, comparing the potential gift to favors on the golf course.
"When they give you a putt, you pick it up and you walk to the next hole and you say, 'Thank you very much,'" he said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota expressed skepticism.
"I understand his frustration. They're way behind schedule on delivering the next Air Force One," the Republican told reporters. "Whether or not this is the right solution or not, I don't know."
Mississippi GOP Sen. Roger Wicker said that any plane "needs to be gifted to the United States of America."
He added that whether the U.S. should accept a Qatari plane warranted further inquiry. "There'll be some questions about that, and this issue, I expect, will be vetted by the time a decision needs to be made," he said.
## Will the new plane be secure?
The Qatari plane has been described as a "palace in the sky," complete with luxurious accommodations and top-of-the-line finishes.
But security is the primary concern when it comes to presidential travel. The current Air Force One planes were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War. They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room. They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though it has never been utilized with a president on board.
A former U.S. official briefed on the Air Force One replacement project said that while it would be possible to add some features to the Qatari jet, there was no way to add the full suite of capabilities to the plane on a tight timetable.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive program, said it would be a risk for presidents to fly on such a jet.
One of the most important features of Air Force One is the communications capabilities. Presidents can use the plane as a flying Situation Room, allowing them to respond to crises anywhere on the globe.
However, on Sept. 11, 2001, Republican President George W. Bush was frustrated by communications issues and ordered up massive technology upgrades over subsequent years to improve the president's ability to monitor events and communicate with people around the world.
The new ones under development by Boeing are being stripped down so workers can replace the standard wiring with shielded cabling. They're also modifying the jet with an array of classified security measures and communications capabilities.
Because of the high standards for ensuring a president can communicate clearly and securely, there are fears that Trump would be compromising safety by rushing to modify the Qatari jet.
"Disassembling and evaluating the plane for collection/spy devices will take years," William Evanina, who served as director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center during Trump's first term, wrote on social media.
He said the plane should be considered nothing more than "a gracious presidential museum piece."
## Is any of this legal or ethical?
Even for a president who has blurred traditional lines around public service and personal gain, Trump's plans to receive a jumbo jet as a gift has rattled Washington.
The Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting things of value, or "emoluments," from foreign governments without congressional approval.
"This is a classic example of what the founders worried about," said Richard Painter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota and former White House ethics chief under Bush. "But I don't think the founders anticipated it would get this bad."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday that the details of the donation are "still being worked out" but would be done "in full compliance with the law."
She dismissed idea the idea that Qatar wanted to influence Trump.
"They know President Trump, and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind," she said.
Trump faced a legal fight over emoluments during his first term, when he opened the doors of his D.C. hotel to lobbyists, business executives and diplomats. His lawyers argued that the founders didn't intend to ban transactions representing an exchange of a service like hotel space for money, only outright gifts. But some ethics lawyers disagreed, and it's not clear if Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and other countries were paying full price or more for when they used the hotel.
In his second term, Trump's family business has been very busy overseas. In December, it struck a deal for two Trump-branded real estate projects in Riyadh with a Saudi firm that two years earlier it had partnered with for a Trump golf resort and villas in Oman. And in Qatar, the Trump Organization announced last month another Trump branded resort along the coast.
Four Democratic senators on the Foreign Relations Committee — Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Chris Coons of Delaware, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Chris Murphy of Connecticut — issued a statement saying Trump's plan "creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government."
"No one — not even the president — is above the law," they said.
___
Condon reported from New York. Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Lolita Baldor and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 12:18:01+00:00
|
[
"Jessica Damiano",
"Gardening",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Associated Press",
"Lifestyle"
] |
# 8 new varieties of rose plants to choose from as a Mother's Day gift
By Jessica Damiano
May 6th, 2025, 12:18 PM
---
Mother's Day is coming, and the flower and candy ads are everywhere. There's nothing wrong with either, of course, but both are fleeting.
Instead of gifting your mom a bouquet of roses this year, why not give her a plant that will provide blossoms -- and joy -- for years to come?
And if you really want to be her favorite, offer to plant it for her, too (a box of that fleeting candy wouldn't hurt, either.)
Here are eight newly developed rose varieties introduced to the market for the first time this spring, and the brands that grow them for our gardens:
## Loves Me, Loves Me Not (Star Roses)
This hybrid tea rose puts forth large, 5-inch blooms with up to 250 deep-pink petals apiece. Highly fragrant with a scent reminiscent of lilacs, pineapples and gardenias, the upright, shrubby plant grows to 5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide in zones 5-11.
## Winning Streak (Star Roses)
Yellow-striped, cherry-red and fuchsia petals are strikingly set against dark green leaves on this rounded, bushy and compact floribunda. Expect it to grow 2 feet tall and wide in zones 6-11.
## True Devotion (True Bloom Roses)
Grow this disease-resistant climbing hybrid tea rose against a wall or up an arbor or trellis. Each of its 3 ½-inch, strongly scented flowers is packed with more than 50 light pink petals set against light green foliage. Reaches 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide in zones 5-10.
## Candy Cream (Altman Plants)
Pink-and-white striped, self-cleaning, double-blossomed roses will bloom all season long on this compact groundcover rose. Suited for smaller spaces (even containers) and offering excellent disease resistance, the vigorous bloomer grows to 2 feet tall and wide in zones 5-10.
## Flavorette Pear'd (Proven Winners Color Choice)
This fragrant, edible rose is as much a culinary herb as it is a garden specimen. Its pear-flavored, pale pink, semi-double petaled blossoms are held upright on sturdy, disease-resistant plants that reach 3-4 feet tall and wide in zones 4-8.
## Oso Easy En Fuego (Proven Winners Color Choice)
Large, eye-catching roses emerge yellow and red, then open to reveal a burst of electric orange. Glossy green leaves create a lovely backdrop on the disease-resistant, heat-tolerant plant that blooms from summer to frost. Expect it to grow to 3-4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in zones 4-9.
## Campfire Floribunda Rose (Jackson & Perkins)
Part of the Canadian Artist Series, this cold-hardy floribunda provides a multicolor display. Red and yellow buds open into deep, rose-edged, golden yellow flowers that mature to pink and ultimately cream. The low-maintenance, 6-foot-tall by 3-foot-wide plant is suitable for beds, borders and containers in zones 3 to 9.
## Lemon Burst Floribunda Rose (Jackson & Perkins)
Cupped, ruffled, yellow roses with up to 100 petals each exude a light, fruity fragrance and provide long-lasting color to beds, borders and containers. Set against glossy green foliage, its old-fashioned, 3-inch flowers rise from bushy, upright plants with a slightly spreading habit. The disease-resistant plants grow to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in zones 5-9.
___
Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.
___
For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 16:15:44+00:00
|
[
"Miriam Haley",
"Harvey Weinstein",
"Los Angeles",
"Manhattan",
"New York City Wire",
"Sexual assault",
"Juries",
"Assault",
"Jessica Mann",
"Entertainment",
"Curtis Farber",
"Jennifer Bonjean",
"Mimi Haleyi",
"Legal proceedings"
] |
# Weinstein accuser insists in tearful outburst: 'He did that to me'
By Michael R. Sisak and Jennifer Peltz
May 2nd, 2025, 04:15 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — One of Harvey Weinstein 's accusers broke down in tears and cursed on the witness stand Friday as a defense lawyer questioned her account of the former Hollywood mogul forcing oral sex on her nearly two decades ago.
"He was the one who raped me, not the other way around," Miriam Haley told jurors.
"That is for the jury to decide," Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean responded.
"No, it's not for the jury to decide. It's my experience. And he did that to me," Haley said, using expletives as tears began streaming down her face.
Judge Curtis Farber halted questioning and sent jurors on a break. Haley, her eyes red and face glistening, did not look at Weinstein as she left the witness stand.
Haley, 48, was testifying for a fourth day at Weinstein's rape trial. Questioning resumed after the break, with Haley composed but frustration sometimes flickering in her voice.
By midafternoon, the judge grew impatient with contentious cross-talk and extraneous comments from Haley and the attorney. Farber pounded his fist on the bench at one point and banged his gavel at another, telling them: "Let's behave, both of you."
Farber later said it was the first time in 13 years that he'd used the gavel.
Weinstein is charged with sexually assaulting Haley and another woman, Kaja Sokola, and raping a third, Jessica Mann. Mann and Sokola also are expected to testify.
Weinstein denies the allegations. His lawyers argue that his accusers had consensual encounters with a then-powerful movie producer who could advance their careers.
Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, is the first accuser to testify at the retrial, which is happening after an appeals court overturned Weinstein's conviction at an earlier trial. Haley's testimony at that 2020 trial took just one day.
Haley alleges that Weinstein assaulted her after inviting her to stop by his apartment. She had worked briefly as a production assistant on the Weinstein-produced TV show "Project Runway," and his company had booked her a flight to Los Angeles the next day to attend a movie premiere.
She testified earlier in the week that Weinstein backed her into a bedroom and pushed her onto a bed, holding her down as she tried to get up and pleaded: "No, no — it's not going to happen."
Haley and two of her friends testified that she told them soon after that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her. She maintains she was never interested in any sexual or romantic relationship with Weinstein but still wanted his help professionally.
Weinstein, 73, listened with his hands clasped against his chin as Haley reiterated she never had romantic feelings for him and never wanted any sexual contact with him.
Bonjean questioned why Haley would agree to go to Weinstein's apartment after being put off by some of his prior behavior, including what she described as him barging into her home as he sought to persuade her to go to Paris with him.
Haley said she thought it would be "weird" to refuse the invitation to his Manhattan loft, since his company had paid for the L.A. flight she was taking the next day.
Haley and grew emotional when asked just how her clothes came off before Weinstein allegedly yanked out a tampon and performed oral sex on her. Haley said Weinstein took off her clothing, but she didn't recall the details: "I was, you know, busy struggling," she explained.
"You removed your clothes, right?" Bonjean soon asked, leading to Haley's tearful and cutting response.
Later, Bonjean continued to press her about the alleged July 2006 assault and its aftermath, including a time a couple of weeks later when Haley has said she had sex with Weinstein that she didn't want but didn't fight.
"You didn't say, 'Like, hey, what you did to me the other night wasn't cool?'" Bonjean asked.
"No," said Haley, reiterating that she "went numb" during the hotel encounter.
Haley stayed in continued, sporadic contact with Weinstein for about three years afterward, according to testimony and documents. At times, she asked him for work, premiere tickets and financial backing for an online TV show she was trying to launch.
"The other stuff is neither here nor there. It doesn't mean that I wasn't sexually assaulted," Haley said.
Bonjean also queried her about her continued interactions with Weinstein and his assistants, about her frequent travels and famous acquaintances at the time, and about her 2020 lawsuit against Weinstein. It ended in a $475,000 settlement.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission to be identified. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 16:31:20+00:00
|
[
"Tornadoes",
"Weather",
"Louisiana",
"Arkansas",
"Climate and environment",
"Rick Smith",
"Oklahoma",
"Health",
"Climate"
] |
# What you do before and during a tornado could mean the difference between life and death
By Jeff Martin
May 19th, 2025, 04:31 PM
---
ATLANTA (AP) — With new innovations and technology, scientists have learned from major tornado outbreaks over the years how to improve safety guidance. During tornado season, forecasters try to get the word out about staying safe during a storm — but also planning for it ahead of time.
Tornado seasons typically begin at different times in different parts of the United States.
In what has historically been known as Tornado Alley — a designation that typically includes Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — the peak of tornado season is May into early June. But the season starts earlier in what's often called Dixie Alley, made up of southern states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
The idea of a tornado alley can be misleading, since tornadoes have been reported in all 50 states. About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. every year, and each year violent twisters happen outside these traditional "alleys" of tornado outbreaks, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Recent twisters have even struck in places unaccustomed to them, such as one near Los Angeles in 2023 that tore apart rooftops and injured one person.
When a tornado takes aim at your house, and the sirens are sounding, the dogs are barking and the children are screaming, there are some last-minute precautions that could save the lives of you and your loved ones.
Experts also recommend a few simple steps to prepare well before the twister is on your doorstep. Here's a look at some tornado safety tips:
## How do I get emergency updates?
Weather radios, specialized receivers that get alerts and can sound an alarm in an emergency, are something that every home and business should have, said Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service's forecast office in Norman, Oklahoma.
"It does feel like old-school technology, but they are lifesaving devices," Smith said.
Radios can be particularly valuable in the South, where many tornadoes strike at night when people are sleeping. "This can wake you up in the middle of the night with the alarm," Smith said.
The National Weather Service encourages people to have multiple ways of being warned, which can include weather radios, a cellphone app or other method in case power is lost. Redundancy is key, Smith said.
## Where should I take shelter?
The ideal places to take shelter are enclosed, underground shelters and basements, or a safe room above ground that's designed to withstand tornadic winds.
But many people don't have that option — in Oklahoma, for example, the clay soil makes building basements expensive, so lots of homes don't have them.
If you have to be above ground in a tornado, "your goal is to put as many walls and barriers between you and the outside as you possibly can," Smith said.
Smith recommends using mattresses, couch cushions or other sturdy items to protect yourself from deadly flying or falling debris. Bicycle or sports helmets can provide crucial head protection. It's important that they are stored in a convenient place so they can be retrieved quickly, when you have only minutes or seconds before the storm strikes.
A car seat can help protect a small child, Smith says, and can be brought inside ahead of time.
## How can I keep my home safe?
Recent research has shown that closing your home's garage door and all interior doors could ease the high winds inside somewhat by compartmentalizing them, according to Smith. Doing so is recommended during thunderstorms and tornadoes by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
That's the opposite of a commonly held misconception: "There's still a chunk of people out there who think you're supposed to open the doors and windows to equalize the pressure," Smith said.
It's also important to prepare for the tornado's aftermath, when you might emerge from a home or shelter to find downed trees and power lines and shredded buildings. Dress for disaster, such as wearing long pants and sturdy shoes, to make it easier to safely navigate treacherous terrain.
An emergency kit of essentials like drinking water and nonperishable food items is also a good idea.
## What should I do if I'm driving?
Don't look to Hollywood for sound tornado safety practices. The recent Hollywood film "Twisters" shows the characters sprinting toward a highway underpass as a tornado approaches.
If you are in a car or truck, "you really don't have a lot of good options at that point," Smith said. "Try not to get caught in that situation."
The best thing to do is get off the road and try to find a building. If there's nowhere to go, there are no guaranteed safe options.
When it comes to ditches, overpasses or staying inside a car, "people have survived doing all of those, people have died doing all of those," Smith said. "I've seen cars rolled up into unrecognizable balls of metal."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 15:18:09+00:00
|
[
"Richard Linklater",
"Cannes Film Festival",
"Movies",
"Zoey Deutch",
"Jean-Luc Godard",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Guillaume Marbeck",
"Jean Seberg",
"France",
"Jean-Paul Belmondo",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Richard Linklater's ode to the French New Wave enchants Cannes
By Jake Coyle
May 18th, 2025, 03:18 PM
---
CANNES, France (AP) — When Richard Linklater first started thinking about making a film about the French New Wave, he figured he'd show it all everywhere except one place.
"I thought: They'll hate that an American director did this," Linklater said Sunday. "We'll show this film all over the world, but never in France."
But Linklater nevertheless unveiled "Nouvelle Vague" on Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival, bringing film about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless" to the very heart of the French film industry. It was, Linklater granted, an audacious thing to do.
And "Nouvelle Vague" went down as one of the biggest successes of the festival. At a Cannes that's been largely characterized by darker, more portentous dramas, "Nouvelle Vague" was cheered as an enchanting ode to moviemaking.
"Nouvelle Vague" is an uncanny kind of recreation. In black-and-white and in the style of the French New Wave, it chronicles the making of one of the most celebrated French films of all time. With sunglasses that never come off his face, Guillaume Marbeck plays 29-year-old Godard as he's making his first feature, trying to launch himself as a film director and upend filmmaking convention.
Linklater's movie, which is for sale at Cannes and competing for the Palme d'Or, is in French. It not only goes day-by-day through the making of "Breathless," it endeavors to capture the entire movement of one of the most fabled eras of moviemaking. Truffaut, Varda, Chabrol, Melville, Rohmer, Rossellini and Rivette are just some of the famous filmmakers who drift in and out of the movie.
Linklater told reporters Sunday that he wanted audiences to feel "like they were hanging out with Nouvelle Vague in 1959."
"It was an old idea of some colleagues of mine," said Linklater. "Thirteen years ago we started talking about it. We're just cinephiles Austin, Texas, who love this era and it's meant so much to me in my filmmaking. It represented freedom and the notion of the personal film. I've made a lot of films and I've always felt if you do it long enough, maybe you should make one film about making films."
The stars of "Breathless" — Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg — are played by Aubry Dullin and Zoey Deutch, respectively, in "Nouvelle Vague." With precision, Linklater captures them making some of the most famous shots from "Breathless" with a visual style and camera movements typical of that time.
"We couldn't work quite as fast. We had sound and things," said Linklater, chuckling. (Godard dubbed sound after shooting.)
"It was a crazy idea and I haven't really ever seen a film exactly like this. I said: We're making a film from 1959 but it's not a Godard film," said Linklater. "You can't imitate Godard. You fail. But we could imitate the style of the time."
In "Nouvelle Vague," Godard is surrounded by doubts — Seberg is notably unsure of the project — but he stubbornly sticks to his instance on spontaneity. There's no real script, some shooting days just last a few hours and lines are improvised on the spot. In one fittingly moment where Godard tells his actors just to quote Humphry Bogart movie lines, he explains: "Not plagiarism. Homage."
Linklater's own homage in "Nouvelle Vague" brought him back to his early days as a filmmaker. His first films — "Slacker," "Dazed and Confused," "Before Sunrise" — have much of the independent spirit of the New Wave, he said.
"Making this film all these later, I felt like I erased my own history," said Linklater. "I was going back to being in my late 20s making my first film. I told a friend last night: I felt like was 28 years old making this film."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 08:49:04+00:00
|
[
"Hungary",
"Viktor Orban",
"Hungary government",
"Legislation",
"Womens rights",
"Politics"
] |
# Hungary targets critics with bill that would blacklist critical media and NGOs
By Justin Spike
May 14th, 2025, 08:49 AM
---
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The nationalist party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán introduced a bill late Tuesday that would allow the government to monitor, restrict, penalize and potentially ban organizations it deems a threat to national sovereignty, marking a significant escalation of the government's long-running crackdown on critical media and non-governmental organizations.
The bill, submitted by a lawmaker in Orbán's Fidesz party, would expand the authority of Hungary 's controversial Sovereignty Protection Office, allowing it to identify organizations that influence public debate or voter sentiment in ways it considers detrimental to Hungary's interests.
Under the proposed legislation, such organizations could be placed on a list by governmental decree, stripped of key funding and subjected to severe financial penalties if they are found to "endanger the sovereignty of Hungary by carrying out activities aimed at influencing public life with foreign support."
The bill would also allow the bank accounts of affected organizations to be monitored, and access to the accounts and transactions deemed to violate the new provisions could be blocked.
The measure is the latest in an escalating effort by Orbán's government to tighten its control over political expression and civic engagement in Hungary as the European Union's longest-serving leader faces a major challenge to his 15-year grip on power in elections scheduled for next year.
Parliament will likely vote on the bill in the coming days and it is expected to pass since Fidesz has a two-thirds majority.
Facing mounting legal and financial pressure from the government, many of Hungary's independent media outlets and NGOs have increasingly depended on international grants and assistance to sustain their operations.
But in a February speech laced with conspiracy rhetoric, Orbán said that organizations that receive any funding from outside Hungary's borders "have to be taken down, they have to be swept away ... It is necessary to make their existence legally impossible."
Orbán has for years enacted crackdowns on NGOs and independent media, passing laws that critics say seek to stigmatize and obstruct groups that provide protection for women and minorities, offer legal and human rights assistance and expose official corruption.
Those efforts ramped up in 2023 when Orbán's right-wing populist government launched the Sovereignty Protection Office, an authority tasked with investigating organizations and media outlets it deems to be exerting foreign influence.
The office has the power to gather information on any groups or individuals that benefit from foreign funding and influence public debate, and Hungary's secret services can assist in its investigations. Violations can result in prison terms of up to three years.
Opponents of the government's policies have compared the Sovereignty Protection Office to Russia's "foreign agent" law, and said it can be used to arbitrarily target government critics, including NGOs and journalists.
The bill introduced Tuesday outlines a broad definition of what constitutes a threat to sovereignty. Organizations may be targeted if they oppose or portray in a negative light values such as Hungary's democratic character, national unity, traditional family structures, or Christian culture — suggesting that even legitimate criticism of government policy could be treated as a national security threat.
Groups placed on the list would be barred from receiving donations through Hungary's 1% personal income tax program — a vital funding stream for many non-profits — and would be required to obtain special authorization from the national tax authority to accept any foreign donations.
In addition, Hungarian citizens donating to listed organizations would need to submit a formal declaration affirming that their contributions were not sourced from abroad. Organizations found to have received prohibited support would be subject to fines amounting to 25 times the value of the offending donation.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 02:05:13+00:00
|
[
"James Comey",
"Donald Trump",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation",
"U.S. Secret Service",
"New York City Wire",
"Assassinations",
"Kash Patel",
"Politics",
"Kristi Noem",
"Entertainment",
"Attempted assassination of Donald Trump",
"Manhattan"
] |
# Former FBI director James Comey calls controversy over Instagram post 'a bit of a distraction'
By Hillel Italie
May 20th, 2025, 02:05 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Former FBI director James Comey says that he's still a bit bewildered over how a seemingly innocent Instagram shot of shells arranged in the sand led to allegations by Donald Trump among others that he was calling for the president's assassination and to an interview with the Secret Service.
"It's been a bit of a distraction, honestly," Comey said with a weary laugh Monday night during an appearance at a Barnes & Noble on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Comey was promoting "FDR Drive," a crime novel coming out this week. One of the book's themes, ironically, is weighing the potential of speech to incite others to violence.
Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's first presidential campaign, explained Monday that he and his wife, Patrice, had been returning from a walk on the beach last Thursday when they came upon some shells organized in a way that resembled numbers, including "86."
They speculated over whether it was a home address, or a political message. His wife noted that "86" in some restaurants means they had run out of an ingredient. Comey remembered it was slang for saying something was boring and should be "ditched."
"And she said, 'You should take a picture of it.' So I took a picture of it, and then we walk home and she said, 'You should really put that on Instagram. It's kind of a cool thing.' I said, 'You're right. It's a cool thing,'" he explained.
To many viewers, the numbers seemed to spell out 86 and 47. Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning "to throw out," "to get rid of" or "to refuse service to." It notes: "Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of 'to kill.'"
Trump is the country's 47th president.
"Some hours later she (Patrice) said to me, 'You know, people on the internet are saying you're calling for the assassination of Donald Trump," Comey explained. "And I said, 'Well, if they're saying that, I'm taking it down because I don't want any part of violence.'"
Comey quickly pulled the image, but it had already reached the attention of Trump and other administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump himself, interviewed on Friday on Fox News, said that Comey "knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you're the FBI director and you don't know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear."
Comey confirmed Monday that he received a call from the Secret Service later Thursday, spoke to them on the phone and agreed to meet with them in person.
"And so they gave me a ride to their headquarters, the Washington field office interviewed me," he said. "It seems like a year ago, but it was Friday, right? I told them what I just told you. And so I, it seems like a thing that I don't fully understand and maybe it'll go away now."
Comey has written several books since Trump fired him, including the million-selling memoir "A Higher Loyalty." More recently, he has taken up fiction, his previous novels including "Central Park Drive" and "Westport."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 15:35:45+00:00
|
[
"Pete Hegseth",
"Donald Trump",
"Middle East",
"Houthis",
"Yemen",
"San Diego",
"United States government",
"United States",
"War and unrest",
"Erik Kurilla",
"Harry S. Truman",
"Politics",
"Rebellions and uprisings",
"Military and defense",
"Carl Vinson",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Business",
"Dwight D. Eisenhower"
] |
# 2 US aircraft carriers stay in Middle East for battle with Yemen's Houthis
By Lolita C. Baldor
May 2nd, 2025, 03:35 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to remain in the Middle East for a second time, keeping it there another week so the U.S. can maintain two carrier strike groups in the region to battle Yemen-based Houthi rebels, according to a U.S. official.
In late March, Hegseth extended the deployment of the Truman and the warships in its group for a month as part of a campaign to increase strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis. The official said Hegseth signed the latest order Thursday and it is expected the Truman and its strike group warships will head home to Norfolk, Virginia, after the week is up.
Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, requested that the Truman be extended again, according to officials. The San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its strike group arrived in the region a few weeks ago and are operating in the Gulf of Aden. The Truman, along with two destroyers and a cruiser in its strike group, is in the Red Sea.
The officials spoke Friday on the condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
The U.S. has increased its attacks on the Houthis, launching daily strikes since March 15, when President Donald Trump ordered a new, expanded campaign. He promised to use "overwhelming lethal force" until the Houthis stop their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a vital trade corridor.
According to Central Command, the U.S. has been waging an "intense and sustained campaign" against the Houthis. In a statement over the weekend, the command said the U.S. has struck more than 1,000 targets in Yemen since Operation Rough Rider began. It hasn't provided details on the targets or how the data is compiled.
It has been rare in recent years for the U.S. to have two aircraft carriers in the Middle East at the same time. Navy leaders have generally been opposed to the idea because it disrupts ship maintenance schedules and delays time at home for sailors strained by the unusually high combat tempo.
If there are no additional extensions and the Truman and its warships leave the region next week, those sailors could be back home by next month.
Last year, the Biden administration ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier to remain in the Red Sea for an extended time as U.S. warships waged the most intense running sea battle since World War II. Prior to that, it had been years since the U.S. had committed that much warship power to the Middle East.
The Houthis had been waging persistent missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
From November 2023 until this January, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.
The group paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.
In another action, Hegseth on Friday ordered the Defense Department to produce a new national defense strategy and gave leaders until the end of August to have a final draft. The strategy is the main blueprint that lays out the department's priorities as it moves to confront national security threats around the world.
It will be Hegseth's opportunity to highlight what he wants the U.S. military to focus on for the next several years and how the Pentagon will shift toward Trump's "America First" doctrine.
The draft also will have to reflect the impact of Hegseth's sweeping personnel cuts and decisions to merge a number of military commands.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 08:11:01+00:00
|
[
"Photography Lead",
"Papal conclave",
"Religion"
] |
# Photos: Cardinals elect a new pope on second day of voting
May 8th, 2025, 08:11 AM
---
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinals returned to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to resume voting for a new pope after the first conclave ballot failed to find a winner, sending billowing black smoke through the chapel chimney.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 17:33:34+00:00
|
[
"Rwanda",
"Europe",
"Africa",
"Donald Trump",
"Paul Kagame",
"Political refugees",
"United States government",
"Asylum",
"United States",
"U.S. Department of State",
"Politics",
"Associated Press",
"Immigration",
"Rebellions and uprisings",
"Human rights",
"Venezuela government",
"Olivier Nduhungirehe",
"United Kingdom government",
"United Nations"
] |
# Rwanda says it's talking with the US about taking in third-country deportees. Here's why
By Cara Anna
May 6th, 2025, 05:33 PM
---
Rwanda drew international attention, and some outrage, by agreeing to take in Britain's rejected asylum-seekers in a plan that collapsed last year. Now Rwanda says it is talking with the Trump administration about a similar idea – and it might find more success.
The negotiations mark an expansion in U.S. efforts to deport people to countries other than their own. It has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama but has yet to announce any major deals with governments in Africa, Asia or Europe.
Rwanda has long stood out on the continent for its recovery from the genocide that killed over 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994, as it has promoted itself under longtime President Paul Kagame as an oasis of stability. But human rights groups allege that the veneer of order has a painful price, with sometimes deadly crackdowns on perceived dissent.
Rwanda has argued that despite being one of Africa's most densely populated countries, it has space to help alleviate what many countries in Europe – and the United States – consider to be a growing problem with unwanted migrants.
## What's been said so far
Rwanda's foreign minister confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that talks were under way with the U.S. about a potential agreement to host deported migrants, after telling state media the talks were in the "early stage." Olivier Nduhungirehe did not give details but said it was consistent with Rwanda's long-standing commitment to the pursuit of migration solutions.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment on a potential deal, but said engagement with foreign governments is an important part of the U.S. government's policy to deter illegal migration.
Local media reports in Rwanda have suggested the U.S. likely would fund a program to have migrants integrated into society through stipends and job assistance initiatives.
## The failed Rwanda-Britain deal
The U.K. struck a deal with Rwanda in 2022 to send migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in boats to the East African country, where their asylum claims would be processed and, if successful, they would stay.
The plan was stalled by legal challenges and criticized by human rights groups, who called it unethical to deport migrants to a country 4,000 miles (6,400 miles) away that they don't want to live in.
The plan collapsed last year after the new Labour government took charge. The U.K.'s new home secretary called the plan the "most shocking waste of taxpayer money I have ever seen" and estimated the cost at 700 million pounds ($904 million) in public funds.
No flights to Rwanda took off under the plan, but the U.K. government said the failed plan's costs included 290 million pounds in payments to Rwanda. Rwanda has said it was not obligated to refund the money.
## Human rights concerns
Human rights advocates have long raised concerns over the deaths in Rwandan custody of some perceived government critics, as well as the alleged killings of others who sought exile in places like South Africa. Rwanda at times has responded with angry denials to reports documenting human rights abuses – including the abduction and imprisonment of a U.S. resident who was tricked onto a Kigali-bound aircraft while visiting Dubai. He was later freed after Biden administration pressure.
Rwanda is also criticized over its aggressive military actions in the region. United Nations experts have documented Rwandan support for the rebel uprising that this year seized two cities in neighboring eastern Congo, an area rich in mineral wealth. The unrest led to fears of a resurgence of regional war, and a number of Western countries cut relations or restricted aid. Rwanda has said it is defending ethnic Tutsis in Congo.
The Trump administration, which sanctioned a Rwandan government minister and cited links to the rebels, is trying to broker a peace deal. Agreeing to take in deportees from the U.S. could improve Rwanda's standing with Washington and others.
## Rwanda's history with migrants
Rwanda in 2019 struck a deal with the U.N. refugee agency to help take in migrants removed from Libya, where many people trying to reach Europe have reported abuses in detention. The U.N. says the transit center in Rwanda has capacity for 700 evacuees. Late last year, it said over 2,400 people had been assisted in what is meant to be a temporary stay during efforts to find "long-term solutions" including resettlement elsewhere.
Before its deal with Britain collapsed, Rwanda showed off another transit center, a refurbished hostel in Kigali, that could host 100 people, with more accommodations made available as needed.
Rwanda said migrants would have their papers processed within three months. People could stay or authorities would assist those who wished to return to their home countries. Rwanda said it would bear full financial responsibilities for five years.
It is not clear whether such terms would be part of a deal with the United States.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 01:37:16+00:00
|
[
"North Korea",
"Kim Jong-un",
"Russia",
"Vladimir Putin",
"War and unrest",
"North Korea government",
"Military technology",
"Aerospace and defense industry",
"Military and defense",
"Russia Ukraine war"
] |
# North Korean leader urges increased artillery shell production amid alignment with Russia
By Kim Tong-Hyung
May 7th, 2025, 01:37 AM
---
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for his munitions industry to boost the production of artillery shells, state media said Wednesday, as the country continues to supply arms and troops to support Russia's war on Ukraine.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim, during recent visits to unspecified munitions and machinery factories, praised modernization efforts that the agency claimed enabled the facilities to double their annual shell production capacity.
Kim urged workers to further accelerate artillery shell production, calling it crucial to "strengthening the fighting efficiency" of his armed forces, and also called for the development of more advanced machinery to boost munitions output. KCNA did not mention any comments from Kim regarding his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Recent South Korean intelligence assessments suggest that North Korea has sent about 15,000 soldiers to Russia, and that nearly 5,000 of them have been killed or injured while fighting against Ukrainian forces. Washington and Seoul have also accused North Korea of supplying Russia with various types of military equipment, including artillery systems and shells and ballistic missiles.
After denying its war involvement for months, North Korea last month confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia in recapturing parts of the Kursk region, which had fallen to a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year. Moscow also acknowledged the North Korean involvement, with Putin issuing a statement thanking the North for sending troops to support his forces and promising not to forget their sacrifices.
Analysts say North Korea's official acknowledgment of its military support for Russia is likely aimed at cementing a deeper, long-term partnership with Moscow and securing greater compensation, potentially including advanced military technology that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear-armed forces.
By formalizing its role as a participant in the war, North Korea may also be positioning itself to seek compensation in future negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, according to a recent report by the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank affiliated with South Korea's intelligence agency.
In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers last month, South Korea's National Intelligence Service also said it believes that North Korea has sent about 15,000 workers to Russia under bilateral industrial cooperation programs.
While the value of North Korean artillery and missiles supplied to Russia likely amounts to billions of dollars, there are no immediate signs that Russia has provided direct cash payments in return, the agency said. Instead, Russia has likely compensated North Korea with air defense missiles, electronic warfare equipment, drones and technology for spy satellite launches, according to the assessment.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 20:11:19+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Gender",
"Andrea Lucas",
"Karen Ortiz",
"Workplace culture",
"Labor",
"Civil rights",
"Email and messaging",
"Discrimination",
"Human rights",
"LGBTQ",
"Politics",
"Brittany Panuccio",
"Jocelyn Samuels",
"Race and ethnicity",
"New York",
"Business",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Civil rights agency moves to fire judge fighting Trump directives
By Claire Savage
May 12th, 2025, 08:11 PM
---
The federal agency tasked with protecting workers' civil rights has moved to terminate a New York administrative judge who has resisted compliance with directives from the White House, including President Donald Trump's executive order decreeing male and female as two "immutable" sexes.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to Trump's order has moved to drop at least seven of its own pending cases representing transgender workers alleging discrimination, and is classifying all new gender identity-related discrimination cases as its lowest priority, signaling a major departure from its prior interpretation of civil rights law.
EEOC Administrative Judge Karen Ortiz, who in February criticized the agency's Trump-appointed head, Acting Chair Andrea Lucas, in an email copied to more than 1,000 colleagues, on Wednesday was placed on administrative leave. She also received notice that the EEOC leadership sought to fire her, accusing her of "profoundly unprofessional" conduct.
"Of particular concern, your February email was ultimately circulated to multiple press outlets, potentially resulting in significant reputational harm to the agency," according to the notice, which included a PDF of a March 10 article by The Associated Press about Ortiz, along with other materials.
An EEOC spokesperson said on Monday that the agency had no comment on Ortiz's termination proceedings. But in its notice to Ortiz, the agency said its action "does not pertain to the content of your disagreement with the Agency policy, but rather the disrespectful and disparaging manner in which you have conveyed your message."
In her February mass-email criticizing the agency's efforts to comply with Trump's order, Ortiz wrote to Lucas that "You are not fit to be our chair much less hold a license to practice law," adding: "I will not compromise my ethics and my duty to uphold the law." The letter was leaked on Reddit, where it gained more than 10,000 "upvotes." Many users cheered its author.
The EEOC subsequently revoked her email privileges for about a week and issued her a written reprimand for "discourteous conduct."
Ortiz's actions were cited in an April 18 White House proposal aimed to make it easier to fire some federal workers. It listed Ortiz as an example of bureaucrats who "use the protections the system gives them to oppose presidential policies and impose their own preferences."
Ortiz said she was unfazed after being called out by the nation's highest office. Trump "just gave me an even bigger platform," she said in an April 19 message to The AP.
The EEOC has undergone tumultuous change since Trump took office. He fired two of the three Democratic commissioners of the federal agency in an unprecedented move that swept away what would have been a key barrier to his campaign to dismantle diversity and inclusion programs, end protections for transgender and nonbinary workers and other priorities. One of the dismissed commissioners, Jocelyn Samuels, filed a lawsuit challenging her termination, arguing her removal was a violation of the Civil Rights Act that created the agency to be an independent and bipartisan protector of the rights of workers. The move also left the agency without the quorum needed to make key decisions. But last week, Trump tapped an assistant U.S. attorney in Florida, Brittany Panuccio, to fill one of the vacancies. If Panuccio is confirmed by the Senate, the EEOC would regain a quorum and establish a Republican majority 2-1, clearing the path to make major policy changes, including revising agency guidance on how to implement existing civil rights laws.
Since February, Ortiz said she has continued to "raise the alarm" and convey her opposition to the agency's actions, including in an April 24 email to Lucas and several other internal email groups with the subject line, "If You're Seeking Power, Here's Power" and a link to Tears for Fears' 1985 hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
"Take in the lyrics," Ortiz wrote to Lucas. "Ponder what you're allowing yourself to be a part of."
Her ability to send emails was again promptly revoked.
Ortiz said she plans to fight the termination, and is strategizing with her attorneys and union on how best to respond. She may reply to the dismissal notice within 15 days, and has the right to request a time extension, an attorney, a union representative, or another representative of her choosing, according to the document, which was acquired by The AP. A final decision will be issued after the reply period has passed.
"I've been quite the thorn in the agency's side," Ortiz said Monday in a phone interview with The AP. "But, you know, it's warranted."
________
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 AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 17:20:32+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Texas",
"United States government",
"Hamas",
"Georgetown",
"United States",
"DC Wire",
"Law enforcement",
"Badar Khan",
"David Byerley",
"Gaza",
"Colleges and universities",
"Sophia Gregg",
"Government programs",
"Palestinian territories government",
"Virginia",
"Rumeysa Ozturk",
"India",
"Politics",
"Patricia Tolliver Giles",
"Immigration",
"Ahmed Yousef",
"Olivia Diaz"
] |
# Georgetown University student released from immigration detention after federal judge's ruling
By Olivia Diaz, Kendria Lafleur, and Ben Finley
May 14th, 2025, 05:20 PM
---
ALVARADO, Texas (AP) — A Georgetown University scholar from India who was arrested in the Trump administration's crackdown on foreign college students was released from immigration detention Wednesday after a federal judge's ruling.
Badar Khan Suri will go home to his family in Virginia while he awaits the outcome of his petition against the Trump administration for wrongful arrest and detention in violation of the First Amendment and other constitutional rights. He is also facing deportation proceedings in an immigration court in Texas.
"Justice delayed is justice denied," Khan Suri told reporters after his release from a detention facility in Alvarado, near Dallas. "It took two months, but I'm extremely thankful that finally I'm free."
Immigration authorities have detained college students from across the country — many of whom participated in campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war — since the first days of the Trump administration. Khan Suri is the latest to win release from custody, along with Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student from Turkey, and Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles in Alexandria, Virginia, said she was releasing Khan Suri because she felt he had substantial constitutional claims against the Trump administration. She also considered the needs of his family and said she didn't believe he was a danger to the community.
"Speech regarding the conflict there and opposing Israel's military campaign is likely protected political speech," Giles said. "And thus he was likely engaging in protected speech."
The judge added: "The First Amendment does not distinguish between citizens and noncitizens."
## March arrest in Virginia
Khan Suri was arrested by masked, plain-clothed officers on the evening of March 17 outside his apartment complex in Arlington, Virginia. He was then put on a plane to Louisiana and later to a detention center in Texas.
The Trump administration has said that it revoked Khan Suri's visa because of his social media posts and his wife's connection to Gaza as a Palestinian American. They accused him of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.
Khan Suri and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, have been targeted because Saleh's father worked with the Hamas-backed Gazan government for more than a decade, but before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Khan Suri's attorneys say.
According to the U.S. government, Khan Suri has undisputed family ties to the terrorist organization, which he "euphemistically refers to as 'the government of Gaza.'" But the American Civil Liberties Union has said that Khan Suri hardly knew the father, Ahmed Yousef.
Giles acknowledged the Trump administration's need to prioritize national security but said that "whatever deference may be appropriate, concerns of national security" do not supersede the judiciary.
David Byerley, a Justice Department attorney, had argued against Khan Suri's release. He told the judge that Khan Suri's First Amendment case is inextricably intertwined with the deportation case in Texas, so he should stay there.
After the court hearing, Khan Suri's lawyers declared victory and criticized the Trump administration for "disappearing" people over their ideas.
"He should have never had his First Amendment rights, which protect all of us regardless of citizenship, trampled on because ideas are not illegal," said Sophia Gregg, an ACLU attorney. "Americans don't want to live in a country where the federal government disappears people whose views it doesn't like. If they can do this to Dr. Suri, they can do this to anyone."
## 'Extremely happy' to be released
Khan Suri, an Indian citizen, came to the U.S. in 2022 through a J-1 visa, working at Georgetown as a visiting scholar and postdoctoral fellow. He and his wife have three children: a 9-year-old son and 5-year-old twins.
Before his arrest, he taught a course on majority and minority human rights in South Asia, according to court records. The filings said he hoped to become a professor and embark on a career in academia.
After his release, Khan Suri told reporters that he has studied conflict around the world and has sympathies for Jews and Arabs. He also thanked Jewish people and rabbis who came out in support of him.
He described his arrest as "Kafkaesque."
"They said, 'Hey, are you, Badar? You're under arrest.' I said, 'For what?' They said, 'We will tell you later,' " he recalled. "And that thing never happened. They never said what wrong I did. My only wrong maybe is that I married a Palestinian girl, who is an American citizen, by the way."
"They made a subhuman out of me," he added. "They took me from one center to another, not letting my family know, not letting me know that I have attorneys."
He said he's "extremely happy" to be out, but "I feel bad for the students who are still inside."
___
Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
——
Diaz reported from Alexandria, Virginia. Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 19:37:49+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Detroit",
"Rashida Tlaib",
"Michigan",
"Impeachment",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Adrian Hemond",
"Palestinian territories government",
"Mike Duggan",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"United States government",
"Politics",
"Adam Hollier",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Elections",
"Gretchen Whitmer"
] |
# Who's Shri Thanedar? The man on a doomed mission to impeach Donald Trump
By Isabella Volmert
May 14th, 2025, 07:37 PM
---
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan congressman is charging ahead — largely without support from his own party — in his attempt to impeach President Donald Trump, a move that comes as the congressman faces political trouble at home.
Second-term U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar has introduced seven articles of impeachment against the Republican president. Thanedar, who represents a safely Democratic Detroit-area district, is facing multiple primary challengers for a second time as some Democrats seek to shake up the party following the 2024 election.
Here's the background.
## Who is Shri Thanedar?
Thanedar, 70, represents Michigan's 13th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic district in Detroit. He easily won reelection in the November general election.
Previously, he lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and then served one term in the state House of Representatives.
An immigrant from India, Thanedar has said he is pushing an impeachment resolution because he feels compelled to defend the Constitution. He has put up advertisements in Michigan demanding that Congress impeach Trump.
Thanedar was poised to force a vote on the resolution Wednesday, but backed down in the face of criticism from fellow Democrats. Still, Thanedar insisted he was not abandoning the effort and would seek to build more support.
## When was he first elected?
Thanedar beat eight other Democratic candidates for the party nomination in 2022 before he went on to win his first term in Congress in November of that year. The win, however, left the city of Detroit without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the 1950s — a notable omission for a city that is nearly 80% Black.
Many prominent Black leaders of Wayne County and Michigan Democrats — including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan — threw their support behind other primary candidates in 2024. One of his most viable competitors, state Sen. Adam Hollier, was kept off the ballot after election officials found that he had not submitted enough valid signatures.
A businessman who made his career in the pharmaceutical and chemical world, Thanedar has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his political races, including $10 million on his unsuccessful run for governor.
## Who is challenging Thanedar in the 2026 Democratic primary?
Two young Black Democrats, including Hollier, recently announced campaigns to unseat Thanedar in 2026. A spokesperson for Thanedar's campaign did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the incumbent's challengers.
Michigan Rep. Donovan McKinney launched his campaign for the position about two weeks ago. He has the backing of Justice Democrats, a group known for helping to elect progressive members to Congress, and he earned the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents the neighboring 12th Congressional district.
Thanedar's district features part of one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S. Since the Israel-Hamas war, many of his constituents have decried his support for Israel. Tlaib, who represents the city of Dearborn, is the only Palestinian American in Congress and opposed the Biden and Trump administrations' unwavering support for Israel over the Gaza war.
"You all know I need a real partner in Washington, D.C. who will fight to represent and deliver for our Wayne County families," Tlaib said in a video endorsing McKinney posted on social media Monday.
## Why is Thanedar pressing for impeachment now?
Adrian Hemond, a Michigan-based political strategist, said the impeachment effort is likely to drive fundraising and mobilize support for Thanedar's primary race, even as it is destined to fail. The move may also be an attempt to "box out" Thanedar's primary challengers from media attention early in the race, he said.
"So it's smart politics for him," Hemond said.
Hollier called the impeachment resolution a "publicity stunt" in an interview with the Associated Press. He accused Thanedar of ignoring real needs of his district, such as veteran benefits and childcare.
"This is the kind of thing that Donald Trump wants Democrats to be doing," Hollier said.
Thanedar is expected to force a floor vote on the matter before the end of the day, but Republicans and possibly some Democrats will likely vote to table it.
## Can Trump be impeached?
Given the Republican majority in Congress, almost certainly not. Thanedar's resolution is expected to fail in the House chamber if he calls it up for a vote.
If impeachment gained traction — more likely if Democrats gained a majority in next year's midterm elections — it would represent a historic third time that Trump has faced efforts to impeach him after he was twice impeached during his first term as president — first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.
Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 04:06:59+00:00
|
[
"China",
"International trade",
"Donald Trump",
"Seattle",
"Puget Sound",
"Currency markets",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Ian Child",
"Lifestyle",
"James Austin",
"Business",
"Climate and environment",
"China government",
"Kyle Purser",
"Politics",
"Jim Boure",
"Joshua George",
"Climate"
] |
# China's seafood market clams up on US geoducks in boost to Canada's harvests
By Sally Ho and Manuel Valdes
May 8th, 2025, 04:06 AM
---
SUQUAMISH, Wash. (AP) — For over two decades, Suquamish tribal member Joshua George has dived into the emerald waters of the Salish Sea looking for an unusually phallic clam that's coveted thousands of miles away.
George is a geoduck diver. Pronounced "gooey-duck," the world's largest burrowing clam has been harvested in tidelands by George's Indigenous ancestors in the Pacific Northwest since before Europeans arrived.
In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative American seafood export.
But the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China is now crippling an entire industry that hand-harvests geoducks, leaving Washington state divers without work, Seattle exporters without business and Chinese aficionados with fewer of these prized clams.
"It's the first time in 24 years where I don't know when or if we'll be going back to work or if I have to find another job or what we're going to do," George said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff-driven economic feud with China, which dates back to his first term in office, swiftly resumed in February within weeks of taking back the White House. By April, Trump had placed tariffs of at least 145% on China, which led China to retaliate with tariffs of 125% on the U.S.
Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland in the first major talks between the two nations since the latest tariffs were imposed, but it is unclear where those talks will lead.
Enter the geoduck, weighing about 2 pounds and so entrenched in local culture that it is the mascot for Evergreen State College in Olympia. The meaty mollusk is best described as sweet and briny, and it's often sliced raw for crisp sashimi out west while China consumers prefer it chewy in stir-fries or hot pot soups. Pre-tariff costs were as high as $100 per pound in restaurants, so it's a dish generally reserved for special occasions like Chinese New Year, or to celebrate a business gathering.
Unlike other products with long-lasting shelf life and standing inventory, the trade war has had an immediate, direct effect on the delicate geoducks, which are shipped alive the same day of harvest.
"The whole market, everybody just had to stop," said Jim Boure, general manager of Suquamish Seafoods, an enterprise of the Suquamish Tribe. "We started getting phone calls from buyers saying orders are canceled."
## Fewer geoducks are being harvested
The millions of pounds of geoducks shipped annually to China come from two main sources: wild harvests on tracts of seafloor that are split between the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Puget Sound Treaty Indian Tribes, and tideland farms. The state's share is auctioned to private exporters that often hire contract divers to harvest them.
As of late April, Washington state divers had only pulled about half of the expected harvest from the state tracts, said Blain Reeves, an aquatic resources division manager for the state's Department of Natural Resources. Last year, the state and tribes collectively harvested about 3.4 million pounds of wild Washington geoduck for sale. The state generated $22.4 million in revenue for their half of the clams, which went toward paying for aquatic restoration projects locally. The state doesn't track how much is harvested by private farmers.
"If only half the pounds that were contracted are harvested, then our revenue is halved," Reeves said.
The Suquamish operation has no orders to harvest for at the moment, but it still must keep up with the maintenance to stay ready for business if and when China comes calling.
On a recent April day, George's team made a quick trip to collect a handful of the clams for state lab testing.
"When we're doing the job, and it's not all this other political stuff behind the scenes and everything else, we love this," said George, adding that diving, which takes place early in the day so that the geoducks are on an airplane by evening, has allowed him to watch his kids grow up.
Fellow diver Kyle Purser said he cherishes his underwater job, but now fears it's being taken away.
"When you're watching your money disappear and you've got families to feed and not knowing when you're going to get your next paycheck, (it's) very stressful," he said.
## America's loss is Canada's gain
The geoduck import market was already facing weaker demand in recent years due to the Chinese economy's struggle to regain post-pandemic momentum. While the tariffs have only exacerbated troubles for geoduck sellers in Washington, there's also been an unintended consequence: The American trade war has inadvertently boosted the Canadian geoduck business, which is facing a mere 25% tariff from China in comparison to the 125% for the U.S.
Washington state in the U.S. and Canada's British Columbia province are the two primary places where the wild geoducks grow naturally for commercial harvest. The two countries did healthy business primarily serving Chinese appetites for decades, in part because quantities are limited. It's a labor-intensive and heavily-regulated harvest, as divers must go several feet below the surface to dig for them.
"They love the fact that it tastes like the sea," said James Austin, president of Canada's Underwater Harvesters Association. "It's a product that's really a hit with the Chinese. It's all about the wild coastline. It's really prestigious."
Austin said he expects there will be 2.75 million pounds of Canadian geoducks harvested in 2025, worth approximately $60 million Canadian dollars ($43.4 million USD) in revenue.
While demand has been relatively low but still steady for Canadian's geoducks, Austin said they're now the leading exporters for China, which has helped them negotiate higher prices as a result. For example, after Canada got hit with a 25% tariff in March, export sale prices dropped to $12 per pound, and after the U.S. got hit with a 125% tariff in April, Canadian geoducks are now being sold for $17 a pound.
"We have no competitors right now," Austin said.
Yang Bin at Beihai Huaxiashougang Health Industry Company in Beihai city of Guangxi province in China said their seafood wholesale important business no longer gets geoduck from the U.S.
"We don't care about U.S. tariffs because we can get geoduck from other countries with stable prices," Yang said.
## Waiting for geoducks
On their first week back to work since the tariff fight brought business to a standstill in Washington state, Derrick McRae and his brother pulled up about 800 pounds of wild geoducks in just one April day.
He donned a full-body diving outfit with an oxygen line tethered to his boat to dive under the cold waters of an inland sea channel west of Seattle. Kneeled on the seafloor, McRae used a water spray gun to move the sand covering the geoducks. In the cloud of sediment, he felt for the neck with his hand, pulling the clam and stuffing it in a net attached to him.
"We're just kind of waiting on the edge of our seats to see what happens next," McRae said.
At one of the southernmost inlets, farmer Ian Child said the tariff disruption is not just hurting his bottom line but the entire farming process. He usually places young geoducks in the sand in the summer, but he can't mix new crops with any existing unharvested clams.
"I think that the demand is still over there for the product," he said of China. "I think they still want it. It's just a matter of where the tariffs will land."
___
Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed from Beijing.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 22:09:54+00:00
|
[
"Luiz Incio Lula da Silva",
"Carlos Lupi",
"Fraud",
"Government programs",
"Politics",
"Law enforcement"
] |
# Brazil's social security minister steps down amid pension fraud investigation
May 2nd, 2025, 10:09 PM
---
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil 's social security minister resigned Friday amid a police probe into a billion-dollar fraud scheme involving pension payments by the National Social Security Institute.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration said in a statement he accepted Carlos Lupi's resignation Friday during a meeting in the president's office.
The president invited former lawmaker Wolney Queiroz, the current Social Security executive secretary, to take over as minister.
On April 23, police said they were investigating a scheme that diverted over 6 billion reais ($1.05 billion) from pensions paid by the National Social Security Institute. Police said they seized 1 billion reais ($175.8 million) in assets and also issued arrest warrants for six people.
The probe targets 11 organizations that operated between 2019 and 2024. The scheme had retirees listed as members of associations that collected part of their monthly pensions as fees for the organizations. However, the retirees had never joined the associations and did not authorize the deductions.
As part of the probe, the president of the National Social Security Institute, Alessandro Stefanutto, and other directors were removed from their positions.
If the probe finds enough evidence, those investigated could face corruption charges, as well as charges of breaching secrecy, forging documents, setting up a criminal organization and money laundering.
Lupi said in a statement that he was stepping down but certain that his name has not been mentioned in the ongoing investigations, which he added were supported by his office and the federal government from the beginning.
"I hope the investigations continue naturally, identify those responsible, and punish, with full rigor, those who used their positions to harm the working people," he said. "I will continue to follow the matter closely and collaborate with the government to ensure that, in the end, any and all funds that were diverted from our beneficiaries are fully recovered."
___
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 19:35:33+00:00
|
[
"Tesla",
"Inc.",
"Elon Musk",
"Self-driving cars",
"Donald Trump",
"Texas",
"Europe",
"Auto industry",
"Government regulations",
"Ann Carlson",
"Business",
"Austin",
"Politics",
"Dan Ives"
] |
# Feds ask Musk's car company how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents in Texas rollout
By Bernard Condon
May 13th, 2025, 07:35 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal safety regulators have asked Elon Musk's car company to explain how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents when they hit the road in Texas next month before a national "robotaxi" launch that is key to keeping its stock price aloft.
Tesla has been told to provide information on how its taxis will operate safely in Austin, Texas, when there is fog, sun glare, rain and other low-visibility conditions that have been tied to accidents involving the company's driver-assistance software. Those accidents, including one that killed a pedestrian, triggered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to launch an investigation in October of 2.4 million of Musk's vehicles.
The billionaire reassured investors on an earnings call last month that the robotaxi service would launch in Austin as planned and would quickly lead to millions of robotaxis and other autonomous self-driving Teslas operating around the country by the end of the year.
"We expect a green light after Tesla's response but the big focus is on more widespread launches in the U.S. after the Austin pilot kicks off," said Wedbush Securities stock analyst Dan Ives. "It's a pivotal time for Musk."
On that same call, Musk said he was stepping back from his work as President Donald Trump's government cost-cutting czar. Tesla's shares have risen 45% since but they're still down about 17% year to date.
Regulators routinely request safety information from automakers and NHTSA's order itself is not alarming, though it could lead to delays of the Austin launch if Tesla's answers to the nine-page letter made public by the agency on Monday are not satisfactory. The agency gave Tesla until June 19 to provide a response.
Federal regulators have limited powers over new Tesla taxis that operate without a steering wheel or brake pedals because there are no national regulations on self-driving technology. One fall back is that the vehicles themselves still must past longstanding safety checks.
"NHTSA can force a recall, either 'voluntarily,' by Tesla, or by ordering a recall," said Ann Carlson, the former acting NHTSA chief. "The agency cannot, however, require some sort of pre-approval before Tesla can launch."
In the letter, regulators posed several questions to Tesla in addition to those about low-visibility conditions. They asked for the number and models of the taxis, when and where the taxis will be deployed in the next several months, how they will be monitored remotely by Tesla in real time, the cameras and other sensors being used to guide the vehicles, the specific measures used to judge whether they are navigating the streets in a safe way, and the names of people at Tesla making those evaluations.
In his investor conference call last month, Musk spoke of an effortless driving future coming within months.
"Can you go to sleep in our cars and wake up at your destination?" the billionaire asked, then answered, "I'm confident that will be available in many cities in the U.S. by the end of this year."
If such a future doesn't come soon, the company could struggle to justify the stock's still-high price.
Tesla reported a 71% drop in profits in the first quarter as it faced angry protests over Musk's embrace of extreme right-wing politicians in Europe and his role in cutting government jobs that has divided the country.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 04:12:44+00:00
|
[
"Uganda",
"Agriculture",
"Future of food",
"AFRICA PULSE",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Business",
"Jobs and careers",
"Juliet Kwaga",
"Phoebe Nabutale",
"Compensation and benefits",
"Lifestyle"
] |
# In coffee-producing Uganda, an emerging sisterhood wants more women involved
By Rodney Muhumuza
May 10th, 2025, 04:12 AM
---
SIRONKO, Uganda (AP) — Meridah Nandudu envisioned a coffee sisterhood in Uganda, and the strategy for expanding it was simple: Pay a higher price per kilogram when a female grower took the beans to a collection point.
It worked. More and more men who typically made the deliveries allowed their wives to go instead.
Nandudu's business group now includes more than 600 women, up from dozens in 2022. That's about 75% of her Bayaaya Specialty Coffee's pool of registered farmers in this mountainous area of eastern Uganda that produces prized arabica beans and sells to exporters.
"Women have been so discouraged by coffee in a way that, when you look at (the) coffee value chain, women do the donkey work," Nandudu said. But when the coffee is ready for selling, men step in to claim the proceeds.
Her goal is to reverse that trend in a community where coffee production is not possible without women's labor.
Uganda is one of Africa's top two coffee producers, and the crop is its leading export. The east African country exported more than 6 million bags of coffee between September 2023 and August 2024, accounting for $1.3 billion in earnings, according to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.
The earnings have been rising as production dwindles in Brazil, the world's top coffee producer, which faces unfavorable drought conditions.
In Sironko district, where Nandudu grew up in a remote village near the Kenya border, coffee is the community's lifeblood. As a girl, when she was not at school, she helped her mother and other women look after acres of coffee plants. They usually planted, weeded and toiled with the post-harvest routine that includes pulping, fermenting, washing and drying the coffee.
The harvest season was known to coincide with a surge in cases of domestic violence, she said. Couples fought over how much of the earnings that men brought home from sales — and how much they didn't.
"When (men) go and sell, they are not accountable. Our mothers cannot ask, 'We don't have food at home. You sold coffee. Can you pay school fees for this child?'" she said.
Years later, Nandudu earned her degree in the social sciences from Uganda's top public university in 2015, with her father funding her education from coffee earnings. She had the idea to launch a company that would prioritize the needs of coffee-producing women in the country's conservative society.
She thought of her project as a kind of sisterhood and chose "bayaaya" — a translation in the Lumasaba language — for her company's name.
It launched in 2018, operating like others that buy coffee directly from farmers and process it for export.
But Bayaaya is unique in Mbale, the largest city in eastern Uganda, for focusing on women and for initiatives such as a cooperative saving society that members can contribute to and borrow from.
For small-holder Ugandan farmers in remote areas, a small movement in the price of a kilogram of coffee is a major event. The decision to sell to one or another middleman often hinges on small price differences.
A decade ago, the price of coffee bought by a middleman from a Ugandan farmer was roughly 8,000 Uganda shillings, or just over $2 at today's exchange rate. Now the price is roughly $5.
Nandudu adds an extra 200 shillings to the price of every kilogram she buys from a woman. It's enough of an incentive that more women are joining. Another benefit is a small bonus payment during the off-season from February to August.
That motivates many local men "to trust their women to sell coffee," Nandudu said. "When a woman sells coffee, she has a hand in it."
Nandudu's group has many collection points across eastern Uganda, and women trek to them at least twice a week. Men are not turned away.
Selling as a Bayaaya member has fostered teamwork as her family collectively decides how to spend coffee earnings, said Linet Gimono, who joined the group in 2022.
And with assured earnings, she's able to afford the "small things" she often needs as a woman. "I can buy soap (and) I can buy sugar without pulling ropes with my husband over it," she said.
Another member, Juliet Kwaga, said her mother never would have thought of collecting coffee earnings because her father was very much in charge.
Now, Kwaga's husband, with a bit of encouragement, is comfortable sending her. "At the end of the day I go home with something to feed my family, to support my children," she said.
In Sironko district, home to more than 200,000 people, coffee trees dot the hilly terrain. Much of the farming is on plots of one or two acres, although some families have larger tracts.
Many farmers don't usually drink coffee, and some have never tasted it. Some women smiled in embarrassment when asked what it tasted like.
But things are slowly changing. Routine coffee drinkers are emerging among younger women in the coffee business in urban areas, including at a roasting place in Mbale where most employees are women.
Phoebe Nabutale, who helps oversee quality assurance for Darling Coffee, was raised in a family of coffee growers. She bent over the roaster, smelling the beans until she got the aroma she wanted.
Many of her girlfriends, she said, regularly ask how they can break into the coffee business, as roasters or otherwise.
For Nandudu, who aims to start exporting beans, that's progress.
Now there are more women in "coffee as a business," she said.
___
For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse
The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 17:44:58+00:00
|
[
"Bill de Blasio",
"New York City",
"New York City Wire",
"Financial markets",
"Legal proceedings",
"Andrew G. Celli Jr.",
"Politics",
"Law enforcement"
] |
# Ex-NYC Mayor de Blasio agrees to pay $330K for misusing public funds on failed White House bid
By Jake Offenhartz
May 14th, 2025, 05:44 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has agreed to pay a $329,794 fine to settle an ethics board's complaint that he misspent public funds on his security detail during his brief, failed run for U.S. president.
The deal, announced Wednesday by the city's Conflicts of Interest Board, is the costliest repayment order in the ethics board's history. But it allows de Blasio to avoid an even steeper penalty of $475,000 that was previously imposed, a reduction the board said came in light of the former mayor's "financial situation."
In exchange, de Blasio agreed to drop his appeal of the board's finding. And for the first time, he admitted that he received written warning that his out-of-state security expenses could not legally be covered by city taxpayers.
"In contradiction of the written guidance I received from the Board, I did not reimburse the City for these expenses," de Blasio wrote in the settlement, adding: "I made a mistake and I deeply regret it."
The payments concern the $319,794.20 in travel-related expenses — including airfare, lodging, meals — that de Blasio's security detail incurred while accompanying him on trips across the country during his presidential campaign in 2019. He will also pay a $10,000 fine.
The campaign elicited a mix of mockery and grousing by city residents, who accused the Democrat of abandoning his duties as second-term mayor for the national spotlight. It was suspended within four months.
Under the agreement, de Blasio must pay $100,000 immediately, followed by quarterly installments of nearly $15,000 for the next four years. If he misses a payment, he will be deemed in default and ordered to pay the full $475,000.
The funds will eventually make their way back into the city treasury, according to a spokesperson for the Conflicts of Interest Board.
An attorney for de Blasio, Andrew G. Celli Jr., declined to comment on the settlement.
De Blasio had previously argued that forcing him to cover the cost of his security detail's travel violated his First Amendment rights by creating an "unequal burden" between wealthy candidates and career public servants.
Since leaving office in 2021, de Blasio has worked as a lecturer at multiple universities, most recently the University of Michigan, and delivered paid speeches in Italy.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 18:35:16+00:00
|
[
"Maryland",
"Wes Moore",
"Abortion",
"DC Wire",
"Health",
"Politics",
"Lesley Lopez",
"Subsidies"
] |
# Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signs bill to tap unused ACA insurance funds for abortion grant program
By Brian Witte
May 13th, 2025, 06:35 PM
---
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland will become the first state to use money collected from a surcharge on insurance plans sold under the Affordable Care Act to fund a program to pay for abortions, regardless of a patient's insurance coverage, under a measure signed into law Tuesday by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore.
The law will make about $25 million available when it takes effect July 1, because a $1 surcharge has been unused and growing over the last 15 years since the ACA took effect in 2010. It's estimated to make about $3 million available annually in future years.
"The lieutenant governor and I were very clear from Day 1 — that Maryland will always be a safe haven for abortion access," Moore said, highlighting the measure among some 170 bills signed at a ceremony.
The program will be paid for through the transfer of certain insurance premium funds collected by carriers that can only be used for abortion coverage in accordance with the ACA. Supporters say other states have access to a similar surplus of funds through their state exchange insurance systems.
"If programs like ours are duplicated across the country, we could help millions of Americans access essential abortion care — without relying on taxpayer dollars," said Del. Lesley Lopez, a Democrat from Maryland's Montgomery County, in the suburbs of the nation's capital.
Officials in New York and Illinois already have reached out to Maryland officials to learn more about the program, said Lopez, who sponsored the bill.
A dozen states require abortion coverage in ACA marketplace plans, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. They are California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
"This money exists in every state that has abortion as a required type of care under their state's benefit exchanges," Lopez said. "It's basically all the blue states that mandated abortion be covered when the Affordable Care Act was starting to be implemented."
The law creates a grant program fund in the state's health department to improve access to abortion clinical services. It requires the department to award grants to nonprofit organizations to support equitable access.
Lynn McCann-Yeh, co-executive director of the Baltimore Abortion Fund, which helps pay costs associated with abortion for people who live in Maryland or who travel there, said it's hard to keep up with an annual budget of about $2 million.
"We would need many, many more times over that to fully be able to meet the full logistic and medical support for each caller," she said.
She said the $3 million that would be made available annually under the new law could make a major difference. The fund could apply to administer a share of that money.
"The $3 million is a great start, but it will take more than that and it will take sustained funding," she said.
Maryland's legislature is controlled by Democrats, who hold a 2-1 advantage over Republicans in voter registration statewide. Last year, Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment with 76% support to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution, in response to the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. The court's decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization gave control over abortion to the states.
"I think before the Dobbs decision, there just wasn't quite the same type of urgency as there is now," Lopez said. "We've seen abortion bans in some form or another in double digits in states across the country, so we've got to make sure that we shore up all the support we can in a state like Maryland that has it as a constitutionally protected right."
Twelve states currently enforce abortion bans with limited exceptions at all stages of pregnancy. Four more have bans that kick in after about six weeks, which is before many women know they're pregnant.
The Dobb decision and an influx of people from other states seeking abortions in Maryland has made the financial need more urgent, supporters of the law say.
Maryland has been seeing an increase in patients from other states where abortion has been banned. Last year, 15% of abortions in Maryland were obtained by patients from other states, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. That's a decrease from 20% in 2023.
___
Associated Press journalist Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this report from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 08:27:01+00:00
|
[
"Israel",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Gaza Strip",
"Donald Trump",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Israel government",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Marco Rubio",
"United Nations",
"Foreign aid",
"War and unrest",
"Politics",
"Canada government",
"Sanctions and embargoes",
"Hamas",
"France government",
"Palestinian territories government",
"Blockades",
"Religion"
] |
# First aid trucks enter Gaza after nearly 3 months of Israel's blockade
By Tia Goldenberg, Samy Magdy, and Wafaa Shurafa
May 19th, 2025, 08:27 AM
---
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The first few aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday following nearly three months of Israel's blockade of food, medicine and other supplies, Israel and the United Nations said, as Israel acknowledged growing pressure from allies including the United States.
Five trucks carrying baby food and other desperately needed aid entered the territory of over 2 million Palestinians via the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, COGAT.
The U.N. humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, called it a "welcome development" but described the trucks as a "drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed." Food security experts last week warned of famine in Gaza. During the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March, some 600 aid trucks entered Gaza each day.
Fletcher said an additional four U.N. trucks were cleared to enter Gaza. Those trucks may enter Tuesday, COGAT said. Fletcher added that given the chaotic situation on the ground, the U.N. expects the aid could be looted or stolen, a growing problem as resources became increasingly scarce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his decision to resume "minimal" aid to Gaza came after allies said they couldn't support Israel's new military offensive if there are "images of hunger" coming from the Palestinian territory.
Shortly after Israel announced the first trucks entered Gaza, the U.K., France and Canada issued a sharply worded joint statement calling the aid "wholly inadequate." They threatened "concrete actions" against Israel, including sanctions, for its activities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank and called on Israel to stop its "egregious" new military actions in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the joint statement and called it "a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7."
Israel over the weekend launched a new wave of air and ground operations across Gaza, and the army ordered the evacuation of its second-largest city, Khan Younis, where a massive operation earlier in the 19-month war left much of the area in ruins.
Israel says it is pressuring Hamas to release the remaining hostages abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. Hamas has said it will only release them in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Netanyahu repeated Monday that Israel plans on "taking control of all of Gaza." He has said Israel will encourage what he describes as the voluntary emigration of much of Gaza's population to other countries — something that Palestinians have rejected.
## Allies pressure Israel
In a video statement, Netanyahu said Israel's "greatest friends in the world" had told him, "We cannot accept images of hunger, mass hunger. We cannot stand that. We will not be able to support you."
The Trump administration, which has voiced full support for Israel's actions and blames Hamas for deaths in Gaza, has expressed growing concern over the hunger crisis. President Donald Trump — who skipped Israel on his trip to the region last week — voiced concern, as did Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Netanyahu's video statement appeared aimed at pacifying anger in his nationalist base at the decision to resume aid. Two far-right governing partners have pressed Netanyahu not to allow aid into Gaza.
Aid into Gaza would be "minimal," Netanyahu said, and would act as a bridge toward the launch of a new aid system in Gaza. A U.S.-backed organization will distribute assistance in hubs that will be secured by the Israeli military.
Israel says the plan is meant to prevent Hamas from accessing aid, which Israel says it uses to bolster its rule in Gaza.
U.N. agencies and aid groups have rejected the plan, saying it won't reach enough people and would weaponize aid in contravention of humanitarian principles. They have refused to take part.
According to aid officials familiar with the plan, it will involve setting up distribution points mostly in southern Gaza, forcing many Palestinians to move south once again. The recent ceasefire saw hundreds of thousands return to homes in the north.
## Threat of sanctions
The statement by France, Canada and the U.K. marked one of their most significant criticisms of Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank.
"We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank," the three countries said, calling them illegal.
The countries said they have always supported Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism but called the military escalation in Gaza disproportionate. The countries earlier criticized the new U.S.-backed proposal for aid delivery in Gaza, saying it would not align with humanitarian law.
Canada has already imposed a series of sanctions against Israel over the last two years regarding settler violence in the West Bank. It was unclear how much France can act unilaterally given that it is a member of the European Union.
In a separate, letter Monday, the foreign ministers of Germany, Italy, Japan and 18 other countries — not including the United States — called for Israel to fully reopen humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza by the U.N. and non-governmental organizations.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. The militants are still holding 58 captives, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel's retaliatory offensive, which has destroyed large swaths of Gaza, has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
The war has displaced around 90% of its population, most of them multiple times.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Farmoush Amiri in New York, Sam Mednick in Jerusalem, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 16:00:04+00:00
|
[
"Auto safety",
"Product recalls",
"Technology",
"Business",
"Lincoln"
] |
# Ford recalls nearly 274,000 Navigator and Expedition SUVs
May 14th, 2025, 04:00 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly 274,000 of its Expedition and Lincoln-branded Navigator SUVs across the U.S. due to an issue that may cause a loss of brake function while driving, increasing crash risks.
According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front brake lines in these now-recalled cars "may be in contact" with their engine air cleaner outlet pipe due to a potential installation defect. That can result in a brake fluid leak and/or a loss of brake function.
The recall covers 223,315 Expeditions and 50,474 Navigators between model years 2022 and 2024. Ford expects that just 1% of these vehicles have the defect, per a recall report dated Friday.
Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this recall — but the Michigan-based auto giant had received 45 warranty reports of front brake line leaks as of April 17, NHSTA documents note.
As a remedy, Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the front brake line of impacted vehicles and replace it or the air cleaner outlet pipe if necessary, free of charge. Dealer notifications were planned to begin Wednesday, the recall report notes, with owner letters set to be mailed out between May 26 and May 30.
In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Ford's recall lookup. The company's number for this recall is 25S47.
Impacted drivers may experience an increase in pedal travel, NHSTA documents warn, meaning the pedal would need to be pressed harder to apply the brakes. And if there's a leaking brake line, the fluid level will decrease over time — potentially causing the red brake warning indicator to light up.
A spokesperson for Ford had no additional comments when reached by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 16:53:07+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"United States government",
"United States",
"United Kingdom",
"David Miliband",
"Health",
"Sudan",
"Politics",
"Kate Phillips-Barrasso",
"District of Columbia"
] |
# Aid group calls for pulling funding from richer nations to respond to cuts
By Ellen Knickmeyer
May 9th, 2025, 04:53 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the world's humanitarian organizations are triaging their shrinking amount of funding, the head of the International Rescue Committee stresses that the choice is stark: Keeping millions alive in the most vulnerable countries will require pulling some assistance for programs in better-off countries that target everything from climate change to refugee resettlement.
Life-saving food, water and health programs already are shutting down in countries including Sudan, where the closing of 80% of communal kitchens has ended the only access to food for millions. That comes after the Trump administration dissolved the lead U.S. aid agency and terminated thousands of foreign assistance programs.
"There are lives on the line," David Miliband, president of the IRC, told The Associated Press in an interview this week in Washington, where he also was speaking to lawmakers and Trump administration officials.
"Our point is there's no way you can keep the aid system as it was," said Miliband, a former U.K. foreign secretary. As it was, he notes, only 14% of total aid was going to humanitarian efforts, while middle-income countries got more funding than low-income ones.
The triage underway shows the impact of the Trump administration decision to pull the U.S. back from being the world's single largest aid donor. The United States previously provided about a third of the more than $200 billion in foreign assistance given annually by governments worldwide. The White House last week proposed a budget for next year with an 84% cut to such funding.
Other important European donors, including Britain, say they also are cutting aid as they work to free up more money for defense spending, fearing U.S. changes in European defense commitments.
Miliband and his International Rescue Committee are more explicit than some aid groups in offering their ideas for change in leaner funding times. Countries that are doing OK or are downright wealthy should have some of their donor funding redirected, so it can go to the range of needs of poor countries most affected by war and climate change.
"If you're looking for a guideline, I would say at least half the global aid budget needs to go to conflict states," Miliband said. That's up from about a quarter of total aid now.
Miliband points to climate mitigation in wealthier countries and help for newly arrived refugees to settle in wealthier countries as programs that should be lower priorities for donors in the current harsh aid environment.
With the dust settling from the Trump cuts, aid organizations are looking at how to reorganize to focus on the most vital and strategic aid, said Kate Phillips-Barrasso, a vice president of Mercy Corps, another top humanitarian organization.
"My fear is that we're going to end up in a world" where donors split their efforts between two poles: arranging financing for infrastructure and economic development in middle-income countries or paying for only the most basic aid "helping people not die" in poor countries, Phillips-Barrasso said.
"I worry about pretty much everything in the middle disappearing," she said. That would leave the very poorest and most fragile countries never getting the help they need to get ahead of climate change and other threats.
For Miliband and the IRC, donors should focus on getting humanitarian aid, climate help and other vital assistance to 13 poor countries struggling the most with conflicts and environmental damage. That includes Afghanistan, where the Trump administration has cut aid on the grounds that it could benefit the Taliban, and Yemen, where the U.S. recently reached a ceasefire with Houthi militants, who have been targeting global shipping.
The other countries that the IRC identifies as priorities for the shrinking pool of aid funding are Haiti, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
The Trump administration's cuts already have forced top aid organizations to pull out of entire countries. Groups say that endangers the progress many countries in Africa and elsewhere have made and threatens further destabilization and extremist gains in volatile regions, including the southern edge of the Sahara.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 19:20:27+00:00
|
[
"District of Columbia",
"Aviation safety",
"Federal Aviation Administration",
"Las Vegas",
"DC Wire",
"National Transportation Safety Board",
"Business"
] |
# Army pauses helicopter flights near Washington airport
By Tara Copp
May 5th, 2025, 07:20 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army is pausing helicopter flights near a Washington airport after two commercial planes had to abort landings last week because of an Army Black Hawk helicopter that was flying to the Pentagon.
The commander of the 12th Aviation Battalion directed the unit to pause helicopter flight operations around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following Thursday's close calls, two Army officials confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday. One official said the flights have been paused since Friday.
The pause comes after 67 people died in January when a passenger jet collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter at Reagan airport.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that were not publicly announced. The unit is continuing to fly in the greater Washington, D.C., region.
The unit had begun a return to flight within the last week, with plans to gradually increase the number of flights over the next four weeks, according to an Army document viewed by the AP.
Thursday's close call involved a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
They were instructed by air traffic control to "perform go-arounds" because of a "priority air transport" helicopter, according to an emailed statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The priority air transport helicopters of the 12th battalion provide transport service to top Pentagon officials. It was a Black Hawk priority air transport known as PAT25 that collided with the passenger jet in midair in January.
That crash was the worst U.S. midair disaster in more than two decades. In March, the FAA announced that helicopters would be prohibited from flying in the same airspace as planes near Reagan airport.
The NTSB and FAA are both investigating the latest close call with an Army helicopter.
The Army said after the latest incident that the UH-60 Blackhawk was following published FAA flight routes and air traffic control from Reagan airport when it was "directed by Pentagon Air Traffic Control to conduct a 'go-around,' overflying the Pentagon helipad in accordance with approved flight procedures."
But helicopter traffic remains a concern around that busy airport. The FAA said that three flights that had been cleared for landing Sunday at Reagan were ordered to go around because a police helicopter was on an urgent mission in the area. All three flights landed safely on their second approaches.
The NTSB said after the January crash that there had been an alarming number of close calls near Reagan in recent years, and the FAA should have acted sooner.
Investigators have highlighted 85 close calls around Reagan airport in the three years before the crash that should have signaled a growing safety problem. FAA officials said they did analyze every close call but missed the alarming trend.
Since then, the FAA launched a review of data at airports nationwide with heavy helicopter traffic that identified safety concerns at the Las Vegas airport related to all the helicopter tours there. That review is ongoing.
Reuters first reported the pause in Army helicopter flights.
In New Jersey on Monday, flight delays and cancellations persisted at Newark Liberty International Airport. The FAA attributed arriving flight delays of nearly four hours to a combination of an air traffic controller shortage, thick cloud cover and antiquated air traffic control equipment that needs to be upgraded.
___
Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed to this report from Omaha, Nebraska.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 12:58:47+00:00
|
[
"Israel",
"Emmanuel Macron",
"Keir Starmer",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"United Kingdom",
"Israel government",
"Gaza Strip",
"West Bank",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"United Kingdom government",
"War and unrest",
"Hamas",
"International trade",
"Sanctions and embargoes",
"International",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"Mark Carney",
"Kaja Kallas",
"David Lammy",
"Hamish Falconer",
"Oren Marmorstein",
"Foreign aid",
"Politics",
"Children",
"International agreements"
] |
# UK suspends free trade talks with Israel and announces sanctions over West Bank settlers
By Brian Melley and Sylvie Corbet
May 20th, 2025, 12:58 PM
---
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. suspended free trade talks with Israel on Tuesday and hit West Bank settlers with sanctions, less than a day after vowing "concrete actions" if Israel didn't stop its new military offensive in Gaza.
Pressure from close allies is mounting on Israel following a nearly three-month blockade of supplies into Gaza that led to famine warnings. Even the United States, a staunch ally, has voiced concerns over the hunger crisis.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the government couldn't continue talks on upgrading its existing trade agreement with an Israeli government pursuing what he called egregious policies in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
"History will judge them," Lammy said. "Blocking aid. Expanding the war. Dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible. And it must stop."
Israeli's ambassador to the U.K., Tzipi Hotovely, was summoned to the Foreign Office, where Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said he would call the 11-week blockade of aid to Gaza "cruel and indefensible."
Separately, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc was reviewing an EU pact governing trade ties with Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza. She said "a huge majority" of member nations are "very keen on sending this message that the suffering of these people is untenable." She did not provide clear details on timing and mechanisms for review.
## 'Utterly intolerable'
Lammy said the U.K. was imposing sanctions on a further "three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organizations supporting violence against the Palestinian community."
He said the illegal Israeli settlements were spreading across the West Bank "with the explicit support of this Israeli government."
Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, called the sanctions against West Bank settlers "unjustified and regrettable" and said the free trade agreement negotiations were not being advanced by the U.K. anyway.
While Lammy's words were welcomed by some in the House of Commons, others called for stronger action, suggesting economic sanctions against Israel and recognizing the state of Palestine.
A handful of members shouted for him to call Israel's actions "genocide," though Lammy labeled it "extremism" and "monstrous."
Still others criticized the joint statement, saying it favored Hamas.
"Opposing the expansion of a war that has killed thousands of children is not rewarding Hamas," Lammy said.
The U.K. announcement followed comments by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called children's suffering in Gaza "utterly intolerable" and repeated his call for a ceasefire.
"I want to put on record today that we're horrified by the escalation from Israel," Starmer said.
## Starmer calls for ceasefire
On Monday, Starmer joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in issuing one of the most significant criticisms by close allies of Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and its actions in the West Bank.
The three leaders threatened to take "concrete actions" if the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not cease its renewed military offensive and significantly lift restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu called the statement "a huge prize" for Hamas.
Starmer said a ceasefire was the only way to free the dozens of hostages Hamas still holds. He also called for increased shipments of humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying the basic quantity allowed by Israel is "utterly inadequate."
"This war has gone on for far too long," Starmer said. "We cannot allow the people of Gaza to starve."
While Israel allowed a first few trucks with baby food and desperately needed supplies to begin rolling into Gaza on Monday, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described it as a "drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed." Israel said dozens more trucks entered Tuesday.
## Tensions between France and Israel
Israel initially received widespread international support to root out Hamas militants following the group's surprise attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7, 2023, and took 251 captives.
But patience with Israel is wearing thin after more than 53,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. Israel's latest onslaught has killed more than 300 people in recent days, local health officials said.
In recent weeks, Macron intensified diplomatic efforts to put pressure on Israel, urging a ceasefire and calling for lifting the blockade of humanitarian aid.
Last month, Macron said France should move toward recognizing a Palestinian state, possibly in June when France and Saudi Arabia co-host an international conference about implementing a two-state solution.
Macron, who has said that recognizing Palestine is not a ″taboo″ for France, last week suggested that revisiting the EU's cooperation agreements with Israel is on the table.
Tensions between France and Israel have escalated after Macron called for stopping arms deliveries for use in Gaza in an October radio interview, prompting Netanyahu's criticism. France also sought to impose a ban on Israeli defense companies to prevent them from exhibiting weapons at the Euronaval trade exhibition.
## Settler violence
The U.S., France, the EU, the U.K. and Canada previously hit Israeli settlers and settler groups with sanctions for their involvement in violence against Palestinians and in illegal development in the West Bank.
The measures expose the sanctioned people and groups to asset freezes and travel and visa bans. The Associated Press previously reported that these measures have had minimal impact as a deterrent.
Settler attacks causing injury or death to Palestinians have surged since the Hamas attack in 2023. Israel says it opposes settler violence and blames it on an extremist fringe.
Palestinians say the Israeli army does little to protect them and that the attacks are part of a systematic attempt to expel them from their land.
___
Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Nahriya, Israel, and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 07:49:39+00:00
|
[
"Israel",
"International Court of Justice",
"United Nations",
"Foreign aid",
"Gaza Strip",
"International agreements",
"Israel government",
"Courts",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Politics",
"Juliette McIntyre",
"Mike Becker",
"Riyad Mansour",
"Benjamin Netanyahu"
] |
# Top UN court wraps a week of hearings on humanitarian aid to Gaza
By Molly Quell
May 2nd, 2025, 07:49 AM
---
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top United Nations court on Friday wraps a week of hearings on what Israel must do to ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Last year, the U.N. General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion on Israel's legal obligations after the country effectively banned the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider of aid to Gaza, from operating.
Experts say the case could have broader ramifications for the United Nations and its missions worldwide.
The hearings are taking place as the humanitarian aid system in Gaza is nearing collapse and ceasefire efforts remain deadlocked. Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies since March 2. It renewed its bombardment on March 18, breaking a ceasefire, and seized large parts of the territory, saying it aims to push Hamas to release more hostages.
Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas and did not attend the hearing. The country did provide a 38-page written submission for the court to consider.
## What is at stake?
The hearings focused on provision of aid to the Palestinians, but the U.N. court's 15 judges could use their advisory opinion to give legal guidance on the powers of the world body.
"The court has the opportunity to clarify and address questions about the legal immunities of the United Nations," Mike Becker, an expert on international human rights law at Trinity College Dublin, told The Associated Press.
Advisory opinions issued by the U.N. court are described as "nonbinding" as there are no direct penalties attached to ignoring them. However, the treaty that covers the protections that countries must give to United Nations personnel says that disputes should be resolved through an advisory opinion at the ICJ and the opinion "shall be accepted as decisive by the parties."
"The oddity of this particular process," Becker said, "is a clear response to any argument that the opinion is nonbinding."
## What has the ICJ been tasked with answering?
The resolution, sponsored by Norway, seeks the ICJ's guidance on "obligations of Israel … in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations … to ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population." The United States, Israel's closest ally, voted against it.
Israel's ban on the agency, known as UNRWA, which provides aid to Gaza, came into effect in January. The organization has faced increased criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who claim the group is deeply infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA rejects that claim.
"We cannot let states pick and choose where the U.N. is going to do its work. This advisory opinion is a very important opportunity to reinforce that," Becker said.
## Do these proceedings matter for countries other than Israel?
Whatever the judges decide will have an impact beyond the current situation in Gaza, according to Juliette McIntyre, an expert on international law at the University of South Australia. "Are these immunities absolute or is there wiggle room? This is useful for where United Nations personnel are working in other places," McIntyre told AP.
An authoritative answer from the World Court can have influence beyond judicial proceedings as well. "Every time a norm is breached, the norm gets weaker. The advisory opinion in this case could push the norm back," said McIntyre.
In separate proceedings last year, the court issued an unprecedented and sweeping condemnation of Israel's rule over the occupied Palestinian territories, finding Israel's presence unlawful and calling for it to end. The ICJ said Israel had no right to sovereignty in the territories, was violating international laws against acquiring territory by force and was impeding Palestinians' right to self-determination.
According to McIntyre, the arguments presented this week reflect the opinion handed down just nine months ago. "Now the starting premise is that Israel is illegally occupying all of Palestine," McIntyre said.
## What did the Palestinians and Israelis say?
On Monday, the Palestinian delegation accused Israel of breaching international law in the occupied territories and applauded the move to bring more proceedings to the court. "Our journey with the international institutions, be it Security Council, the General Assembly or the ICJ, is we are building things block on top of another block while we are marching towards the accomplishment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including our right to self-determination, statehood, and the right of the refugees," Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters.
Israel has denied it is in violation of international law and said the proceedings are biased. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hit back at the case during a news conference in Jerusalem on Monday. "I accuse UNRWA, I accuse the U.N., I accuse the secretary-general and I accuse all those that weaponized international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world, Israel, of its most basic right to defend itself," he said.
The court is expected to take months to deliver its opinion.
—— Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 02:20:36+00:00
|
[
"Shootings",
"Las Vegas",
"Daniel Ortega",
"Law enforcement",
"Edgar Quinonez",
"Crime",
"Gun violence",
"Health",
"Jamie Prosser"
] |
# Police identify victim and gunman in Las Vegas gym shooting
May 20th, 2025, 02:20 AM
---
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The person killed in a shooting at a Las Vegas fitness center last week was a longtime employee who had no known connection to the shooter, police said Monday.
Edgar Quinonez, 31, of Las Vegas, was shot and killed Friday at the Las Vegas Athletic Club, police said.
Arriving officers fired at the suspected shooter, 34-year-old Daniel Ortega, as he exited the gym after firing 24 rounds, police said. Ortega, a gym member, died of gunshot wounds, according to police.
Three other people were injured at the gym on the city's west side as gunfire erupted. They were transported to local hospitals, with one in critical condition. Their conditions weren't released on Monday.
Officials are still investigating a motive, saying they have found no connection between the two men.
Jamie Prosser, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assistant sheriff, said at a media briefing on Monday that Ortega entered the gym with a rifle on Friday afternoon.
She said he approached an employee at the front desk and paced around before briefly exchanging words with another employee. Then he lifted the rifle and shot the employee as he fled into the gym, she said.
Ortega followed and continued firing, Prosser said, and at some point Ortega returned to the lobby and fired until the weapon malfunctioned. An arriving officer fired at Ortega when he opened the entrance door and he was shot by officers as he left the building with the rifle. He died at a nearby hospital, police said.
She said Ortega worked out at the gym but at this time there was no known connection to the victim.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 15:00:14+00:00
|
[
"Flu",
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"Seniors",
"Clinical trials",
"COVID-19 pandemic",
"Immunizations",
"Medical research",
"Medication",
"Biochemistry",
"COVID-19",
"Stephen Hoge",
"Business",
"Moderna",
"Inc.",
"Health",
"Greg Poland",
"Pain management",
"U.S. Food and Drug Administration"
] |
# Moderna study shows immune response in older adults for a combo flu and COVID-19 shot
By Carla K. Johnson
May 7th, 2025, 03:00 PM
---
A combination shot for flu and COVID-19 using messenger RNA generated antibodies in a study, but U.S. government regulators want to see data on whether the new vaccine protects people from getting sick.
Researchers from vaccine-maker Moderna reported in a study published Wednesday that the new combo shot generated a stronger immune response against COVID-19 and most strains of flu than existing standalone shots in people 50 and older. Side effects were injection site pain, fatigue and headaches. Moderna previously reported a summary of the results from the company-sponsored trial in 8,000 people.
The mRNA technology is used in approved COVID-19 and RSV shots, but has not yet been approved for a flu shot. Moderna believes mRNA could speed up production of flu shots compared with traditional processes that use chicken eggs or giant vats of cells. A combo shot also might improve vaccination rates, the researchers wrote in the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Dr. Greg Poland, who studies vaccine response at Mayo Clinic and was not involved in the new study, said he's not convinced that a combo shot would be popular. And while flu comes in seasonal waves, COVID-19 has been spreading throughout the year, Poland said, posing challenges for how to time the shots to keep protection strong.
He'd also like to see data on how well the new shot protected people from infection and hospitalization.
The findings are based on measuring antibodies in participants' blood after 29 days, an indication of short-term disease protection.
Last week, Moderna pushed its target date for the vaccine's approval to 2026 after the Food and Drug Administration requested a more direct measure: how much the shot lowered the risk of disease.
"I agree in this case with FDA that efficacy data are important to see," Poland said.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cast doubt on the safety of mRNA vaccines, but Moderna President Stephen Hoge told investors in an earnings call last week that talks with the FDA were productive and "business as usual."
Also last week, Novavax said the FDA was asking the company to run a new clinical trial of its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine after the agency grants full approval, sowing uncertainty about other vaccine updates.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 20:12:40+00:00
|
[
"Kamala Harris",
"Donald Trump",
"2024 United States presidential election",
"Celine Dion",
"Brittney Griner",
"Lawsuits",
"Legal proceedings",
"Trump lawsuits",
"Government and politics",
"Paramount Global",
"Entertainment",
"United States government",
"David Bauder",
"Business",
"Supreme Court of the United States",
"Trump Media Technology Group",
"Bill Owens",
"Politics"
] |
# '60 Minutes' report that prompted Trump lawsuit nominated for Emmy
By David Bauder
May 1st, 2025, 08:12 PM
---
It got "60 Minutes" sued by the man who became president of the United States. Now it's up for a major award — for precisely the same aspect of it that so enraged Donald Trump.
Last fall's "60 Minutes" story on Kamala Harris — the subject of Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against CBS — was nominated for an Emmy Award Thursday for "outstanding edited interview." Trump, in his lawsuit, complained that the interview was deceptively edited to make his Democratic election opponent look good.
The annual News & Documentary Emmys will be awarded in late June. "60 Minutes" is competing against interviews with singer Celine Dion, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Pope Francis and WNBA star Brittney Griner.
The fallout over the Harris interview still hangs over CBS News. The news division claims to have done nothing wrong, but its parent company, Paramount Global, is reportedly negotiating a settlement with Trump.
Many CBS News journalists oppose a settlement. Former "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, who has fought against such a deal, resigned last month. Owens cited in his resignation the corporate restrictions placed on him in the wake of the Harris story, which is also the subject of an investigation by President Trump's FCC chairman.
Trump complained about the interview again on Wednesday in a Truth Social post. This time, his anger spread to The New York Times, which in a story on Tuesday said that "legal experts have called the suit baseless and an easy victory for CBS."
"They don't mean that, they just have a non curable case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME," the president wrote, saying he's looking into potential legal action against the newspaper.
"The New York Times will not be deterred by the administration's intimidation tactics," the newspaper said in response.
___
David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 15:24:44+00:00
|
[
"Lorcan Finnegan",
"Nicolas Cage",
"Julian McMahon",
"Movies",
"Billy Wilder",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Australia",
"Francis Bacon",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Nicolas Cage sells his soul for a house in 'The Surfer'
By Krysta Fauria
May 2nd, 2025, 03:24 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus asks his followers a rhetorical question: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" This is asked of Nicolas Cage's titular character in "The Surfer."
For the unnamed protagonist, his heart's desire — and the thing he thinks will solve his ever-mounting problems — is to purchase his late father's home, which sits atop an idyllic cliffside along the coast of Australia.
The film's setting is decidedly modern — Cage pulls up in a Lexus, pays for a coffee with his phone and tries repeatedly to secure funds for the $1.7 million house — which stands in stark contrast to the age-old questions about tribalism, revenge and familial trauma probed in Lorcan Finnegan's claustrophobic thriller.
Ahead of the Roadside Attractions release on Friday, Cage and Finnegan spoke with The Associated Press about the film's surrealism, why violence is "one of the backbones of cinema" and how Humphrey Bogart inspired a scene where Cage shoves a rat in someone's face. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
## AP: Nicolas, last time we spoke, you talked about how Hollywood thinks naturalism is the arbiter of great acting but that you appreciate when you can explore other forms. Where does that impulse stem from?
CAGE: It was a feeling of not wanting to get trapped or calcified in the realm of artwork and thinking that the art that I admired in painters like Francis Bacon or in music, a lot of it was surrealistic. And so in my view, if there's such a thing as art synthesis, why can't you do it with acting? You can do it with acting, but it still has to land with the director and with the script in such a way where it moves the story forward and doesn't become self-indulgent. It has to be a twist and a unique point of expression that evolves the story.
So how do you do that? Well, if the guy's losing his mind, that's one way. Then you can get a bit more abstract with facial expressions or voice. Or if the guy is on drugs, that's one way, like "Bad Lieutenant." In this case, the surfer is having a bit of a breakdown. It only stands to reason in a natural, authentic way that he would shriek-eat the rat and shove it into some guy's mouth because it's been earned. But that's not to say that the naturalism of the '70s isn't great. It is great. And that's something I enjoy doing as well.
## AP: Talk about the film's exploration of masculinity and tribalism.
FINNEGAN: To me, it wasn't a film about toxic masculinity. I mean, there was elements of masculinity in crisis, and that's something that does exist. But to me it was serving the story in a way because Nick's character had to have this counter in this Scally character (Julian McMahon). Nick's character lost his father when he was young and he was searching for some sort of belonging and that's why he was thinking if he buys back this house and this materialistic goal will fix his relationship problems and stuff. So Julian's character offers up something different. He's kind of seductive. If you want to be in our gang and you want to be part of this culture, you have to do all of these things.
I think a lot of those figures in the world of toxic masculinity are a bit like that. They're charming. A lot of the time they have these philosophical ideas and they're well-read, so they seem very attractive to these guys who are kind of lost. So, I didn't want the film though to be about that, but it kind of is baked into the whole story.
## AP: Nicolas, you've done your share of films with violence in them. Is that something you are interested in?
CAGE: As someone who doesn't like violence and actively tries to avoid violence in my life, I would say that it seems to be something that lends itself to cinema. Whatever gets a person to that point of violence is usually fascinating and compelling drama, and that's one of the backbones of cinema.
## AP: Any scenes stand out as particularly challenging or fun?
FINNEGAN: We discovered some of the humor in the film while making it. When did you think about keeping that rat? I don't know if you knew exactly what you were planning yet, but it was a mischievous kind of percolation going on in your mind.
CAGE: I went on a Billy Wilder tear before I went to "The Surfer." I was kind of in bed for a few days, and I was watching movies I wanted to catch up on and I saw "Sabrina." And in the movie, Bogart pulls an olive out of a martini glass, and he shoves it in his uncle's mouth and says, "Eat it." And I couldn't stop laughing. I thought it was the funniest thing. And I was just tickled pink by myself late at night watching it.
And then it came back to me in Australia. I said, "Well, I can use this rat for something." And I tucked it in my pocket. Everyone's looking at me like, what's Nick doing with the prop rat? I said, "Well, I think it's funny because the tail is wobbling around. Let's hold onto it. It's a good prop. Maybe we can use it." And sure enough, Bogart and Billy Wilder and "Sabrina" came back and it was like "Eat the rat!" It's a punk rock version of it, but it's still inspired by Billy Wilder and Humphrey Bogart.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-11 11:25:43+00:00
|
[
"Candy Crush Saga",
"Artificial intelligence",
"Gaming",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Todd Green",
"Meta Platforms",
"Inc.",
"Candy Crush",
"Business",
"Technology",
"Joost Van Dreunen",
"Entertainment"
] |
# How AI helps push Candy Crush players through its most difficult puzzles
By Sarah Parvini
May 11th, 2025, 11:25 AM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Players swiping their way through more than 18,700 levels of Candy Crush Saga might be surprised to learn they're solving puzzles designed with an assist from artificial intelligence.
The app that helped make gamers out of anyone with a smartphone uses AI to help developers create levels to serve a captive audience constantly looking for more sweets to squash. King, the Swedish video game developer behind Candy Crush, also uses AI to update older levels to help ensure players don't feel bored, stuck or frustrated as they spend time with the game.
Todd Green, general manager of the Candy Crush franchise, said using AI in that way helps free up developers' time to create new puzzle boards. It would be "extremely difficult," he said, for designers to update and reconfigure more than 18,000 levels without AI taking a first pass.
Within the video game industry, discussions around the use of AI in game development run the gamut. Some game makers see AI as a tool that can assist with menial tasks, allowing designers and artists to focus on bigger projects. AI, they say, can help build richer worlds by creating more interactive non-player characters, for example. But there are also those who strongly oppose the use of AI, or who see the tech as a threat to their livelihoods — be it as video game actors and performers, or as workers who help make games. Concerns over AI led game performers with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to go on strike in late July.
"We're not putting chatbots into the game. We're not putting AI-powered design experiences into the game for players directly to play with," Green said, adding that the tech is not being used to replace game workers. "Instead, we're trying to deploy AI on existing problems that we have in order to make the work of the teams faster or more accurate, and more accurate more quickly."
In the United States, consumer spending on video game content increased to $51.3 billion in 2024, up from $49.8 billion in 2023, with mobile games accounting for about half of all video game content spending, according to data from the Entertainment Software Association trade group. Mobile is now the leading game platform among players aged 8 and older, the ESA says.
Candy Crush — first launched on Facebook in 2012 — is constantly updating. King recently released its 300th client version of the game. Gaming giant Activision Blizzard acquired King in 2016 for $5.9 billion.
The free-to-play game is in a unique position, said Joost Van Dreunen, author of "One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games." Candy Crush is more than a decade old, boasts millions of users and caters to a "ravenous set of players," he said. Demand is so high for new content that it makes sense to use AI to offset the work it takes to create so many levels, Van Dreunen added.
"To supply that at scale, you absolutely can rely on a sort of artificial intelligence or generative AI to create the next set of forms," he said. "The thing about Candy Crush is that every level is technically a single board that you have to solve or clear before you can advance. With AI and the existing library of human-made boards, it makes total sense to then accelerate and expand the efforts to just create more inventory. People play more levels."
King uses AI to target two separate areas: developing new levels and going back to older levels, in some cases, puzzles that are several years old, and reworking them to ensure they're still worth playing. On new levels designed for people who have played the game for a long time, the company wants to ensure the puzzles are fun "on first contact."
"That's hard for us to do, because we don't get the benefit of having many players test or play through the levels and give us feedback. We have to sort of try and pitch it right at first," he said. "There's a really important group for us in between people who maybe played before and perhaps took a break for a while, and then coming back because they saw or heard of or were curious about what might be new."
Green said King uses AI as a behind-the-scenes assistant in the design "loop" of the game, rather than as a tool that immediately puts something new in front of players.
"Doing that for 1,000 levels all at once is very difficult by hand," he said. "So the most important thing to understand here is that we are using AI as like a custom design."
For most players, Green said, the fun in solving the puzzles lies in the "up and down." Levels aren't designed in order of difficulty. An easy level can follow a few difficult levels — or vice versa — to give the game a sense of variety. Leveraging AI means that instead of the team working on several hundred levels each week, they could potentially improve thousands of levels per week because they're able to automate the drafting of the improved levels, he added.
"We talk to players all the time," he said. "We also get the quantitative feedback. We can see how players respond to the levels... How easy are the levels? Do they get sort of stuck, or are they progressing in the way that we hope?"
To determine whether gamers and playing through the way the designers intended, King looks at several factors, including pass rate — how many times a player passes a level out of every 100 attempts — and how often a board is "reshuffled," or refreshed with all candies rearranged. Some metrics are also intangible, like whether a level is simply fun.
"It's also, to some extent, obviously subjective," Green said. "It's different for different people."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 07:17:15+00:00
|
[
"Law enforcement",
"India",
"International",
"South Asia",
"Medication",
"Maninder Singh"
] |
# 14 people die from drinking toxic liquor in India
May 13th, 2025, 07:17 AM
---
NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 14 people died and six were hospitalized in critical condition after consuming toxic liquor overnight in northern India, police said Tuesday.
Seven people were arrested on allegations they supplied the toxic liquor in five villages around 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the city of Amritsar in northern Punjab, senior police officer Maninder Singh said.
The police have launched a crackdown to destroy the network of spurious liquor supplies in the area following the incident, Singh said.
The local administration deployed medics to the villages to check on people who drank the contaminated liquor, said Sakshi Sawhney, a senior government official in Amritsar.
Those showing symptoms are being shifted to hospitals to ensure the death toll doesn't rise, said Sawhney.
Investigators have not said what ingredients were suspected of causing the deaths and sickness.
In India, deaths from consumption of contaminated liquor manufactured locally is rampant, mainly in rural areas.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 13:58:06+00:00
|
[
"New Hampshire",
"Conway",
"Censorship",
"Civil rights",
"National",
"Human rights",
"Brooke Lovett Shilo",
"Business",
"Joseph Laplante",
"Lawsuits",
"Sean Young",
"James Lewkowicz"
] |
# Bakery in New Hampshire wins in free speech case over a pastry shop painting
By Kathy Mccormack and Leah Willingham
May 20th, 2025, 01:58 PM
---
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire town's attempt to force a bakery to remove or alter its painting that shows sunbeams shining down on a mountain range of doughnuts, a muffin, a cinnamon roll and other pastries is unconstitutional, a judge ruled in a First Amendment dispute.
The town of Conway infringed on the free speech rights of bakery owner Sean Young, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante ruled Monday, following a one-day trial in February.
He ordered the town to stop any efforts at enforcing its sign code regarding the mural painted by high school students atop Leavitt's Country Bakery, mentioning a "complete disconnect between what the ordinance purports to regulate and the town's enforcement, as well as the illogical way it applied and explained that enforcement" to Leavitt's.
"I'm thrilled that the students' artwork can remain up, I'm thrilled that my First Amendment rights have been vindicated, and I'm thrilled that the community can continue to enjoy the beautiful piece of art," Young said in a statement. "I think our mural is a wonderful depiction of everything that makes the Mount Washington Valley such a great place to live."
Young asked for $1 in damages. A lawyer representing Conway said they were disappointed by the outcome, but agreed with Laplante that the town and its officials "conducted themselves conscientiously and in good faith in managing town business."
The community of more than 10,000 people in the White Mountains draws skiers, nature lovers and shoppers. Some residents want regulations enforced as they worry about overdevelopment in the tourist town.
When the mural went up in June 2022, it attracted a lot of compliments and visitors, including one from a town zoning officer.
The zoning board decided that the painting was not so much art as advertising. The board determined it was a sign, and so it could not remain as is because of its size. At about 90 square feet (8.4 square meters), it's four times bigger than the local sign code allows.
If the painting didn't show what's sold inside — baked goods — it wouldn't be considered a sign and could stay, board members said.
Gay Moceri, a former English teacher living in nearby Freedom, New Hampshire, said the town's efforts to remove the sign were sending a "horrible" message to students "who had worked hard to do something so beautiful to contribute to the community."
"I've had a grin on my face ever since I got the news because you stick to your guns and you fight for what you know is right, and sometimes the little guy does win," she said. "I'm happy for him, and I'm happy for the community that we get to keep this beautiful piece of art."
James Lewkowicz, who stopped by the donut shop with his golden retriever Tehya to offer congratulations Tuesday, called the town's approach to the situation "illogical."
"We're really happy — at least I am," said Lewkowicz, who has a house in Jackson and has been spending time in the area for 40 years. "I thought the town was mean. It's little kids' paintings. I just hope the kids who painted it are still around to come back and have a donut party."
The town has shown that "restricting the size of signs serves the significant government interest of preserving the town's aesthetics, promoting safety, and ensuring equal enforcement," lawyers for Conway said in a court document.
Laplante said Conway's interests "are undermined if the only regulated displays are those that depict products or services sold on the premises where the display is, and no others."
Young sued in 2023 after he was told to modify or remove the painting, which he said was never intended to be a sign. He was faced with possible misdemeanor criminal charges and fines after his appeals were rejected.
Both sides agreed in court that the town's definition of a sign is very broad. Even the judge said it seemed to include "everything."
A sign in Conway is "any device, fixture, placard, structure or attachment thereto that uses color, form, graphic, illumination, symbol, or writing to advertise, announce the purpose of, or identify the purpose of any person or entity, or to communicate information of any kind to the public, whether commercial or noncommercial."
The town "will continue to work conscientiously and in good faith to ensure that the constitutional rights of all are not infringed, while maintaining public safety and Conway's natural beauty," Brooke Lovett Shilo, one of the lawyers representing Conway, said in a statement Monday.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 00:20:30+00:00
|
[
"Danielle Smith",
"Donald Trump",
"Canada",
"Alberta",
"Referendums",
"Quebec",
"Global elections",
"John Soroski",
"Voting",
"Politics",
"United States government",
"Mark Carney",
"Canada government"
] |
# Alberta's premier would allow a citizen-led referendum on separation from Canada
By Jim Morris
May 6th, 2025, 12:20 AM
---
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The premier of Canada's oil-rich province of Alberta said Monday she will hold a referendum on separation from Canada next year if a citizen-led petition reaches the required number of signatures.
Speaking on a livestream address, Danielle Smith said she personally does not support the province leaving Canada and expressed hope of a "path forward" for a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.
"Should Ottawa, for whatever reason, continue to attack our province as they have done over the last decade, ultimately that will be for Albertans to decide," she said. "I will accept their judgement."
Smith's announcement comes just one week after Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to a fourth consecutive federal government. It also comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada with tariffs and talk of the country becoming the 51st state.
Carney and Trump are scheduled to meet in the White House Tuesday.
Smith's United Conservative government recently introduced legislation that, if passed, would reduce the bar petitioners need to meet to trigger a provincial referendum.
The bill would change citizen-initiated referendum rules to require a petition signed by 10 percent of eligible voters in a previous general election — down from 20 percent of total registered voters. Applicants would also get 120 days, rather than 90, to collect the required 177,000 signatures.
Smith accused previous federal Liberal governments of introducing different legislations that hamstring Alberta's ability to produce and export oil, which she said has cost the province billions of dollars. She also said she doesn't want the federal government meddling in provincial issues.
"We don't ask for special treatment or handouts," she said. "We just want to be free to develop and export that incredible wealth of resources we have. Freedom to choose how we provide health care, education and other needed social services to our people, even if it's done differently than what Ottawa has in mind."
Smith has met with Carney and said he "had some promising things to say about changing the direction of his government's anti-resources policies."
Smith said her government will appoint a negotiation team to try to bring an end to federal policies that have long irritated the province. She also will chair an "Alberta Next" panel hosting a series of town halls to hear ideas and grievances from Albertans.
John Soroski, a political scientist at MacEwan University in Edmonton, said while there is anger in the province, he isn't sure if it will lead to voting to separate.
"These grievances are serious," he said. "I think the prospects of separation are highly unlikely.
The largely French-speaking province of Quebec held referendums in 1980 and 1995 over separation. Both failed.
Soroski said Smith may be following the lead of Quebec politicians who have used the threat of separation when dealing with the federal government.
"I don't see Smith wants separation, but I think it's very useful for the province to have in its back pocket the idea that there's this large number of discontented Albertans," he said.
Smith said she will work with Carney "in good faith" but wants "tangible proof of real change."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 14:34:00+00:00
|
[
"Kali Uchis",
"Music",
"Celebrity Interviews",
"Grammy Awards",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Classical music",
"Entertainment"
] |
# Kali Uchis pours her heart into new album 'Sincerely'
By Leslie Ambriz
May 8th, 2025, 02:34 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kali Uchis wrote the album she knew her future self would need to listen to. The Grammy-winning artist unknowingly was crafting her own audible remedy.
"I really did make the music that I needed for my grieving process, for just the place that I'm at in my life right now," she says of the album out Friday.
"Sincerely," (yes, the title includes the comma) began as a collection of letters to herself, friends and loved ones but took on a deeper meaning as the Colombian American songwriter gave birth to her first child and processed her mother's recent death. The first single, "Sunshine & Rain...," includes a clip of Uchis' mother saying, "Good morning, sunshine."
"I wanted to immortalize her in the project," said Uchis. "I thought it was just a beautiful way to open the album."
The 14-track album finds Uchis proudly wearing her heart on her sleeve with songs like "Daggers!," where Uchis encourages a close friend to lean into self-love, or "ILYSMIH," which includes baby coos at the beginning and was written as she lay in her hospital bed with her newborn.
Uchis hopes that after listening to her fifth full album, fans will feel more connected to themselves and more in touch with their emotions: "I hope it will give them some type of solace."
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
## AP: When you decided to step into this album and encompass that world of tenderness and strength, what was your thought process of the themes that you wanted to follow?
UCHIS: I'm a very deep feeler. I'm very empathetic. I feel a lot. And I wanted to make a body of work that fully showed that vulnerability and that actually really dug deep into my heart in a way that none of my other albums ever had.
I felt like I was ready to do that because I've been making music long enough that I felt that it was that time for me, and then it just so happened that, shortly after working on the album, I became pregnant, which was such a big part of being able to feel even deeper than I ever have.
## AP: How was working on this album healing for you?
UCHIS: It's crazy because a lot of times I feel, and especially with this album in particular, I felt that I really made music that my future self would need, that I didn't realize I was going to need at that time.
The album is actually dedicated to my mom. My mom later ended up getting diagnosed, and she's no longer here. ... And so pretty much all of the songs ended up taking on a deeper meaning to me because of that and because of it being dedicated to her. ... At the time, I might not have even realized subconsciously that I was making all of this to heal myself.
## AP: Is that how you got to the title "Sincerely,"?
UCHIS: At one point, I was like, "I'm gonna make sure each of these songs is like, this is my letter to the world, this is my letter to this person, this my letter to that, this one to myself." I tried to really conceptualize in a different way that I never have when making any other album. And then ... when my mom passed, a lot of what I had left from her is letters that she wrote to me, and so it ended up, like I said, just more and more reasons for me to realize that it was the correct title for the project.
## AP: When you are in that studio space by yourself, what comes first? Is it the melody? Is it the lyrics? How did you specifically craft this album?
UCHIS: I never stick to one process, but one particular process that stuck out to me on a lot of the songs was that most of them were written with no music, just songs that came to me.
For instance, "ILYSMIH" — that one literally I was just recovering from labor, my son was sleeping next to me; I was still in my hospital bed when I got this idea for this song and started it, started recording it on my phone, started writing some lyrics down. ... There's one called "All I Can Say." I wrote that whole song in the car on the way to the studio. ... I try to just make beauty out of all of my experiences.
## AP: Fans online were saying "Sunshine and Rain" is the answer to "After the Storm." Do you agree with that and if so how does it feel to now, five albums later, do you agree with the correlation?
UCHIS: Thematically, nature is kind of a reoccurring theme in my music because I am so inspired by nature and I feel nature is where God exists and nature is where a lot of my creativity just thrives.
I feel like it just happened. Afterwards, I even thought, "Is this too similar to what I've already done?" But … I just love the things that I love, and I just returned back to those nostalgic elements. I may branch out and try what people think is different sounds. Like on "Orquídeas," I did a lot of different genre-bending on "Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)" as well, but to me, that's still nostalgic because it's still music I grew up listening to.
I return a lot to things that are core memories for me. It's soothing to my nervous system. I'm the person who watches the same episodes of my favorite TV shows over and over again, ... I think that's what makes it beautiful too, is to see the evolution and know that it's still true to me. It's still true to my roots in music and where I started, but an evolved version.
## AP: What does that mean to you to have your mother's voice be a part of the album?
UCHIS: After she passed, one of the first things I did was go through all of the audio messages that she had ever sent me and I was just listening to all her messages over and over, wanting to hear her voice. When I heard that one I just thought of, "Oh how perfect is this that the song is called 'Sunshine &Rain...,' and she had said, "Good morning, sunshine." It was for my son that she sent that message. I thought it was just a beautiful way to open the album, considering that it's dedicated to her.
I struggled a lot with whether or not I wanted to share because I'm a very, very private person. So I struggled a lot with if I even wanted to share that my mom was no longer here, but I felt I just had to not be afraid of that vulnerability and not pretend like it didn't affect me or didn't have some type of impact on me when it had such a big impact on me and still does. And I wanted to also honor her and honor her life in a way through art that I know that she would have loved and that she would have been proud of.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 21:43:55+00:00
|
[
"Argentina",
"Rio de Janeiro",
"Uruguay",
"Lady Gaga",
"Law enforcement",
"Brazil government",
"Entertainment",
"Felipe Cury"
] |
# Brazilian judge orders arrest of man over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in Rio
May 5th, 2025, 09:43 PM
---
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian judge on Monday ordered the arrest of a man suspected of being involved in an alleged plot to place explosives at a concert by singer Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro.
Judge Fabiana Pagel of the Rio Grande do Sul state court did not name the suspect in her ruling, but said he is a man investigated by Rio de Janeiro police as the alleged mastermind of the plot.
Police in Rio Grande do Sul state, which borders Argentina and Uruguay, said Sunday they had released a man under investigation for the alleged plot after he paid his bail.
Brazilian media reported that is the same man jailed on Monday by Judge Pagel.
Rio police did not reveal names of either of its two suspects or show images of the explosives that the alleged plotters intended to use. Felipe Cury, secretary of the Rio police, said authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil's LGBTQ community.
The Rio event on Saturday was the biggest show of the pop star's career, attracting an estimated 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach. Security was tight at Saturday's concert, with 5,200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans were reveling.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 20:45:12+00:00
|
[
"Seth Moulton",
"Donald Trump",
"Pete Hegseth",
"Military and defense",
"U.S. Department of Defense",
"CQ Brown Jr.",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"Politics",
"United States government"
] |
# Hegseth directs 20% cut to top military leadership positions
By Tara Copp
May 5th, 2025, 08:45 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed the active duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration moves forward with deep cuts that it says will promote efficiency but that critics worry could result in a more politicized force.
Hegseth also told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions and directed the military to cut an additional 10% of its general and flag officers across the force, which could include any one-star or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank.
The cuts are on top of more than a half-dozen top general officers that President Donald Trump or Hegseth have fired since January, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr. They also have fired the only two women serving as four-star officers, as well as a disproportionate number of other senior female officers.
In the earlier rounds of firing, Hegseth said the eliminations were "a reflection of the president wanting the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take."
As Pentagon chief, Hegseth has touted his efforts to root out any programming or leadership that endorses diversity in the ranks, tried to terminate transgender service members and begun sweeping changes to enforce a uniform fitness standard for combat positions.
In a memo announcing the cuts Monday, Hegseth said they would remove "redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership." He said the aim was to free the military from "unnecessary bureaucratic layers."
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine who served in Iraq and is now on the House Armed Services Committee, said he sees Hegseth's actions as trying to politicize the military.
"He's creating a formal framework to fire all the generals who disagree with him — and the president," Moulton told AP at the Capitol.
He said certainly any organization can look for efficiencies but Hegseth has long been explicit about his agenda. "He wrote a book about it. He wants to politicize the military," Moulton said. "So it's hard to see these cuts in any other context."
Moulton warned of fallout for the troops. "It is essential that our troops understand they are getting constitutional orders, not political orders," he said, "because otherwise you don't have a democracy, otherwise you have a military that just works well for one political party or another."
Adding to the turmoil in the Pentagon, Hegseth in recent weeks has dismissed or transferred multiple close advisers, tightly narrowing his inner circle. He also has been facing questions from both Democrats and Republicans about his handling of sensitive information and use of the Signal messaging app.
There are about 800 general officers in the military, but only 44 of those are four-star general or flag officers. The Army has the largest number of general officers, with 219, including eight four-star generals.
The number of general officer positions in the military is set by law. Members of Congress were not provided with the advance notification they normally would receive on the cuts but were given a "very brief alert" this afternoon, according to a congressional staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not made public.
The cuts were first reported by CNN.
The Pentagon is under pressure to slash spending and personnel as part of the broader federal government cuts pushed by Trump and ally Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
Hegseth last week ordered a sweeping transformation of the Army to "build a leaner, more lethal force," including merging or closing headquarters, dumping outdated vehicles and aircraft, slashing as many as 1,000 headquarters staff in the Pentagon and shifting personnel to units in the field.
Also last week the Army confirmed that there will be a military parade on Trump's birthday in June, as part of the celebration around the service's 250th birthday. Officials say it will cost tens of millions of dollars.
—-
Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 21:11:55+00:00
|
[
"Dogs",
"Animals",
"Insects",
"Cleveland",
"Science",
"Climate and environment",
"Connie Hausman",
"Climate"
] |
# Four-legged investigators sniff out spotted lanternfly eggs to slow the spread of invasive pest
May 19th, 2025, 09:11 PM
---
CLEVELAND (AP) — The spotted lanternfly, a leaf-hopping invasive pest first detected in the U.S. a decade ago, has steadily spread across the East Coast and into the Midwest with little getting in its way.
But now researchers are deploying a new weapon to slow it's advance — specially trained dogs with the ability to sniff out the winged insect's eggs before they hatch.
Since late last year, four of the dogs have been scouring parks in the Cleveland area in search of egg masses hidden around trees, shrubs, park benches, landscape rocks and bridge pillars. Each egg mass can produce 30 to 50 spotted lanternflies.
So far, the dogs have uncovered more than 4,000 of the masses, meaning they've helped eradicate as many as 200,000 of the sap-sucking bugs that damage grapes, fruit trees, hops and hardwoods, said Connie Hausman, senior conservation science manager at Cleveland Metroparks.
In just a few hours in April, the dogs found about 1,100 egg masses at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Hausman said.
Not just any dog can go out searching, she said.
"They all have wonderful noses, but they're not all eligible," she said. "They had to pass tests to prove their service."
The dogs were trained through a research project led by a group at Virginia Tech University, which is setting out to slow the spread of the insects that are native to eastern Asia and recognizable for their distinctive black spots and bright red wing markings.
The four working in Cleveland owned by local residents already had scent training before they worked with Virginia Tech to hone their noses to detect the spotted lanternflies.
Once they spot a new mass of eggs, the dogs get a treat from their handlers who scrape away the mud-like masses.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 00:27:31+00:00
|
[
"Nicolas Maduro",
"Argentina government",
"Caracas",
"Venezuela government",
"Marco Rubio",
"Maria Corina Machado",
"United States government",
"Javier Milei",
"Hostage situations",
"United States",
"Argentina",
"Venezuela",
"Garcia Cano",
"Politics",
"Fernando Martinez"
] |
# Venezuelan opposition members leave Argentine diplomatic compound after over a year and are in US
By Regina Garcia Cano and Andry Rincon
May 7th, 2025, 12:27 AM
---
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Five members of Venezuela's political opposition left the Argentine diplomatic compound in their country's capital, Caracas, where they had sheltered for more than a year to avoid arrest and were in the United States on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio did not provide details of the group's movements to reach the U.S., but he described the event as a rescue operation.
The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro did not immediately comment on the situation.
"The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas," Rubio said on X. "Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil."
The government of Argentine President Javier Milei allowed the five people into the ambassador's residence in March 2024, when authorities loyal to Venezuela's ruling party issued warrants for their arrest, accusing them of promoting acts of violence to destabilize the country. The group included the campaign manager and communications director of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Machado, also on X, thanked people involved in what she called an "impeccable and epic operation for the Freedom of five heroes of Venezuela."
Since late November, the group had denounced the constant presence of intelligence service agents and police outside the residence. It had also accused the government of cutting electricity and water services to the compound. The government had denied the allegations.
A sixth person, Fernando Martinez, a cabinet minister in the 1990s, sheltered with the group for nine months. Martinez abandoned the compound in mid-December and, according to Venezuelan authorities, appeared before prosecutors. He passed away in February.
Maduro's government routinely targeted its real or perceived opponents ahead of last year's presidential election, and its crackdown on dissent only increased after the country's National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, declared him the winner despite credible evidence to the contrary.
The election results announced by the Electoral Council sparked protests across the country to which the government responded with force and ended with more than 20 people dead. They also prompted an end to diplomatic relations between Venezuela and various foreign countries, including Argentina.
In August, Brazil accepted Argentina's request to guard the diplomatic compound in Caracas after Maduro's government expelled its diplomats when Milei said that he would not recognize "another fraud." But a month later, Venezuela revoked Brazil's authorization to guard the facility, alleging it had evidence of the use of the premises "for the planning of terrorist activities and assassination attempts."
Brazil and Argentina have rejected those accusations.
Milei said in a statement on Tuesday that the operation "represents an important step in defending freedom in the region."
___
Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 13:13:20+00:00
|
[
"Europe",
"Friedrich Merz",
"Germany",
"Olaf Scholz",
"European Union",
"Germany government",
"Donald Trump",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Politics",
"Military and defense"
] |
# Merz vows to keep the US on board on Ukraine and strengthen Germany's military and economy
By Geir Moulson
May 14th, 2025, 01:13 PM
---
BERLIN (AP) — New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday he will work to bring Europe and the U.S. together in their approach to Ukraine, enable his country to build Europe's strongest conventional army and make Europe's biggest economy a "locomotive of growth" again.
The conservative leader took office a week ago after winning election in February, ending a six-month period in which the European Union's most populous member lacked a government with a parliamentary majority. He has already made a flurry of trips to EU allies and visited Kyiv with his French, Polish and British counterparts.
"Europe expects something from us," Merz said in his first policy speech to parliament, and promised that "we will offer our partners and friends reliability and predictability."
The new chancellor said that "the times in which Germany simply abstained on significant questions of European policy should be over," an apparent reference to internal divisions that bedeviled predecessor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition before it collapsed in November.
The new government brings together Merz's center-right Union bloc with Scholz's center-left Social Democrats.
Merz emphasized his desire to keep the Trump administration on board with support for Ukraine, adding that he spoke with President Donald Trump twice recently and was grateful for his support for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
"Anyone who believes Russia would be content with a victory over Ukraine or parts of Ukraine, or the annexation of parts of the country, is wrong," Merz said. He pointed to various Russian destabilization efforts and rejected the idea of a "dictated peace" or the "subjugation" of Ukraine.
"We hope, and we all are working hard for this, that this clear position will not just be held everywhere in Europe but also by our American partners," Merz said, adding: "It is of paramount importance that the political West not let itself be divided, so I will continue to make every effort to produce the greatest possible unity between the European and American partners."
Even before taking office, the new governing coalition pushed plans through parliament to enable higher defense spending by loosening strict rules on incurring debt, and to set up a huge infrastructure fund that's aimed at boosting the stagnant economy.
"The government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe," Merz said. "Our friends and partners expect this of us; more than that, they are really demanding it of us."
The German military suffered from years of neglect before Scholz, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, pledged to increase Germany's defense spending to the current NATO target of 2% of gross domestic product and announced the creation of a 100 billion-euro special fund to modernize the military.
Germany met that target thanks to the fund, but it will be used up in 2027.
Merz said that "we will fulfill our commitments" in Germany's interest and that of NATO, but didn't address U.S. demands for allies to raise their defense investments to 5% of GDP.
Merz acknowledged that Germany's security and influence in the world "stand and fall with our economic strength." He pledged to roll back bureaucracy, advance digitization, provide tax breaks for companies and promote more EU trade agreements.
"We will do everything to get Germany's economy back on the course of growth," he said. "We want to invest and reform ... through our own efforts, we can once again become a locomotive of growth that the world looks at with admiration."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 15:00:50+00:00
|
[
"JWD-evergreen",
"Tal Cohen",
"Science"
] |
# Eggs are less likely to crack when dropped on their side, according to science
By Adithi Ramakrishnan
May 8th, 2025, 03:00 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Eggs are less likely to crack when they fall on their side, according to experiments with over 200 eggs.
What does this mean for the best way to crack an egg for breakfast? Not much, since a break around the middle is the best way to get the golden yolk and runny whites to ooze out.
But scientists said it could help with hard-boiling eggs in a pot: Dropping eggs in horizontally may be less likely to cause a stray crack that can unleash the egg's insides in a puffy, cloudy mess.
It's commonly thought that eggs are strongest at their ends — after all, it's how they're packaged in the carton. The thinking is that the arc-shaped bottom of an egg redirects the force and softens the blow of impact.
But when scientists squeezed eggs in both directions during a compression test, they cracked under the same amount of force.
"The fun started when we thought we would get one result and then we saw another," said Hudson Borja da Rocha with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who helped run the experiments.
The researchers also ran simulations and dropped eggs horizontally and vertically from three short heights up to 0.4 inches (10 millimeters).
The egg result? The ones dropped horizontally cracked less .
"The common sense is that the egg in the vertical direction is stronger than if you lay the egg down. But they proved that's not the case," said materials scientist Marc Meyers with the University of California, San Diego who was not involved with the new study.
Scientists found that the egg's equator was more flexible and absorbed more of the energy of the fall before cracking. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Communications Physics.
Eggs are also usually nestled top-down into homemade contraptions for egg drop challenges as part of school STEM projects, which partially inspired the new study. It's not yet clear whether the new results will help protect these vulnerable eggs, which are dropped at much loftier heights.
It's a bit counterintuitive that the oblong side of an egg could hold up better against a tumble, said study co-author Tal Cohen with Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Countless broken eggs show "the courage to go and challenge these very common, accepted notions," Cohen said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 10:03:51+00:00
|
[
"Information security",
"China",
"Europe",
"Privacy",
"Cybercrime",
"European Union",
"Digital rights management",
"Eurocopa 2024",
"Business",
"Christine Grahn",
"Politics",
"Technology",
"ByteDance Ltd."
] |
# TikTok fined $600 million for China data transfers that broke EU privacy rules
By Kelvin Chan
May 2nd, 2025, 10:03 AM
---
LONDON (AP) — A European Union privacy watchdog fined TikTok 530 million euros ($600 million) on Friday after a four-year investigation found that the video sharing app's data transfers to China put users at risk of spying, in breach of strict EU data privacy rules.
Ireland's Data Protection Commission also sanctioned TikTok for not being transparent with users about where their personal data was being sent and ordered the company to comply with the rules within six months.
The Irish national watchdog serves as TikTok's lead data privacy regulator in the 27-nation EU because the company's European headquarters is based in Dublin.
"TikTok failed to verify, guarantee and demonstrate that the personal data of (European) users, remotely accessed by staff in China, was afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the EU," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a statement.
TikTok said it disagreed with the decision and plans to appeal.
The company said in a blog post that the decision focuses on a "select period" ending in May 2023, before it embarked on a data localization project called Project Clover that involved building three data centers in Europe.
"The facts are that Project Clover has some of the most stringent data protections anywhere in the industry, including unprecedented independent oversight by NCC Group, a leading European cybersecurity firm," said Christine Grahn, TikTok's European head of public policy and government relations. "The decision fails to fully consider these considerable data security measures."
TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is based in China, has been under scrutiny in Europe over how it handles personal information of its users amid concerns from Western officials that it poses a security risk over user data sent to China. In 2023, the Irish watchdog also fined the company hundreds of millions of euros in a separate child privacy investigation.
The Irish watchdog said its investigation found that TikTok failed to address "potential access by Chinese authorities" to European users' personal data under Chinese laws on anti-terrorism, counterespionage, cybersecurity and national intelligence that were identified as "materially diverging" from EU standards.
Grahn said TikTok has "has never received a request for European user data from the Chinese authorities, and has never provided European user data to them."
Under the EU rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, European user data can only be transferred outside of the bloc if there are safeguards in place to ensure the same level of protection.
Grahn said TikTok strongly disagreed with the Irish regulator's argument that it didn't carry out "necessary assessments" for data transfers, saying it sought advice from law firms and experts. She said TikTok was being "singled out" even though it uses the "same legal mechanisms" that thousands of other companies in Europe does and its approach is "in line" with EU rules.
The investigation, which opened in September 2021, also found that TikTok's privacy policy at the time did not name third countries, including China, where user data was transferred. The watchdog said the policy, which has since been updated, failed to explain that data processing involved "remote access to personal data stored in Singapore and the United States by personnel based in China."
TikTok faces further scrutiny from the Irish regulator, which said that the company had provided inaccurate information throughout the inquiry by saying that it didn't store European user data on Chinese servers. It wasn't until April that it informed the regulator that it discovered in February that some data had in fact been stored on Chinese servers.
Doyle said that the watchdog is taking the recent developments "very seriously" and "considering what further regulatory action may be warranted."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 15:13:25+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Television",
"Wendy McMahon",
"George Cheeks",
"Scott Pelley",
"George Stephanopoulos",
"Kamala Harris",
"Legal proceedings",
"New York City Wire",
"Paramount Global",
"Maurice Dubois",
"Entertainment",
"Bill Owens",
"Politics",
"Shari Redstone",
"Business",
"John Dickerson",
"Susan Zirinsky",
"Jennifer Mitchell",
"David Bauder"
] |
# CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon quits amid potential Trump lawsuit settlement
By David Bauder
May 19th, 2025, 03:13 PM
---
CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon said Monday that she is resigning after four years, the latest fallout at the network as its parent company considers settling a lawsuit with President Donald Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with his former political opponent.
McMahon, who has led both the network news division and news for the CBS-owned stations, said in an email message to staff that "it's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It's time to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership."
McMahon has made clear she opposes settling with Trump — just like "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, who quit last month.
Trump has sued CBS, alleging it edited an interview with 2024 Democratic opponent Kamala Harris last fall to benefit her. CBS News has denied that. CBS' parent company, Paramount Global, is in talks to potentially settle Trump's lawsuit. At the same time, Paramount Global is seeking administration approval of a merger with Skydance Media.
George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount and head of the CBS network, said McMahon's top deputies, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell, will report directly to him.
McMahon, in her note, said that "the past few months have been challenging."
"I have spent the last few months shoring up our businesses and making sure the right leaders are in place, and I have no doubt they will continue to set the standard," she said.
In addition to the tussle with Trump, Paramount's controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, has expressed unhappiness over some network coverage of Israel's war in Gaza, including a "60 Minutes" piece this winter. Paramount began supervising "60 Minutes" stories in new ways, including asking former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky to look over some of its stories before they aired.
That extra layer contributed to Owens' resignation. One of the show's correspondents, Scott Pelley, said on the air that "none of us is happy" about the changes.
CBS News is also trying to establish the new anchor team of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois at its flagship "CBS Evening News" broadcast amid ratings troubles.
In his note to staff members, Cheeks praised McMahon for expanding local news at CBS stations and improving their competitive positions, along with improving the network's digital offerings.
Despite the internal tensions, the "60 Minutes" broadcast has done several notably tough stories on the Trump administration, and it has drawn the ire of the president. He attacked the show after one episode in April. "Almost every week, 60 Minutes ... mentions the name 'TRUMP' in a derogatory and defamatory way," the president said on social media.
On Sunday's season finale of "60 Minutes," a story that had been scheduled and publicly announced about cutbacks at the Internal Revenue Service was not aired. A spokeswoman said it was because on Friday, CBS learned that IRS leadership had told senior staff that it had decided to call some 7,000 probationary employees back to work.
CBS said it would continue to report on the details and broadcast the story some time in the future.
A Trump settlement with Paramount has precedence. The Walt Disney Co. decided in December to pay $15 million to end a Trump libel lawsuit against ABC News over a statement made by the network's George Stephanopoulos regarding a sexual assault case against Trump.
The new administration has been battling with the media over several fronts, including:
—Engaging in a court fight with The Associated Press over curtailing access because the agency has not followed Trump's wishes to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
—Making efforts to shut down government-run news services like the Voice of America.
—Cutting funding to public broadcasting.
___
David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 00:35:25+00:00
|
[
"Aerospace technology",
"Spacecraft",
"Space launches",
"Space exploration",
"SpaceX",
"Tokyo",
"Japan",
"Science"
] |
# Private Japanese lunar lander enters orbit around moon ahead of a June touchdown
By Marcia Dunn
May 7th, 2025, 12:35 AM
---
A private lunar lander from Japan is now circling the moon, with just another month to go before it attempts a touchdown.
Tokyo-based ispace said Wednesday morning its Resilience lander entered lunar orbit.
"The countdown to lunar landing has now officially begun," the company said in a statement.
SpaceX launched Resilience with U.S-based Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander in January. Firefly got there first in March, becoming the first private outfit to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over. Another American company, Intuitive Machines, landed a spacecraft on the moon a few days later, but it ended up sideways in a crater.
Now it's ispace's turn. It's targeting the first week of June for Resilience's touchdown. The company's first lander crashed into the moon in 2023.
The lander holds a mini rover equipped with a scoop to gather lunar dirt for analysis as well as other experiments.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 13:15:11+00:00
|
[
"Kyriakos Mitsotakis",
"Europe",
"Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi",
"Greece",
"European Union",
"Egypt",
"Politics",
"Renewable energy",
"Greece government",
"Egypt government"
] |
# Greece and Egypt reaffirm their commitment to an undersea power cable
By Derek Gatopoulos
May 7th, 2025, 01:15 PM
---
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece and Egypt reaffirmed their commitment Wednesday to a proposed undersea electricity interconnection designed to transport renewable energy from North Africa to Europe.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi renewed the pledge during talks in Athens, following the signing of cooperation agreements across multiple sectors.
The planned 3,000-megawatt capacity cable will stretch nearly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) across the eastern Mediterranean and has secured backing from the European Union, making it eligible for significant EU funding.
"This will allow both Greece and Europe to import low-cost energy – primarily wind energy, which you are able to produce very competitively – and export it to Europe," Mitsotakis said during joint statements.
The project, estimated to cost around 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion), is expected to become operational within five years, under an ambitious timeline set by both governments. It aims to transmit solar and wind-generated power developed specifically for the project in Egypt, with private sector involvement led by Greece's Copelouzos Group.
El-Sissi highlighted the project's strategic importance. "It's not just a bilateral matter – it's a strategic regional project, as it creates a direct link that will extend to Europe via Greece," he said. "We count on the European Union's support for this major initiative."
The EU has expressed strong interest in expanding energy partnerships with non-member countries to diversify its energy sources and reduce its historic dependence on Russian energy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Mitsotakis and el-Sissi also discussed regional security, migration challenges, and ways to deepen Egypt's relationship with the European Union.
"Greece is a steadfast ally of Egypt, including on matters concerning your country's relationship with the European Union," Mitsotakis said, underlining Athens' role in fostering closer EU-Egypt ties.
The talks in Athens concluded with agreements to explore additional energy cooperation, facilitate expanded seasonal employment of Egyptian workers in Greece, and enhance collaboration across financial, defense, and cultural sectors.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 04:48:03+00:00
|
[
"Beijing",
"Australia government",
"Australia",
"China",
"China government",
"Anthony Albanese",
"Legal proceedings",
"Espionage",
"Democracy",
"Law enforcement",
"Prisons"
] |
# Australian prime minister speaks of Beijing prisoner's courage, resilience and hope
By Rod Mcguirk
May 15th, 2025, 04:48 AM
---
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday spoke of the courage, resilience and hope of Australian citizen Yang Hengjun, who was convicted last year in China of espionage.
The plight of the 59-year-old Chinese-born democracy blogger, who was arrested on arrival in China on a flight from New York in 2019, remains an impediment to an improving bilateral relationship between Canberra and Beijing.
Albanese said Yang had recently written to him from a Beijing prison.
"It was a message of profound courage and resilience and hope despite his difficult circumstances," Albanese told reporters in Jakarta, where he was making his first overseas visit since his government was reelected on May 3.
"We continue to advocate for Dr. Yang's interests and wellbeing at every opportunity and I have certainly asked our ambassador to convey that very directly to Dr. Yang," Albanese added.
## Australian sentenced to death
Yang was found guilty of espionage following a closed court trial in February last year and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Such sentences are often commuted to life in prison after the two years.
Albanese has raised Yang's detention in meetings with China's leaders since the prime minister's center-left Labor Party was first elected in 2022.
Since that election, Beijing has lifted a ban on minister-to-minister communications with Australia and removed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers that had cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year.
In Yang's letter to Albanese, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press on Thursday by a supporter of the prisoner, he wrote that the support of the government and Australian Embassy staff had "helped me to bear what has been untold and unbearable suffering."
## Prisoner loves both Australia and China
"I feel all of your support beside me as I stagger through the hardest and darkest chapter of my life, allowing me to immerse in the warmth of humanity," Yang wrote.
"I deeply love Australia," Yang wrote. "I ardently love China."
Yang expected he would one day sit side by side with his readers "sharing laughter, tears and dreams."
"Dear Prime Minister Albanese, words are now failing me. Tears blur my vision. I can only use a silent voice to thank you and all the people who care for and love me," Yang wrote.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 18:10:48+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Labor",
"San Francisco",
"Courts",
"District of Columbia",
"U.S. Supreme Court",
"Labor unions",
"Government and politics",
"Susan Illston",
"Supreme Court of the United States",
"U.S. Social Security Administration",
"Bill Clinton",
"Legal proceedings",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"William Alsup",
"Lawsuits",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"United States government",
"Politics"
] |
# Trump asks Supreme Court to allow government downsizing plans to proceed
May 16th, 2025, 06:10 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to allow him to resume his downsizing of the federal workforce, while a lawsuit filed by labor unions and cities proceeds.
The Justice Department is challenging an order issued last week by a federal judge in San Francisco that temporarily halted Trump's efforts to shrink a federal government he calls bloated and expensive.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston's temporary restraining order questioned whether Trump's Republican administration was acting lawfully in trying to pare the federal workforce.
Illston, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, directed numerous federal agencies to stop acting on Trump's workforce executive order signed in February and a subsequent memo issued by the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Personnel Management.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the court to quickly put the ruling on hold, telling the justices that Illston overstepped her authority.
Illston's order expires next week, unless extended.
The case is the latest in a string of emergency appeals the Trump administration has made to the Supreme Court, including some related to firings. The administration separately has filed an emergency appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which has yet to act.
Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, have left their jobs via deferred resignation programs or have been placed on leave as a result of Trump's government-shrinking efforts. There is no official figure for the job cuts, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation, and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go.
In her order, Illston gave several examples to show the impact of the downsizing. One union that represents federal workers who research health hazards faced by mine workers said it was poised to lose 221 of 222 workers in the Pittsburgh office; a Vermont farmer didn't receive a timely inspection on his property to receive disaster aid after flooding and missed an important planting window; a reduction in Social Security Administration workers has led to longer wait times for recipients.
Among the agencies affected by the temporary restraining order are the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, the Interior, State, the Treasury and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.
Plaintiffs include the cities of San Francisco, Chicago and Baltimore; the labor group American Federation of Government Employees; and the nonprofit groups Alliance for Retired Americans, Center for Taxpayer Rights and Coalition to Protect America's National Parks.
Some of the labor unions and nonprofit groups are also plaintiffs in another lawsuit before a San Francisco judge challenging the mass firings of probationary workers. In that case, Judge William Alsup ordered the government in March to reinstate those workers, but the U.S. Supreme Court later blocked his order.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 17:27:25+00:00
|
[
"DoorDash",
"Inc.",
"San Francisco",
"San Jose",
"Fraud",
"Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri",
"Crime",
"Theft",
"Criminal punishment",
"Technology"
] |
# DoorDash delivery driver pleads guilty to stealing $2.5 million in deliveries scam
May 14th, 2025, 05:27 PM
---
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former food delivery driver pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to steal more than $2.5 million from DoorDash by getting the company to pay for deliveries that never occurred, federal prosecutors said.
Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in San Jose to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Devagiri, 30, of Newport Beach, California, admitted to working with three others in 2020 and 2021 to defraud the San Francisco-based delivery company, federal prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Devagiri used customer accounts to place high-value orders and then used an employee's credential to gain access to DoorDash software and manually reassign the orders to driver accounts that he and others controlled. Devagiri then caused the fraudulent driver accounts to report that the orders had been delivered when they had not, and manipulated DoorDash's computer systems to pay the fraudulent driver accounts for the nonexistent deliveries, officials said.
Devagiri would then use DoorDash software to change the orders from "delivered" status to "in process" status and manually reassign the orders to driver accounts he and others controlled, beginning the process again, prosecutors said.
The now-former employee in the scam pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in November 2023 and admitted to being involved in the scheme, prosecutors said.
Devagiri is the third defendant to be convicted of his role in this conspiracy. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 16.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 06:25:25+00:00
|
[
"Syria",
"Donald Trump",
"Bashar Assad",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Karoline Leavitt",
"Syria government",
"Ahmad al-Sharaa",
"Israel government",
"Prisons",
"United States government",
"Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud",
"Business",
"Islam",
"Sanctions and embargoes",
"Politics",
"Rebellions and uprisings",
"Abu Mohammad al-Golani",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Bill Clinton",
"Recep Tayyip Erdogan"
] |
# Trump meets Syria's new leader in Saudi Arabia
By Zeke Miller, Jon Gambrell, and Aamer Madhani
May 14th, 2025, 06:25 AM
---
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first encounter between the two nations' leaders in 25 years and one that could serve as a turning point for Syria as it struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation.
The meeting, on the sidelines of Trump's get-together with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family, and for its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.
Trump praised al-Sharaa to reporters after the meeting, saying he was a "young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter."
Under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, al-Sharaa had ties to al-Qaida and joined insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq before entering the Syrian war. He was even imprisoned by U.S. troops there for several years.
"He's got a real shot at holding it together," Trump said. "He's a real leader. He led a charge, and he's pretty amazing."
Trump had announced the day before as he kicked off his three-nation Middle East tour in Riyadh that he would also move to lift U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria under the deposed autocrat Bashar Assad.
People across Syria cheered in the streets and set off fireworks on Tuesday night to celebrate, hopeful their nation — locked out of credit cards and global finance — might rejoin the world's economy when they need investments the most.
The meeting came even after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier asked Trump not to lift sanctions on Syria, again underscoring a growing discontent between the White House and the Israeli government as its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip rages on.
Trump told the Gulf Cooperation Council after his meeting with al-Sharaa that he was ending sanctions on Syria in order to give the country "a fresh start."
"It gives them a chance for greatness. The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful," Trump said.
Trump said al-Sharaa had agreed to join the Abraham Accords and eventually recognize Israel, but Syria hasn't confirmed that. Trump told reporters, "I think they have to get themselves straightened up. I told him, 'I hope you're going to join when it's straightened out.' He said, 'Yes.' But they have a lot of work to do."
## A historic closed-door meeting
Trump said on Tuesday that he would meet al-Sharaa, who flew in to the Saudi capital for the face-to-face.
Even before its ruinous civil war that began in 2011, Syria struggled under a tightly controlled socialist economy and under sanctions by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terror since 1979.
Al-Sharaa is the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since Hafez Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000. The Trump-al-Sharaa meeting took place behind closed doors, and the White House later said it ran for just over 30 minutes.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting with Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and al-Sharaa via phone. Turkey was a main backer to al-Sharaa and his rebel faction.
"I felt very strongly that this would give them a chance," Trump said of Syria. "It's not going to be easy anyway, so gives them a good strong chance. And it was my honor to do so."
## What happened in the meeting?
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump urged al-Sharaa to diplomatically recognize Israel, "tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria" and help the U.S. stop any resurgence of the Islamic State group.
Trump, a Republican, also asked for the Syrian government to "assume responsibility" for over a dozen detention centers holding some 9,000 suspected members of the Islamic State group, Leavitt added. The prisons are run by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces that spearheaded the military campaign against the extremists and controlled the last sliver of land they once held in March 2019.
As part of a deal reached in March between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led forces, all border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, airports and oil fields in the Northeast would be brought under the central government's control by the end of the year.
Trump's desire for Syria to take over the prisons also signals the potential of a full American military withdrawal from Syria.
Syria's Foreign Ministry said Trump and al-Sharaa discussed the Syrian-U.S. partnership in fighting terror and armed groups such as IS standing in the way of stability.
## Al-Sharaa's militant past sparks Israeli concern
Al-Sharaa was named interim president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by insurgent groups led by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, that stormed Damascus, ending the 54-year rule of the Assad family.
Many Gulf Arab leaders have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and want Trump to follow, believing it is a bulwark against Iran's return to influence in Syria, where it had helped prop up Assad's government during a decadelong civil war.
But longtime U.S. ally Israel has been deeply skeptical of al-Sharaa's extremist past and cautioned against swift recognition of the new government. The request came during Netanyahu's visit to Washington last month, according to an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the subject.
Israel was concerned a cross-border attack similar to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, assault could come from Syria. Israel also fears al-Sharaa and his Islamist past could pose a threat on its northern border.
## Trump's move draws cheers from Syrians
Syrians cheered the announcement by Trump that the U.S. will move to lift sanctions on the beleaguered Middle Eastern nation.
The state-run SANA news agency published video and photographs of Syrians cheering in Umayyad Square, the largest in the country's capital, Damascus. Others honked their car horns or waved the new Syrian flag in celebration.
People whistled and cheered as fireworks lit the night sky.
A statement from Syria's Foreign Ministry called the announcement "a pivotal turning point for the Syrian people as we seek to emerge from a long and painful chapter of war."
"The removal of these sanctions offers a vital opportunity for Syria to pursue stability, self-sufficiency and meaningful national reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people," the statement added.
___
Madhani reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press photographer Alex Brandon and writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 14:05:40+00:00
|
[
"Celebrity",
"Books and literature",
"Donald Trump",
"Alexander Hamilton",
"Nonfiction",
"Valerie Stearn",
"Ron Chernow",
"Entertainment",
"Hal Holbrook",
"John D. Rockefeller",
"John D. Rockefeller Sr.",
"Mark Twain",
"Politics",
"Tom Sawyer"
] |
# 'Hamilton' author Ron Chernow's new book takes on an icon of American letters, Mark Twain
By Hillel Italie
May 9th, 2025, 02:05 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Historian Ron Chernow's latest work may surprise readers who know him best for the book which inspired the musical "Hamilton" and for his biographies of George Washington and Ulysses Grant.
The 1,200-page "Mark Twain" will be published next week. It's Chernow's first release since his Grant biography came out in 2017, and the first time he has taken on a literary writer after a career defined by celebrated books about business leaders (John D. Rockefeller, the Morgan dynasty), presidents (Grant and Washington) and, most of all, Alexander Hamilton. His many honors include the Pulitzer Prize for "Washington: A Life," the National Book Award for "The House of Morgan" and the National Book Critics Circle prize for "Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr."
But a book on Twain had been in his thoughts for decades, dating back to when he saw Hal Holbrook play him on stage in Philadelphia in the mid-1970s.
"And there he was, with the white suit and cigar and mustache and he was tossing out one hilarious line after another," the 76-year-old Chernow says, remembering such Twain quips as "There's no distinctly Native American criminal class, except Congress." Chernow became fascinated by Twain as a prototype of the modern celebrity and found himself drawn less to "Mark Twain the novelist than the pundit, the personality and the platform artist."
Chernow admittedly is more comfortable with the researchable world of facts than with the more intangible qualities of the imagination. But he found much to identify with Twain, relating to him as a fellow widower (Twain outlived his wife, Olivia, by six years; Chernow's wife, Valerie Stearn, died in 2006), as a public speaker and as an author fortunate enough to write full time.
Chernow also looks closely into subjects familiar to him — politics and finance, notably the various failed business ventures that left Twain short of money despite his author royalties and the inherited wealth of his wife. Toward the end of the book, the historian addresses the friendships an elderly Twain cultivated with teen and preteen girls, whom Twain called his "angelfish."
"At the time Twain's behavior was regarded as the charming eccentricity of a beloved humorist with a soft spot for children. We look at that same behavior today and find it odd and disturbing. It's important to get both perspectives," Chernow says. "Twain's behavior was chaste and none of the angelfish or their parents ever accused him of improper or predatory behavior. At the same time, there was such an obsessive quality about Twain's attention to these teenage girls — he devoted more time to them than to his own daughters."
During a recent interview at his Upper West Side Manhattan apartment, where his glass of Diet Coke stood on a coaster illustrated with a sketch of Twain receiving an honorary college degree, Chernow also reflected on Twain's family, his politics and the sadness in his soul. Chernow's comments have been condensed for clarity and brevity.
## Political egos
"I really don't know what he would say about Donald Trump. I could, yes, but I don't want to guess. But we do know what he said about political figures of his own day. And he hated Teddy Roosevelt. He saw that Teddy Roosevelt had a very large ego, very self-absorbed and a Mr. Bombastic personality. But he (Twain) has a wonderful quote where he says that Teddy Roosevelt is the Tom Sawyer of the political world of the early 20th century. He said that he was always hunting for attention. And then he has this great line. He said that in his (Roosevelt's) frenzied imagination, the great republic is one vast Barnum's circus, and he is the clown, and the whole world is his audience."
## The great man's children
To actually read about the children of famous personalities is almost invariably sad, as it often is with Mark Twain. The one who suffered from this most acutely, I think was the middle daughter, Clara, who was kind of insanely competitive with her father and felt overshadowed by him, wanted to kind of trade on his reputation, but then didn't want him to get the attention. She said that she would be in a room with her father, and she felt she was only Mark Twain's daughter, that she was reduced to the level of a footstool. And she also had a very interesting line, one that has a very contemporary ring: He would come into the room and he would flood the room with talk."
## Marrying up
"There's that time when he goes to the Sandwich Islands and he meets the American diplomat Anson Burlingame, who advises him to "cultivate your betters," which Twain really takes to heart. I think that with Twain, if someone asks me, you know, did he marry Olivia for her money? I would say definitely not. It was a true love match. And as Twain said late in life, there was not a single day of his marriage that she didn't say, 'I worship you,' 'I idolize you.' This was just kind of pouring out of her and her letters. On the other hand, the more you know about Mark Twain, the more you know that he could never have married a poor woman.
"And the irony of Twain's life is that he spends his entire life attacking the plutocrats on the one hand, and on the other, he's doing everything in his power to become one. This man embodies in his person every tendency of the time."
## Laughing through the tears
"There's a tremendous amount of self-loathing in him. I have a quote later in the book — he says that (poet Lord) Byron detested life because he detested himself. Twain said, 'I'm the same way.' You know, that's a really harsh, harsh thing to say. But I think that he saw all these impulses within himself that he was really powerless to stop. And then he realized he hurt other people. I think that Mark Twain did fit the stereotype of the funny man who's sad and depressed under the surface and is kind of releasing that through the humor."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 17:18:57+00:00
|
[
"Dave Portnoy",
"Philadelphia",
"Antisemitism",
"John Fry",
"Xavier Romano",
"Business",
"Social media",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Discrimination"
] |
# Dave Portnoy says he will send customers behind antisemitic sign to tour Auschwitz
May 5th, 2025, 05:18 PM
---
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said he would send two customers to tour a former Nazi concentration camp after they allegedly engaged in antisemitic behavior at a Barstool pub in Philadelphia, then later retracted that offer for at least one of them because he said the person was denying responsibility for what happened.
Portnoy said in posts on social media that in an initial conversation Sunday the customer took 100% responsibility for his actions with his friend and agreed to take a learning trip to Auschwitz in Poland. But on Monday, Portnoy posted that the customer "did a 180" and told him he had nothing to do with the antisemitic behavior and that he was just being a citizen journalist by sharing video of what happened.
"His trip to Poland has been revoked," Portnoy said in the post. "Whatever ramifications come his way he 100% earned."
It wasn't clear if the trip had been revoked for the other customer.
In a video posted on social media Saturday night, a woman at the bar who appears to be a server holds a sign with an anti-Jewish message on it while a man repeats the message multiple times.
The bar said in a statement posted to social media that several employees, against their training and organization's written discrimination policies, complied with a customer's request for the sign in connection with ordering bottle service.
"We are saddened, embarrassed, and frustrated by the deplorable actions of a customer and misguided staff," Barstool Samson Street said in the post.
Portnoy said two bar employees had been fired over the incident.
Philadelphia police said they were investigating. No charges were immediately filed.
Temple University said one of the customers is believed to be one of their students. The student was put on interim suspension while an investigation continues, President John Fry said in a statement posted on the university's website.
Fry called antisemitism "abhorrent" and said he would take further action if other students were involved.
"It has no place at Temple and acts of hatred and discrimination against any person or persons are not tolerated at this university," Fry said.
Kappa Delta Rho said in a post on its website that it is also investigating because the customer involved was allegedly a member of their fraternity at Temple.
"To be clear, our organization firmly opposes all forms of hate, which have no place in our fraternity," said Xavier Romano, executive director of the national fraternity.
Portnoy, who is Jewish, had said he hoped to turn the event into a teachable moment. He did not initially identify the culprits, but identified one of them on Monday when saying he would not be sending them to Auschwitz. The customer didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Portnoy said he has experienced increased antisemitism, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
He founded Barstool Sports in 2003, a digital platform covering sports, lifestyle and entertainment, in the Boston area. He also owns several Barstool bars in locations around the country.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 02:34:24+00:00
|
[
"Japan",
"Donald Trump",
"International trade",
"Economy",
"Finance Business",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"Shigeru Ishiba",
"United States government",
"Auto industry",
"Economic policy",
"Government policy",
"Japan government",
"Business",
"Yuri Kageyama"
] |
# Japan's economy shrinks as Trump's trade war hits exports and shakes confidence
By Yuri Kageyama
May 16th, 2025, 02:34 AM
---
TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.7% in the first quarter, according to government data released Friday, as U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war hurt exports and dented consumer confidence.
Japan's real gross domestic product, or the measure of a nation's goods and services, shrank at a greater-than-expected 0.2% in January-March compared to the previous quarter in the first contraction in a year, the Cabinet Office's seasonally adjusted preliminary data showed.
Exports declined at an annual rate of 2.3%. Consumer spending remained flat, while capital investment grew 5.8%.
Trump's tariffs are likely to hurt Japan's giant exporters, especially the automakers, not only for products shipped from Japan, but from other nations, like Mexico and Canada. Officials acknowledge planning a response is a challenge because Trump keeps changing his mind.
"Regional automakers face increased operating costs and potential revenue losses because their U.S. sales depend on diverse production bases and supply chains," S&P Global Ratings said in a report.
"Even companies with minimal sales in the U.S. could face indirect but meaningful impacts as tariffs affect global economy and consumer demand," it said.
The Japanese economy has been struggling for years, plagued by weak demand as the population ages and declines, as more people stay single and have fewer children.
The Bank of Japan, which kept interest rates at zero or minus levels for years, has been gradually raising the benchmark rate, noting wages are holding up and prices are gradually rising.
The latest findings, which seem to highlight the fragility of the economy, make it more likely the central bank might hold off on further rate hikes.
Some analysts are advocating lowering the 10% consumption tax, which is similar to the sales tax in other nations, to help alleviate people's hardships.
But so far Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hasn't said he supports the idea. Japan's national finances are under severe strain due to ballooning social welfare costs.
The economy grew an annual rate of 2.4% in the last quarter of 2024.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 09:13:27+00:00
|
[
"Vladimir Putin",
"Donald Trump",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Russia",
"Ukraine",
"Turkey",
"Diplomacy",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"Government and politics",
"Ukraine government"
] |
# Trump says he'll soon meet with Putin, a no-show at peace talks in Turkey
By Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani
May 16th, 2025, 09:13 AM
---
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can, after Putin opted to skip peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.
"I think it's time for us to just do it," Trump told reporters as he wrapped a four-day visit to the Middle East.
Trump later told reporters after boarding Air Force One to begin the journey back to Washington that he may call Putin soon.
"He and I will meet, and I think we'll solve it or maybe not," Trump said. "At least we'll know. And if we don't solve it, it'll be very interesting."
Trump reiterated that he wasn't surprised that Putin skipped out on the talks set for Friday in Turkey. Putin didn't want to go because he's not there, Trump said.
The Republican president added that he would hold a meeting with Putin "as soon as we can set it up."
"I would actually leave here and go," said Trump, who noted his daughter Tiffany just gave birth to her first child. "I do want to see my beautiful grandson."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to take part in the talks as Trump pressed for the leaders to find a solution to the war, ongoing since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But Putin spurned the call to meet face-to-face with Zelenskyy.
Trump has pressed both sides to quickly come to a war-ending agreement. Zelenskyy has agreed to an American plan for an initial 30-day halt to hostilities, but Russia has not signed on and has continued to strike at targets inside Ukraine.
Still, Russia and Ukraine were holding their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for negotiations. Officials and observers expect them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than 3-year-old war.
"He didn't go, and I understand that," Trump said. "We're going to get it done. We got to get it done. Five thousand young people are being killed every single week on average, and we're going to get it done."
Trump on Thursday told reporters that a meeting between himself and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.
"I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together," Trump said. "But we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 16:54:42+00:00
|
[
"Crime",
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Juries",
"Human trafficking",
"New York City Wire",
"Entertainment",
"Arun Subramanian"
] |
# Day 2 of jury selection in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial
By Larry Neumeister
May 6th, 2025, 04:54 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury in the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs is expected to be in place sometime Wednesday, lawyers told a federal judge after dozens of prospective jurors were questioned over two days to see if they can judge the music mogul fairly.
The lawyers measured the progress made over two days after Judge Arun Subramanian completed questioning dozens of prospective jurors to weed out any biases.
Opening statements are scheduled for Monday, when prosecutors will cast Combs as the head of a criminal organization who exploited his fame and fortune to sexually abuse women and destroy young lives. Defense attorneys plan to counter by saying Combs was not committing crimes when he engaged in sexual activity with consenting adults.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment charging him with leading a racketeering conspiracy from 2004 to 2024 that resulted in various crimes, including kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking.
The Bad Boy Records founder has been held without bail since his arrest at a Manhattan hotel last September.
On Monday and Tuesday, the judge assembled a pool of 35 potential jurors, 10 individuals short of the group of 45 would-be jurors that are one step from sitting on the jury for a trial projected to last up to two months.
The last step in the process will occur when lawyers on both sides strike a limited number of individuals off the jury for reasons they usually are not required to disclose.
Numerous possible jurors were disqualified on Tuesday after answering questions in ways that left lawyers and the judge to believe they could not be fair and unbiased. One man was dismissed after expressing doubt that he could follow an order by the judge not to smoke marijuana for the duration of the trial.
"He was honest," Subramanian quipped, eliciting laughter throughout the courtroom where he interviewed prospective jurors one at a time.
Throughout the day, Combs seemed engaged with the process. Sometimes he was the first to rise from his chair at the defense table each time a potential juror entered or left the courtroom. Near the end of the day, he stretched several times in his cushioned chair.
Several who were eliminated from the jury pool had seen or heard media reports related to the case, including some who said they saw a video in which Combs was hitting and kicking one of his accusers in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
But one man who had written on a questionnaire that the video left him with the "impression of an angry hostile person who is entitled" was not dismissed from the jury pool.
After the video aired on CNN last year, Combs apologized, saying, "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now."
In a court filing Tuesday, prosecutors complained that a prominent attorney — the father of one of the lawyers on Combs' legal team — had a long-standing relationship with Combs and seemed to be acting as an adviser to Combs and the defense team even as he spoke out about the case repeatedly on his podcast.
Prosecutors urged the judge to require the attorney to obey rules that require lawyers working on the case to limit their public comments.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 23:41:10+00:00
|
[
"Los Angeles",
"Plane crashes",
"Transportation",
"Peter C. Knudson",
"National Transportation Safety Board",
"Arman Hovakemian"
] |
# Small plane crashes into Los Angeles-area neighborhood, killing 2
May 3rd, 2025, 11:41 PM
---
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley on Saturday afternoon, killing two people and a dog aboard the aircraft and damaging two homes, authorities said.
Fire crews responded, and police cordoned off the streets, warning people to stay clear of the area. Smoke could be seen billowing from the roof of one home in the Wood Ranch section of the community, which lies nearly 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.
Wreckage could be seen between the two homes. The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that residents were inside at the time but said they evacuated with no reported injuries. Both homes sustained structural damage and were impacted by the fire, authorities said.
About 40 firefighters were on scene. With the flames out, they began working on salvage.
Officials initially reported one death. Later Saturday, the Simi Valley Police Department said the pilot, a passenger and a dog in the airplane died.
As of Sunday, authorities had not released any information about the occupants of the single-engine Van's RV-10, which is a popular home-built plane sold in kit form. They also did not say what might have caused the crash.
The plane crashed into the backyard and dining room of Arman Hovakemian's home. Hovakemian told the Los Angeles Times that he was doing yard work when he noticed the plane above, circling lower and lower in the hillside neighborhood.
He ran inside to get his wife, Armineh, and their Pomeranian dog, Koko, and they fled the property. A loud bang followed and the fuselage landed where he had been standing in the yard just moments before, he said.
"I'm numb. It hasn't sunk in yet," Hovakemian said Saturday as dozens of firefighters and police officers surrounded his home. "We're fortunate we were able to get out."
In security video recorded by a neighbor that was viewed by the Times, the plane can be heard circling the neighborhood for nearly three minutes and flying close to homes at points. In another video, the plane can be seen shooting straight up into the clouds then dropping down again.
An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board also was on the scene Saturday. NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson said once the wreckage of the plane is documented, it will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
Investigators also will be combing through the plane's maintenance records, weather forecasts, recordings of any air traffic control communications, witness statements, the pilot's background and any surveillance video that might have captured the aircraft.
In January another Van's RV-10 crashed into a warehouse in Fullerton, which is southeast of Los Angeles, while trying to make an emergency landing, killing the pilot and his teen daughter and injuring 19 people in the building. A preliminary report issued by the NTSB said that plane appeared to have had a door ajar during flight.
It will likely be weeks before the NTSB releases preliminary findings on the Simi Valley crash. A final report comes months later.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 20:13:53+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Mike Johnson",
"Hakeem Jeffries",
"Joe Biden",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Access to health care",
"California",
"Education costs",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Government programs",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Congress",
"Taxes",
"Government and politics",
"Asylum",
"Business",
"Legislation",
"Conservatism",
"Border security",
"Mexico",
"Politics"
] |
# What's inside Trump's 'beautiful' bill that spans over 1,000 pages
By Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro
May 15th, 2025, 08:13 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are advancing President Donald Trump's big bill of tax breaks, spending cuts and beefed-up border security as Speaker Mike Johnson attempts to pass the package over unified Democratic opposition by Memorial Day.
House committees have labored on the legislation, which runs a whopping 1,116 pages and is titled the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a nod to Trump himself.
Still, GOP divisions run high. Fiscal conservatives worry the bill doesn't cut Medicaid spending enough, while Republicans from competitive swing districts warn that they can't support a bill that would jeopardize access to health coverage and food assistance for constituents.
Democrats say they will fight what House party leader Hakeem Jeffries calls "this extreme and toxic bill."
Here's a look at what's in and out of the legislative package so far:
## Tax cuts for individuals and businesses
Central to the GOP package is more than $5 trillion in tax cuts, according to an estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation — costs that are partially offset by spending cuts elsewhere and other changes in the tax code.
Republicans look to make permanent the individual income tax cuts passed in Trump's first term, in 2017, plus enact promises he made on the 2024 campaign trail to not tax tips, overtime and interest on some auto loans.
To partially offset the lost revenue, Republicans propose repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden's presidency, helping to bring down the overall cost of the tax portion to about $3.8 trillion.
But lawmakers from New York, California and other high-tax states say the boost for state and local tax deductions, called SALT, is insufficient. As proposed, it rises from $10,000 to $30,000 for joint filers making less than $400,000 per year. They are pushing for more.
The bill also includes a temporary $2,000 boost to the standard deduction, bringing it to $32,000 for joint filers. And there is a temporary $500 increase in the child tax credit, bringing it to $2,500.
The estate tax exemption raises to $15 million.
Several of the provisions Trump touted on the campaign trail would be temporary, lasting roughly through his second term in office. The tax breaks for tips, overtime and car loan interest expire at the end of 2028. That's also the case for a $4,000 increase in the standard deduction for seniors.
## Parents and older Americans face work requirements for food assistance
House Republicans are looking to shift some of the costs of the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, known as SNAP, to the states.
States would shoulder 5% of benefit costs, beginning in fiscal 2028, and 75% of the administrative costs. Currently, states pay none of the benefit and half of the administration costs.
Republicans also are expanding the work requirements to receive food aid. Under current law, able-bodied adults without dependents must fulfill work requirements until they are 54, and that would change under the bill to age 64.
Also, some parents are currently exempt from work requirements until their children are 18; that would change so only those caring for a dependent child under the age of 7 are exempt.
At the same time, the legislation would invest $60 billion in new money for agriculture programs, sending aid to farmers.
## And new work requirements for Medicaid
A focal point of the package is nearly $800 billion in reduced spending in the Medicaid program.
To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new "community engagement requirements" of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. The new requirement would not kick in until Jan. 1, 2029, after Trump leaves office. People would also have to verify their eligibility for the program twice a year, rather than just once.
Republicans are looking to generate savings with new work requirements. But Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage.
An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by at least 7.6 million from the Medicaid changes, and possibly more with other changes to the Affordable Care Act.
Applicants could not qualify for Medicaid if they have a home that is valued at more than $1 million.
## No taxes on gun silencers, no money for Planned Parenthood and more
Republicans are also using the package to reward allies and disadvantage political foes.
The package would eliminate a $200 tax on gun silencers that has existed since Congress passed the National Firearms Act in 1934. The elimination of the tax is supported by the NRA.
The group Giffords, which works to reduce gun violence, said silencers make it more difficult to recognize the sound of gunfire and locate the source of gunshots, impairing the ability of law enforcement to respond to active shooters.
Republicans are also looking to prohibit Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion care. Democrats say defunding the organization would make it harder for millions of patients to get cancer screenings, pap tests and birth control.
And the bill would allow the Trump administration to remove the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that it says support terrorism. That will create what some nonprofits say is an arbitrary standard to financially punish charities that advocate for issues that don't align with Trump's agenda.
## 'MAGA' kids $1,000 savings accounts
"MAGA" is shorthand for Trump's signature line, "Make America Great Again." But in this case, it means "Money Accounts for Growth and Advancement."
For parents or guardians who open new "MAGA" accounts for their children, the federal government will contribute $1,000 for babies born between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2028.
Families could add $5,000 a year, with the account holders unable to take distributions before age 18. Then, they could access up to 50% of the money to pay for higher education, training and first-time home purchases. At age 30, account holders have access to the full balance of the account for any purpose.
## Funding for Trump's mass deportation operation
The legislation would provide $46.5 billion to revive construction of Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and more money for the deportation agenda.
There's $4 billion to hire an additional 3,000 new Border Patrol agents as well as 5,000 new customs officers, and $2.1 billion for signing and retention bonuses. There's also funds for 10,000 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and investigators.
It includes major changes to immigration policy, imposing a $1,000 fee on migrants seeking asylum — something the nation has never done, putting it on par with few others, including Australia and Iran.
Overall, the plan is to remove 1 million immigrants annually and house 100,000 people in detention centers.
## More money for the Pentagon and Trump's 'Golden Dome'
There's also nearly with $150 billion in new money for the Defense Department and national security.
It would provide $25 billion for Trump's "Golden Dome for America," a long-envisioned missile defense shield, $21 billion to restock the nation's ammunition arsenal, $34 billion to expand the naval fleet with more shipbuilding and some $5 billion for border security.
It also includes $9 billion for servicemember quality of life-related issues, including housing, health care and special pay.
## Tax on university endowments and overhaul of student loans
A wholesale revamping of the student loan program is key to the legislation, providing $330 billion in budget cuts and savings.
The proposal would replace all existing student loan repayment plans with just two: a standard option with monthly payments spread out over 10 to 25 years and a "repayment assistance" plan that is generally less generous than those it would replace.
Among other changes, the bill would repeal Biden-era regulations that made it easier for borrowers to get loans canceled if their colleges defrauded them or closed suddenly.
There would be a tax increase, up to 21%, on some university endowments.
## More drilling, mining on public lands
To generate revenue, one section would allow increased leasing of public lands for drilling, mining and logging while clearing the path for more development by speeding up government approvals.
Royalty rates paid by companies to extract oil, gas and coal would be cut, reversing Biden's attempts to curb fossil fuels to help address climate change.
In a last-minute add, Republicans also included a provision authorizing sales of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmentalists.
___
Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 10:17:49+00:00
|
[
"Thailand",
"Bangkok",
"Animal poaching and smuggling",
"Law enforcement",
"Endangered species",
"Climate and environment",
"Climate"
] |
# Thai police rescue 2 baby orangutans and arrest a trafficking suspect
May 16th, 2025, 10:17 AM
---
BANGKOK (AP) — Two baby orangutans have been rescued from being sold in Thailand's capital Bangkok and a suspected trafficker arrested, police said.
The orangutans were seized Wednesday night and the alleged courier for the seller was arrested at a gas station, police said. The suspect was charged with illegal possession of protected wildlife and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Police said orangutans generally sell for 300,000 baht ($9,000) each.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists orangutans as critically endangered, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) prohibits cross-border trade in the animals.
Orangutans are found only in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo, but their habitat is shrinking due to the growth of agricultural land, making them more vulnerable to poaching. Thailand over the past two decades has repatriated dozens of orangutans to Indonesia.
U.S. Immigration and Customs' Enforcement and Interpol, the international police organization, estimate the annual value of the illicit wildlife trade at $10 billion to $20 billion.
Police handed over the two orangutans to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for care and safekeeping.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-09 19:28:27+00:00
|
[
"James Foley",
"Alec Baldwin",
"Madonna",
"Movies",
"Comedy",
"Taylor Lomax",
"Gene Hackman",
"Bruce Willis",
"Celebrity deaths",
"New York City Wire",
"Notable Deaths",
"Hal Ashby",
"Sean Penn",
"Griffin Dunne",
"Tim Grierson",
"Adam Baldwin",
"Mark Wahlberg",
"Halle Berry",
"Chris Columbus",
"John Grisham",
"Daryl Hannah",
"Reese Witherspoon",
"Aidan Quinn",
"Entertainment",
"Jason Patric",
"David Mamet",
"Roger Ebert"
] |
# James Foley, 'Glengarry Glen Ross' director, dies at 71
By Lindsey Bahr
May 9th, 2025, 07:28 PM
---
James Foley, a journeyman director best known for "Glengarry Glen Ross," has died. He was 71.
He died earlier this week after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, his representative, Taylor Lomax, said Friday.
In his long and varied career, Foley directed Madonna music videos, 12 episodes of "House of Cards" and the two "Fifty Shades of Grey" sequels, but it was his 1992 adaptation of David Mamet's foulmouthed Pulitzer Prize winning play that stood above the rest. Although it wasn't a hit at the time, "Glengarry Glen Ross" wormed its way into the culture and grew into an oft-quoted cult favorite, especially Alec Baldwin's made-for-the-film "always be closing" monologue.
Critic Tim Grierson wrote 20 years after its release that it remains "one of the quintessential modern movies about masculinity." He added, "while there are many fine Mamet movies, it's interesting that the best of them was this one — the one he didn't direct."
Born on Dec. 28, 1953, in Brooklyn, Foley studied film in graduate school at the University of Southern California. Legend has it that Hal Ashby once wandered into a film school party where his short happened to be playing at the time and he took a liking to him. Foley would later attribute his ability to make his first feature, "Reckless," a 1984 romantic drama about mismatched teenagers in love starring Daryl Hannah, Aidan Quinn and Adam Baldwin, to the Ashby stamp of approval. It was also the first screenplay credited to Chris Columbus, though there were reports of creative differences.
He followed it with the Sean Penn crime drama "At Close Range," the Madonna and Griffin Dunne screwball comedy "Who's That Girl" and the neo-noir thriller "After Dark, My Sweet," with Jason Patric. Critic Roger Ebert included "After Dark, My Sweet" in his great movies list, calling it "one of the purest and most uncompromising of modern film noir" despite having been "almost forgotten."
He also directed several music videos for Madonna including "Papa Don't Preach," "Live to Tell," and "Who's That Girl," and an episode of "Twin Peaks."
Foley adapted John Grisham and worked with Gene Hackman on "The Chamber" and made the Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg teenage love-gone-scary thriller "Fear," as well as the largely derided Halle Berry and Bruce Willis psychological thriller "Perfect Stranger," which was released in 2007.
It would be a decade before his next film was released, when he was given the reigns to the "Fifty Shades of Grey" sequels, "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed."
"For me, what's most challenging is stuff that doesn't involve the actors, oddly enough — in three, there's a big car chase and there's different stunts and stuff and that stuff really bores me," he told The Associated Press at the UK premiere of "Fifty Shades Darker." "So when the actors aren't around, that's difficult because the actors give me so much energy and kind of engagement and a car driving by doesn't do the same thing."
Foley was not an easily definable director, but that was by design. In 2017, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he had no interest in repeating himself.
"I've always just followed my nose, for better or for worse, sometimes for worse," Foley said. "What's best and what's worst (about the industry) are almost the same to me. What's worst is you get pigeonholed and what's best is I haven't been. It means that I'm still making movies, despite hopping all over the place."
Foley is survived by his brother, Kevin Foley, and sisters Eileen and Jo Ann.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-06 11:19:02+00:00
|
[
"South Korea",
"Czech Republic",
"Environmental Defense Fund",
"Courts",
"Business",
"Nuclear power",
"Czech Republic government"
] |
# A Czech court blocks the signing of a deal with South Korea's KHNP to build 2 nuclear reactors
May 6th, 2025, 11:19 AM
---
PRAGUE (AP) — A court in the Czech Republic blocked on Tuesday the government from signing a deal with South Korea's KHNP to build at least two nuclear reactors in country.
KHNP won a lucrative public tender last year, beating a competing bid by France's EDF.
The two new reactors will be built at the existing Dukovany power plant in an effort for the country to wean itself off fossil fuels.
The contract between the dominant power company CEZ, where the Czech state has a majority stake, and the South Korean company was scheduled for Wednesday.
EDF challenged the signing of the deal at the regional court in the second largest Czech city of Brno on Friday after the Czech anti-monopoly office dismissed its complaint about the tender.
The court said that the deal could not be signed before it rules on the EDF case, because then there would be no way to change it even if the French company won.
It is not clear when that might happen.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he believed the tender was "correct and in line with law." CEZ said the Korean bid was the better one, and the tender was transparent and fair. EDF had no immediate comment.
The two new reactors will complement Dukovany's four 510-megawatt units that were completed in the 1980s. The government estimated they would each cost about 200 billion koruna ($9.1 billion).
The first new reactor is expected to become operational for a trial by 2036, the second about two years later.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-04 04:25:49+00:00
|
[
"Japan",
"China government",
"China",
"Japan government",
"Beijing",
"War and unrest",
"Politics"
] |
# Japan and China trade accusations of airspace violation near disputed islands
By Mari Yamaguchi
May 4th, 2025, 04:25 AM
---
TOKYO (AP) — Japan and China have accused each other of violating the airspace around the Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands, which Beijing also claims.
The latest territorial flap came as both appeared to have warmer ties while seeking to mitigate damages from the U.S. tariff war.
Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it lodged a "very severe protest" with Beijing after a Chinese helicopter took off from one of China's four coast guard boats, which had entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku islands. The helicopter violated Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes on Saturday, the ministry said.
The statement called the incident an "intrusion ... into Japan's territorial airspace" and urged the Chinese government to ensure preventive measures.
Japan's Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets in response, according to the Defense Ministry
China also protested to Tokyo over a Japanese civilian aircraft violating its airspace around the islands, saying it was "strongly dissatisfied" about Japan's "severe violation of China's sovereignty," according to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Japan late Saturday.
China Coast Guard said it "immediately took necessary control measures against it in accordance with the law" and dispatched a ship-borne helicopter to warn and drive away the Japanese aircraft.
Japanese officials are investigating a possible connection between the Chinese coast guard helicopter's airspace intrusion and the small Japanese civilian aircraft flying in the area around the same time.
China routinely sends coast guard vessels and aircraft into waters and airspace surrounding the islands, which China calls the Diaoyu, to harass Japanese vessels in the area, forcing Japan to quickly mobilize its jets.
Saturday's intrusion was the first by China since a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft violated the Japanese airspace off the southern prefecture of Nagasaki in August. Chinese aircraft have also violated the Japanese airspace around the Senkaku twice in the past.
___
This story corrects to say the contributor is in Bangkok, not Taipei.
___
Associated Press writer Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-13 18:42:21+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Sean Duffy",
"Kristi Noem",
"Lawsuits",
"Rhode Island",
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security",
"United States government",
"Legal proceedings",
"California",
"Colorado",
"Connecticut",
"Immigration",
"Government budgets",
"United States",
"Peter Neronha",
"Politics",
"Matthew Platkin",
"Tricia McLaughlin",
"Rob Bonta"
] |
# 20 Democratic attorneys general sue Trump administration over conditions placed on federal funds
By Kimberlee Kruesi
May 13th, 2025, 06:42 PM
---
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general filed two federal lawsuits on Tuesday, claiming that the Trump administration is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in transportation and disaster-relief funds unless states agree to certain immigration enforcement actions.
According to the complaints, both Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have threatened to cut off funding to states that refuse to comply with President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.
While no federal funding is currently being withheld, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday that the threat was "imminent."
"President Donald Trump can't use these funds as a bargaining chip as his way of ensuring states abide by his preferred policies," Bonta added.
Department of Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the lawsuit will not stop the Trump Administration from "restoring the rule of law."
"Cities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding. The President has been clear on that," she said.
Duffy said in a statement that the 20 states have filed the lawsuit because "their officials want to continue breaking federal law and putting the needs of illegal aliens above their own citizens."
Both lawsuits say that the Trump administration is violating the U.S. Constitution by trying to dictate federal spending when Congress has that power — not the executive branch.
On April 24, states received letters from the Department of Transportation stating that they must cooperate on immigration efforts and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs or risk losing funds.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin criticized the timing of Duffy's letter when Newark's airport struggles with radar outages and other issues.
"I wish the administration would stop playing politics with people's lives," Platkin said. "I wish Secretary Duffy would do his damn job, which is to make sure planes land on time, not to direct immigration enforcement."
Meanwhile, on Feb. 24, states received letters from the Department of Homeland Security declaring that states that "refuse to cooperate with, refuse to share information with, or even actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement reject these ideals and the history we share in common as Americans."
"If any government entity chooses to thumb its nose at the Department of Homeland Security's national security and public safety mission, it should not receive a single dollar of the Department's money unless Congress has specifically required it," Noem wrote in her letter.
Attorneys general behind the lawsuits include the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont.
The cases are being spearheaded by California and Illinois, but they were filed in federal court in Rhode Island, a detail that the attorneys general defended by saying they filed in "any court that is going to be fair and objective and consider our factual presentation and legal analysis."
The lawsuits are the latest legal actions that Democratic-led states have taken against Trump since he took office earlier this year. Bonta noted that California has filed more than 20 lawsuits against the administration, while Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said his state has launched more than a dozen.
While the lawsuits have challenged policies on tariffs, federal employee firings and health care research, Trump's focus on immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally have received the most attention.
This has included the president's promise to mass deport people and the start of a registry required for all those who are in the country illegally.
"What we're seeing is a creeping authoritarianism," Neronha said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 14:16:42+00:00
|
[
"Seville",
"Explosions",
"Accidents",
"Chemicals manufacturing",
"Industrial accidents",
"Business"
] |
# Explosion at chemical plant near Seville, Spain, triggers regional health alert
By Joseph Wilson
May 14th, 2025, 02:16 PM
---
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — An explosion at a chemical plant near the Spanish city of Seville on Wednesday sent a huge column of thick black smoke into the air and prompted authorities to warn residents to stay indoors.
Regional authorities for Andalusia reported two people were injured as a result of the blast. One plant worker suffered light burns and a firefighter felt ill, authorities said without giving more details.
It is the latest in a series of apparently unrelated incidents recently impacting Spain's infrastructure, including a nationwide power outage that also hit Portugal.
The fire prompted officials to send messages to the mobile phones of some 25,000 residents within a radius of three kilometers (1.8 miles) of the explosion recommending that they wear face masks or close their windows.
The explosion occurred midday in an industrial park in the municipality of Alcalá de Guadaíra, about 16 kilometers east of Seville's city center. Emergency services cleared personnel from the plant site.
Authorities have not said what chemicals were involved in explosion.
Spanish state broadcaster TVE and other media, including the local Diario de Sevilla newspaper, reported that the explosion occurred on the premises of Plainsur, a company that packages and distributes chemical products. The company occupies some 11,000 m2 at the industrial plant, including a large warehouse, according to its website.
It is the second fire at a chemical plant in Spain in recent days.
On Saturday, a fire at a chemical factory in northeastern Spain forced emergency services to issue health warnings to 150,000 residents and stay-indoors orders for five nearby towns.
On April 28, the massive power outage hit Spain and Portugal. Authorities are still investigating but have ruled out a cyber attack or sabotage.
That was followed by major train disruption between Madrid and Seville, caused by thieves who stole copper cabling from a trail line.
___
A previous version of this story included information from officials that they had issued warnings to the population of Alcalá de Guadaíra, which is home to 77,000 residents, before they later specified that the alerts reached 25,000 people.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 05:05:10+00:00
|
[
"Indigenous people",
"Homicide",
"Arizona",
"Crime",
"National",
"Erica Leno",
"Christina Castro",
"Amber Kanazbah Crotty",
"Emily Pike",
"Politics",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Darian Nevayaktewa",
"Donald Trump",
"Debra Haaland",
"North America",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Ashlynne Mike",
"Lisa Mulligan",
"Lynette Pino",
"Pamela Foster",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation",
"Matt York",
"Geraldine Toya",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Indigenous people rally for missing and murdered
By Michael Warren and Susan Montoya Bryan
May 5th, 2025, 05:05 AM
---
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Indigenous people across North America are calling this week for sustained responses to the violence in their communities, much of it against women and girls.
In prayer walks, self-defense classes, marches and speeches at state capitols, they are pushing for better cooperation among law enforcement agencies to find missing people and solve homicides that are among about 4,300 open FBI cases this year.
Some parents said they were using Monday's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day to make sure children understand what's at stake. Others — like Geraldine Toya of Jemez Pueblo, whose daughter Shawna was killed in 2021, and Lynette Pino of Tesuque Pueblo, whose son Darian Nevayaktewa disappeared in 2008 — showed up to demand answers and help other survivors.
"We'll keep pushing and I have faith we will find him and bring him home," said Erica Leno, Darian's cousin. "Using any and all resources, we will find him."
Many young women who covered their mouths with bright red handprints vowed to speak for those who have been silenced. Justice Department data show Indigenous women are more than twice as likely to be homicide victims than the national average. Among the latest: Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache teen who went missing from a group home in January. Her mother wasn't told for a week. Her remains were found months later.
## What 'the talk' means to Indigenous people
Lisa Mulligan, of the Forest County Potawatomi, carries the MMIP message when she rides her motorcycle from Wisconsin to rallies out West. She plans to give her two granddaughters "the talk" as they grow older, warning them that her father was killed and another relative was a victim of sex trafficking.
"That's why I ride for it," Milligan said. "I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
Christina Castro, of Taos Pueblo, has a 12-year-old daughter. Navajo Nation citizen Joylana Begay-Kroupa has a 10-year-old son. They too have shared anguished reality checks, hoping to protect their children and foster change.
"Indigenous people don't have the luxury about NOT talking to our daughters about violence against girls. I've had to talk with my daughter since birth about bodily autonomy," said Castro, who co-founded the advocacy organization 3 Sisters Collective in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The collective organized speeches at the New Mexico Capitol on Sunday and a showing of part of the documentary "She Cried That Day," about the 2015 unresolved death of Dione Thomas, a Navajo woman.
Self-defense classes are planned at the collective and at the Phoenix Indian Center, a social services hub for Indigenous people in Arizona's capital.
"I always go into auntie mode. You automatically want to protect your nieces and your nephews and your children," said Begay-Kroupa, the center's chief executive. "Unfortunately in Indigenous communities, we've seen this type of suffering occur over and over again."
She said she doesn't hold back information when speaking with her young son.
"We have relatives that have gone missing, and we just don't know where they're at," Begay-Kroupa said. "He wants to understand why, where'd they go and what happened to them."
Yaretzi Ortega, a 15-year-old from the Gila River Indian Community who wore the red handprint Saturday, said her parents tried to shelter her, but as she asked questions, she too got "the talk."
"People need to be aware at a young age because it could happen to them," Ortega said. "'The talk' is an acknowledgment of how Native American women and children have often been targeted. They have to be aware of the risks."
Indigenous men aren't immune. Donovan Paddock, who joined an awareness walk Friday in Scottsdale, Arizona, said two of his uncles were killed. His grandfather Layton Paddock Sr., a Navajo Code Talker, was found dead months after going missing in Winslow.
"My passion now is to help those that can't find their loved ones," Paddock said.
## Years of advocacy have produced slow results
Fully implementing Indigenous Alerts as part of state Amber Alert systems will require more resources and coordination with the 574 federally recognized tribes, Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty said.
Tribal alerts only recently became eligible for federal funding, and tribes had to lobby the Federal Communications Commission before Apple upgraded iPhones to accept them, Crotty said.
Pamela Foster, a Navajo Nation member, has advocated for better alerts since the delayed response to the 2016 kidnapping and murder of her daughter, Ashlynne Mike. Several years later, 76% of the tribes responding to a survey said they were participating, but some state alert coordinators said they still didn't even have tribal contact information.
The Trump administration in April announced a surge of FBI resources to 10 field offices to help the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Missing and Murdered Unit and tribal police prepare cases for prosecution.
The 2023 "Not One More" recommendations commissioned by Congress no longer appears on the Justice Department website, but still can be seen at the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. In it, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland noted over 84% of Native American men and women experience violence in their lifetimes.
___
Warren reported from Atlanta, Georgia. AP contributors include Matt York in Scottsdale, Arizona.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-15 18:22:17+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Travel",
"Government policy",
"Canada",
"United States government",
"Anxiety",
"District of Columbia",
"China",
"United States",
"Mental health",
"Global Business Travel Group",
"Inc.",
"Lifestyle",
"Jones Lang LaSalle",
"Middle East",
"Economic policy",
"Leslie Andrews",
"Business",
"Suzanne Neufang",
"Brett Sterenson",
"Kevin Haggarty"
] |
# US lost business travelers in April as economic anxiety and border detentions cooled demand
By Dee-Ann Durbin
May 15th, 2025, 06:22 PM
---
Business travel to the U.S. fell 9% in April as companies and workers grappled with economic uncertainty and anger over the Trump administration's tariffs and border policies.
The National Travel and Tourism Office released preliminary figures Thursday showing the number of airline and ship passengers who entered the country last month using business visas.
The Middle East was the only region that saw higher business travel to the U.S., with arrivals up 9.4% compared to April 2024. But that didn't make up for big losses from other regions; the number of business travelers from Western Europe fell 17.7%, for example.
The new government data didn't include people coming from Canada for business or who traveled by land from Mexico. Mexican arrivals by air for those holding business visas were down 11.8%, the government said.
And overall travel from Canada also fell in April. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian residents' return trips by air from the U.S. fell 20% in April, while return trips by car were down 35%.
Business travel to the U.S. held up better than leisure travel in the first quarter of the year. According to U.S. government data, more than 1.2 million travelers entered the U.S. using business visas in the January-March period, up 7% from the year before. The number of travelers using tourist visas fell 6%.
But that flipped in April, as the late Easter holiday likely encouraged more leisure travel. Travel to the U.S. by international travelers holding tourist visas was up 13.8% in April.
It's unclear if that trend will hold. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, said an analysis of online travel agency data indicated that advance bookings from Europe to 14 U.S. cities in June, July and August were down 12% from those same months last year.
Multiple U.S. airlines have pulled their financial forecasts for the year, citing uncertainty and weaker demand from lower-fare leisure travelers. Many industry experts think business travel to the U.S. will continue to decline in the coming months.
Leslie Andrews, the global travel leader for real estate company JLL and a board member at the Global Business Travel Association Foundation, said she thinks corporate travel to the U.S. will slow in the second and third quarters of the year as the full impact of economic and geopolitical volatility sets in.
"What I am hearing is, 'Things were good in the first quarter,' but in the second quarter it's a matter of, 'Must you take that trip?'" Andrews said. "They're pulling in the reins a bit to make sure only purposeful travel is happening as things grow and evolve."
BT4Europe, a business travel association, said companies are increasingly wary about unpredictable procedures to enter the U.S. and the risk of detention, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals or those who have voiced political opinions on social media.
Kevin Haggarty usually travels to the United States from Canada several times a year to attend trade shows in Atlanta or Las Vegas or to visit suppliers in Los Angeles. But his concerns about crossing the border will keep him from making those trips this year.
Haggarty, who owns a company that sells gifts and souvenirs, said Canadian retailers no longer want U.S.-made merchandise. His U.S. suppliers are struggling to stay afloat due to U.S. tariffs on products made in China. Above all, he's concerned about reports of international travelers being detained at the U.S. border.
"Honestly, my nervousness and reluctance to cross into the U.S. stems from that more than any hostility to the American market," said Haggarty, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Global Business Travel Association CEO Suzanne Neufang said a poll of more than 900 of the association's members last month showed nearly one-third expected a decline in global travel volumes this year.
Canadian members were the most pessimistic, with 71% saying they expect a decrease in travel this year, Neufang said.
"The uncertainty is unnerving for a business travel sector that likes to be safe and likes to be efficient," she said.
A drop-off in business trips would represent a setback for the U.S. travel industry and cities that host international conventions and trade shows. The $1.6 trillion global business travel sector was finally returning to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. business travel spending reached pre-COVID levels in 2023, Neufang said, while the rest of the world achieved that last year.
Brett Sterenson, the president of Hotel Lobbyists, a Washington firm that helps groups book hotels for meetings and conferences, said he was losing international business as some countries warn travelers not to visit the U.S.
U.S. government cuts are also hurting business, Sterenson said. He works with several groups that offer international exchange programs through the State Department. The programs welcome travelers from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and elsewhere and share best practices on things like energy policy and environmental stewardship, he said. But with funding cuts, that part of his business is down 75%.
"These exchanges were monumentally useful in spreading goodwill, but also in educating developing nations on good governance," Sterenson said.
Haggarty, in Canada, said he canceled a trip to a trade show in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and said several retailers he works with also pulled out. He's now looking to England, France, Spain and other markets for goods to sell.
"It's unfortunate. It's much easier to bring products to Canada from the U.S., but we're in a corner," he said. "I want people to know just how much damage this administration is doing to their relationships globally."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 23:07:41+00:00
|
[
"Alabama",
"Kay Ivey",
"Racism",
"Discrimination",
"Legislation",
"Utilities",
"Emily C. Marks",
"Lawsuits",
"Politics",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Government programs",
"Darrell OQuinn",
"Alabama state government",
"Randall Woodfin",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] |
# Alabama governor overhauls state's largest water utility amid cries of racial discrimination
By Safiyah Riddle
May 7th, 2025, 11:07 PM
---
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The city of Birmingham is one step closer to losing control over Alabama's largest water utility after the governor signed a bill on Wednesday that would give more power to neighboring suburbs, despite a pending federal lawsuit alleging the move would constitute racial discrimination.
The bill redistributes power from Birmingham city officials — who currently appoint a majority of the nine-person board — to the governor, the lieutenant governor and the surrounding four counties that are also in the board's jurisdiction. It also reduces the number of board members to seven. Board members approve rate hikes and manage infrastructure projects for the utility's 770,000 customers.
The state Senate voted unanimously to pass the bill, and the House of Representatives approved it along party lines.
"No doubt, this is an important issue to all those residents served by this utility board. The Alabama Legislature overwhelmingly passed SB330, and I was pleased to sign it into law," Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said in a written statement.
Proponents of the bill point to frequent rate hikes, old infrastructure and recent scandals. The legislation said that the power transfer will prevent catastrophic events that have happened in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, or Detroit, Michigan.
Opponents say that the restructured board wouldn't solve the utility's problems.
"This is a taking of power from the local rate payer by Republican politicians in Montgomery," Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement on Wednesday. "We have seen this same thing happen in other cities throughout the southeast. Your water and sewer bill will keep going up."
Five counties rely on the Birmingham Water Works Board. Over 40% of customers are concentrated in the city of Birmingham, and 91% are in Jefferson County. The new system would give more weight to Jefferson County's neighboring areas that have only a fraction of the customers, but which house some of the reservoirs that supply the system.
Woodfin and city council members filed a federal lawsuit against Ivey on Tuesday, alleging that the legislation "constitutes blatant racial discrimination" because it gives the majority-white suburbs disproportionate influence and takes power away from Birmingham, a majority-Black city where close to half of the utility's customers live.
Birmingham City Council President Darrell O'Quinn said that the decision exacerbates long-standing tensions in the region.
"Regardless of whether our efforts prevail, the worst, deep-seated fears of the citizens of the City of Birmingham about their suburban neighbors have been confirmed. Old wounds have been reopened. Years of progress have been destroyed," O'Quinn said.
U.S. Chief District Judge Emily C. Marks declined to temporarily block the bill from going into effect on Tuesday evening without first hearing oral arguments from either side. She set a hearing for May 15.
____
Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-20 12:06:46+00:00
|
[
"John Scopes",
"Tennessee",
"William Jennings Bryan",
"Kentucky",
"Pennsylvania",
"Louisiana",
"Branson",
"Floods",
"Ken Ham",
"Science",
"Lifestyle",
"Amusement parks",
"Education",
"Politics",
"Religion",
"Associated Press",
"Louisiana state government"
] |
# Takeaways from AP's report on creationist beliefs
By Peter Smith
May 20th, 2025, 12:06 PM
---
WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. (AP) — Some people thought the 1925 Scopes monkey trial marked a cultural defeat for biblical fundamentalism.
But a century after what was dubbed the Trial of the Century, the issue is far from settled. Many American adults still embrace creationism — a belief in the literal truth of the Genesis account of the origins of the Earth and humanity.
To be sure, Tennessee public schoolteacher John Scopes was convicted in 1925 for violating a state law against teaching human evolution. But it appeared to be a pyrrhic victory for creationists.
That's because the star of the prosecution team — populist politician William Jennings Bryan — faltered when he took the stand as an expert witness. He struggled to defend the Bible's miraculous and mysterious stories.
But creationist belief is resilient. Polls generally show that somewhere between 1 in 6 and 1 in 3 Americans hold beliefs consistent with young-Earth creationism, depending on how the question is asked.
That belief is most evident in a region of northern Kentucky that hosts a Creation Museum and a gargantuan replica of the biblical Noah's Ark. They draw a combined 1.5 million visits per year.
This trend alarms science educators, who say the evidence for evolution is overwhelming and see creationism as part of an anti-science movement affecting responses to serious problems like climate change.
## An ark in Kentucky
Ken Ham began speaking in support of creationism 50 years ago — halfway between the Scopes trial and today — as a young schoolteacher in Australia. He's expanded that work by founding Answers in Genesis, a vast enterprise that includes books, videos and homeschool curricula.
The organization opened the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, near Cincinnati, in 2007. Visitors are greeted with a diorama depicting children and dinosaurs interacting peacefully in the Garden of Eden — life-forms that scientists say are actually separated by tens of millions of years. The museum features an array of exhibits, some of them added in recent years, that argue for a literal interpretation of the biblical creation narrative.
Most dramatically, Answers in Genesis opened the Ark Encounter theme park in nearby Williamstown, Kentucky, in 2016. Its main attraction is the massive ark replica — "the biggest freestanding timber frame structure in the world," says Ham. It's 510 feet (155 meters) long, or one and a half football fields in length; 85 feet (26 meters) wide and 51 feet (16 meters) high.
Like the museum, the park includes numerous exhibits arguing for the plausibility of the ark — that Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives had the skill and means to sustain thousands of animals in their care. The park also includes theme-park attractions such as a zoo, zip lines and virtual-reality theater. Similar theaters are planned for tourist hubs Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.
"The main message of both attractions is basically this: The history in the Bible is true," Ham says. "That's why the message of the Gospel based on that history is true."
## Creationist beliefs
Core beliefs of Christian creationism include:
— God created the heavens and the Earth by fiat in six literal days, with humans as the crown of creation.
— The Earth is just a few thousand years old.
— Humans sinned, and that brought death and suffering into the world (and, ultimately, the necessity of salvation through Jesus Christ).
— God drowned almost all people and breathing animals in a global flood because of human wickedness. God spared Noah and his family, instructing him to build a large ark and bring aboard pairs of each animal kind to preserve them from extinction.
— The flood explains geological phenomena such as the Grand Canyon.
## Science educators' concerns
According to the vast, long-standing scientific consensus, the above biological and geological claims are absurd and completely lacking in evidence.
The consensus is that the Earth is billions of years old; that humans and other life forms evolved from earlier forms over millions of years; and that mountains, canyons and other geological features are due to millions of years of tectonic upheaval and erosion. A 2014 Pew Research Center poll found 98% of American scientists accept evolution.
"Evolution and the directly related concept of deep time are essential parts of science curricula," says the Geological Society of America.
Evolution is "one of the most securely established of scientific facts," says the National Academy of Sciences. The academy urges that public schools stick to the scientific consensus and that creationism is not a viable alternative. Creationists, it said, "reverse the scientific process" by beginning with an inflexible conclusion, rather than building evidence toward a conclusion.
## Courts of law — and public opinion
Creation and evolution may not be front-burner issues today, but the Scopes trial set a template for other culture-war battles over school books and gender policies. William Jennings Bryan's words from his era would sound familiar at a modern school board meeting: "Teachers in public schools must teach what the taxpayers desire taught."
The Scopes case involved the 1925 conviction of schoolteacher John Scopes in Dayton, Tennessee, for violating a state law against teaching in public schools "any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals."
Tennessee repealed that law in 1967, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that a similar Arkansas law was an unconstitutional promotion of religion. The high court in 1987 overturned a Louisiana law requiring creationism to be taught alongside evolution. A 2005 federal court ruling similarly forbade the Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania from presenting "intelligent design," as an alternative to evolution, saying it, too, was a religious teaching. Though distinct from young-Earth creationism, intelligent design argues that nature shows evidence of a designer.
A 2023-2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 17% of U.S. adults agreed that humans have existed in their present form since "the beginning of time."
A 2024 Gallup survey found that 37% agreed that "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so."
The differences may be due to the phrasing of the question and the circumstances of the survey.
Both surveys found that majorities of Americans believe humans evolved, and of that group, more believe God had a role in evolution than that it happened without divine intervention.
Catholics and many Protestants and other religious groups accept all or parts of evolutionary theory.
But many conservative evangelical denominations, schools and other institutions promote young-Earth creationist beliefs.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-02 10:56:34+00:00
|
[
"Chevron Corp.",
"Exxon Mobil Corp.",
"Darren Woods",
"Utilities",
"OPEC",
"Financial markets",
"Economic policy",
"BP Plc",
"Business",
"Government policy"
] |
# Profits at American oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron fall in tandem with waning energy demand
By Michelle Chapman
May 2nd, 2025, 10:56 AM
---
Exxon Mobil's first quarter profit slumped to the lowest level in years, stung by weaker crude prices and higher costs.
The oil and gas giant earned $7.71 billion, or $1.76 per share, for the three months ended March 31. It earned $8.22 billion, or $2.06 per share, in the year-ago period.
The results topped Wall Street expectations, but Exxon does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales. Analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected earnings of $1.74 per share.
Revenue totaled $83.13 billion, which fell short of the $84.15 billion that analysts were calling for.
Chevron also reported its lowest first-quarter profits in years, with per-share adjusted profit falling to $2.18 per share on revenue of $47.61 billion. Similar to Exxon, Chevron does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales. Analysts predicted earnings of $2.15 per share on revenue of $48.66 billion.
The last time first-quarter profits were this low for Exxon was in 2022 and for Chevron, in 2021.
This week, a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude fell below $60, a level at which many producers can no longer turn a profit.
"In this uncertain market, our shareholders can be confident in knowing that we're built for this," Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said in a statement Friday. "The work we've done to transform our company over the past eight years positions us to excel in any environment."
U.S. benchmark crude is down 18% this year and Brent, the international benchmark, is right about there as well. This week, BP and Shell also reported falling first quarter profits.
Oil prices plummeted last month, at one point sinking to a four-year low in anticipation of slowing economic growth due to a burgeoning trade war.
U.S. crude and Brent fell again Friday by more than 1%. A barrel of U.S. crude now costs $58.30, down almost 30% from this time last year.
Trump announced far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty for both U.S. consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years.
Tariffs on steel and other materials, used for everything from tools to drilling and storage, can have an outsized impact on oil companies and amplify the detrimental effect of falling oil and gas prices.
Those falling oil prices signal pessimism about economic growth and can be a harbinger of a recession as manufacturers cut production, businesses cut travel costs and families rethink vacation plans.
And there appears to be little appetite for turn off the spigots by some of the world's largest producers.
In December eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries signaled they would not cut production as they compete with production from non-allied oil producing countries.
The OPEC+ members decided at the time to postpone production increases that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The plan had been to start gradually restoring 2.2 million barrels per day over the course of 2025.
That process was pushed back to April 1 and production increases will gradually take place over 18 months until October 2026.
Shares of Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP fell after the opening bell, while Shell rose.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 08:00:45+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Emmanuel Macron",
"Friedrich Merz",
"Germany",
"Europe",
"Donald Tusk",
"Germany government",
"France",
"European Union",
"Vladimir Putin",
"Ukraine",
"War and unrest",
"France government",
"Politics",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Poland government",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Asylum",
"Adolf Hitler",
"Political refugees",
"Business"
] |
# Merz stresses European unity and defense during his first trip as German chancellor
By Stefanie Dazio, John Leicester, and Kirsten Grieshaber
May 7th, 2025, 08:00 AM
---
BERLIN (AP) — Friedrich Merz plunged straight into international crises on his first full day as Germany's new chancellor Wednesday, presenting a united front with France against U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, demanding more aid for Gaza and announcing he soon would visit Ukraine.
Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron — firm believers in the European Union and leaders of the continent's largest economies — used their first meeting since the German leader's appointment Tuesday to show unity on Ukraine and other issues causing alarm in Europe. They vowed to strengthen the continent's security and increase defense spending.
The tandem of Germany and France has long underpinned the 27-nation bloc, but lost some of its vigor in recent months as leaders in both countries wrestled with domestic issues.
In a joint news conference, Merz acknowledged that Europe still needs the U.S. for peace in Ukraine. "It is our firm conviction that we cannot end this war in Ukraine without further political and military engagement by the United States of America," he said. "The Europeans cannot replace this at present."
Both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been exerting pressure on the EU, forcing it to rethink its own security. It was not clear when Merz would visit Ukraine.
Macron said that France and Germany will "accelerate" defense cooperation, including jointly developing new defense technologies "necessary for the wars of tomorrow." He listed working together on tanks, long-range missiles and combat aircraft. He also said that the countries would start regular meetings of a French-German defense council.
Merz also visited Poland on Wednesday and addressed his new government's plans to station more police at Germany's border to curb illegal migration and even turn away some asylum-seekers.
"If we, everybody together in the European Union, give the signal to those who are setting out for Europe without valid opportunities for entry, if we give this signal especially to the traffickers, that these routes are going to get a lot more difficult and that we are going to close them, then that is a joint and good signal," Merz said during a joint news conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
## Demanding aid for Gaza
Merz and Macron also demanded that Israel allow humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. Israel cut off all aid to the territory over two months ago to try to pressure the Hamas militant group.
Israel is preparing to ramp up its campaign against Hamas in a devastating war now entering its 20th month. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel's offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.
Merz urged Israel to be "more responsible" — striking comments given Germany's past and present support for Israel.
Macron said that France couldn't, on the one hand, defend Ukrainians' sovereign and territorial rights while ignoring the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, saying: "We cannot have double standards."
Both men sought stability between India and Pakistan, saying they view the latest exchange of fire "between these two nuclear powers with the utmost concern."
India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory early Wednesday, killing at least 31 people in what Pakistan's leader called an act of war. India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month's massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.
## Merz's historic defeat
The German leader's trip to Paris came the day after his historic defeat in the first round of voting in the German parliament. No other postwar candidate for chancellor has failed to win on the first ballot. He won in the second.
Traditionally, newly elected chancellors make a point of visiting their big neighbors in the west and east on the first day in office to stress European unity.
Merz's Paris stop showed that the new chancellor was plunging into world affairs, sending a message that Germany is back after his predecessor's more timid approach. Macron touted their meeting as "a new page" in the French-German partnership.
In particular, France is looking for German backing for increased EU defense spending in the face of Russia's threat as well as concerns that Trump is pivoting from its post-World War II relationship with Europe to focus on countering China.
The French president also said France and Germany would "act hand in hand" in the face of Trump's tariffs and work for "a united European response and a balanced outcome that respects our interests."
## 80th anniversary of World War II
The stops in Paris and Warsaw occurred on the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender in World War II. The meeting with Macron was particularly loaded with symbolism for the two countries that were bitter enemies in World War I and II.
The first war ended with an armistice agreement signed in a railway car north of Paris. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler then used that railway car in accepting France's capitulation in 1940, after its defenses succumbed to the German invasion.
"German-French friendship is a gift, a gift of forgiveness and reconciliation, especially for us Germans," Merz said.
Poland's leader re-affirmed his support for a strengthened European defense, which would include a stronger German military.
"It is not easy, considering history, to say out loud, as a Polish prime minister, that I would very much like Germany to arm itself faster and more intensively," Tusk said. "Armed Germany in Poland is not a popular slogan, but fortunately today we live in times when there is a different Germany, a different Poland, different threats."
___
Leicester reported from Paris. Philipp Jenne in Vienna and Rafal Niedzielski in Warsaw, Poland, contributed.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-19 15:34:58+00:00
|
[
"Josh Hawley",
"Kentucky",
"London",
"Natural disasters",
"Tornadoes",
"Weather",
"Texas",
"Storms",
"Oklahoma",
"Government programs",
"Lonnie Nantz",
"Ashley Taylor",
"Randall Weddle",
"Scott Kleebauer",
"Climate and environment",
"Halsey",
"David Richardson",
"Cara Spencer",
"Leslie Leatherman",
"Climate"
] |
# Severe weather pummels central US as thousands recover from deadly tornadoes
By Bruce Schreiner
May 19th, 2025, 03:34 PM
---
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — More tornadoes plowed through the central U.S. on Monday, ripping apart buildings and knocking out power as people from Texas to Kentucky continued to clean up from days of severe weather that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings.
At least four tornadoes were confirmed in Oklahoma and Nebraska on Monday evening, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service.
Across Oklahoma, at least 10 homes were destroyed and multiple buildings were damaged, including a fire station that was wiped out, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. A spokesperson for the agency said they have not received any reports of injuries or deaths.
Around 115,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, according to PowerOutage.us.
Parts of several highways were also closed due to flooding or storm damage.
In northwest Arkansas, severe weather caused a Halsey concert to be canceled and a municipal airport had to close temporarily Monday night so crews could remove debris from the field. And in Oklahoma, Tulsa Public Schools canceled all afterschool activities.
Northern Texas saw softball-sized hail measuring 4 1/2 inches (11.4 centimeters) in diameter, according to Scott Kleebauer, a meteorologist with the service's Weather Prediction Center.
## Missouri and Kentucky clean up
Earlier Monday in St. Louis, where officials estimated a Friday tornado damaged 5,000 buildings and may cost well over $1 billion, the mayor warned that federal assistance could take weeks.
Kentucky has been hardest hit by the storms. A devastating tornado late Friday into early Saturday damaged hundreds of homes, tossed vehicles and killed at least 19 people, most of them in southeastern Laurel County.
In London, Kentucky, where the devastation was centered, the small airport became a beehive of cleanup work after it took a direct hit from a tornado. Small aircraft stored there had large dents in them and even wings ripped open. Officials were using it as a base to get water, food, diapers and other supplies out to the community.
"We have 1,001 things going on. But we're managing it. And we're going to get it all cleaned up," said London Mayor Randall Weddle.
Officials in Kansas and Texas also were evaluating damage from late Sunday storms.
The risk of severe storms moves into Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee on Tuesday, the weather service said.
## Kentucky hit hard
The Kentucky storms that killed 19 people were part of a weather system that caused seven deaths in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said.
Lonnie Nantz hid in a hallway with his wife, two daughters and a grandson as the one-story brick home they bought near London in 1977 was destroyed around them. They were trapped in rubble for about 20 minutes in the midnight darkness before they were rescued unharmed.
"I don't know why this happened. I've tried to live a good life all my life. I've still got the faith," said the 77-year-old Nantz, who went to church as always on Sunday.
London city worker Ashley Taylor was back on the job Monday loading doughnuts to take to a hospital and dispatch center even though there was a tarp on her roof. She was lucky — the houses across her street were destroyed late Friday night.
She survived the storm with nine other people and three dogs in the crawl space of a neighbor's home.
"We prayed like never before — and just thankful for everything God did for us," Taylor said.
In surrounding Laurel County, first responders mourned one of their own.
Fellow firefighters found the body of Laurel County Fire Major Leslie Leatherman on top of a woman he was shielding from the storm's fury as he answered calls during the worst of the storm. The woman was yelling for help and they were in a field across from a destroyed subdivision.
The injured woman turned out to be Leatherman's wife and officials aren't sure if he knew who he was protecting in the darkness and chaos, the fire department said on social media.
## St. Louis waits for FEMA
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected by an EF3 tornado with winds up to 150 mph (240 kph) that slammed areas north and west of downtown Friday. Spencer has estimated that damages will exceed $1.6 billion.
"Eight miles of pure destruction, at times a mile wide," Spencer said at a Monday news conference. "We're talking about thousands of buildings, thousands of families are being displaced."
The city is awaiting a disaster declaration from the governor's office as a first step to getting federal assistance.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, expressed frustration over the federal response to a deadly March storm.
"I'm not happy about the fact we're still waiting from all of that damage two months ago," Hawley said.
Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Chief David Richardson said last week he plans to shift responsibility for disaster recovery to states this year as part of an agencywide transformation and that FEMA would coordinate federal assistance "when deemed necessary."
Spencer said during a news conference Monday evening that emergency protocols put in place in 2021 were not followed, possibly preventing sirens being activated to warn residents about the tornado.
She said it was not clear whose responsibility it was to let the community know about the emergency but that the fire department will do so moving forward.
In Texas, several tornadoes touched down west of Fort Worth on Sunday, including an EF1 with peak winds of 105 mph (169 kph) that caused damage in and around Gordon, the weather service said Monday.
___
This story has been updated to correct that Wilburton is in Oklahoma, not Texas.
___
See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here.
___
Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; Hallie Golden in Seattle and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 17:31:26+00:00
|
[
"Uruguay",
"Politics",
"Jose Mujica",
"Funerals and memorial services",
"Photography"
] |
# funeral of Uruguay President Jose Mujica
May 14th, 2025, 05:31 PM
---
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Mourners wept, raised their arms and marched behind the flag-draped casket of former President José Mujica on Wednesday as thousands bid a poignant farewell to the iconic leader in the Uruguayan capital.
Mujica, a guerrilla-turned-president who was a champion of the Latin American left, died on Tuesday.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 12:14:05+00:00
|
[
"Manila",
"Philippines",
"Automotive accidents",
"Accidents",
"Business"
] |
# 10 killed in Philippines when passenger bus slams into vehicles at a toll booth
May 1st, 2025, 12:14 PM
---
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A speeding passenger bus slammed into a row of vehicles lined up at a highway toll booth Thursday in the northern Philippines, killing 10 people, including children, police said.
More than two dozen others were injured in the multiple-vehicle collision in Tarlac city, north of Manila, at a heavy travel time on May Day holiday, police said.
The bus driver, who was among the injured, was taken into custody and initially told investigators that he dozed off shortly before the crash, Tarlac police chief Lt. Col. Romel Santos told reporters.
The bus crashed into a van, which was lined up with three other vehicles at the toll booth. Eight of the dead, including children, were in the van, which was pinned between the wayward bus from behind and another car in front, police said.
A couple died in a car in the collisions that happened around midday in the scorching summer heat, police said, adding that many of the injured were bus passengers.
Vehicular accidents are common in the Philippines because of poor enforcement of safety and traffic regulations, faulty vehicles and reckless driving.
___
This story corrects the death toll according to police.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 20:55:49+00:00
|
[
"McDonalds Corp.",
"Columbus",
"Hospitality and leisure industry",
"Lori Chavez DeRemer",
"Labor",
"Jobs and careers",
"Business",
"Chicago",
"National Restaurant Association",
"Ohio",
"Donald Trump",
"Joe Erlinger"
] |
# McDonald's plans to hire 375,000 U.S. workers this summer
By Dee-Ann Durbin
May 12th, 2025, 08:55 PM
---
McDonald's said Monday it plans to hire up to 375,000 U.S. restaurant employees this summer, its biggest hiring push in years.
The Chicago burger giant said the beefed-up job openings at both company-owned and franchised stores are partly due to a U.S. expansion. The company, which has more than 13,500 restaurants in the U.S., plans to open 900 more by 2027.
U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joined McDonald's U.S. President Joe Erlinger at a McDonald's restaurant near Columbus, Ohio, for the hiring announcement.
"McDonald's is sparking a ripple effect of prosperity for our workers, communities and the economy," DeRemer said. "By expanding their workforce, the corporation will be driving investment and setting the standard for industry growth, whether as a launch pad for a different career or as a ladder for internal achievements."
McDonald's stressed that the new hires will be for permanent positions. But that doesn't mean the company expects its U.S. workforce to exceed 1.1 million people by the end of the summer. The hiring takes into account that there are always a lot of workers coming and going at McDonald's.
McDonald's said its last big summer hiring spree came in 2020, when it announced plans to add 260,000 workers. At the time, the company was reopening restaurants that were closed in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its decision to staff up for this summer signals optimism that U.S. restaurant traffic will improve as the year unfolds.
In the January-March period, McDonald's U.S. same-store sales — or sales at locations open at least a year — slumped 3.6%. That was the biggest U.S. decline McDonald's has seen since the pandemic shuttered stores, restaurants, schools and other public spaces in 2020.
McDonald's said lower- and middle-income consumers, worried about inflation and the economic outlook, cut back on fast food during the January-March period.
But other restaurant operators seem to share its optimism. U.S. restaurants and bars added more than 46,000 jobs in March and April, according to the National Restaurant Association. Chipotle said in February that it hoped to hire 20,000 workers.
Overall hiring also continues to be strong. American employers added 177,000 jobs in April as the job market showed resilience despite the uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's trade wars.
McDonald's also used Monday's event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Archways to Opportunity program, which has given tuition assistance, English lessons and career services to more than 90,000 employees. McDonald's said the program has doled out $240 million in tuition assistance alone.
Anamaria Monterroso, an eight-year veteran at McDonald's, said Archways to Opportunity will help her become of the first member of her family to graduate from college. Monterroso is currently working toward her degree in human resources at Colorado Technical University.
"Just because you work in fast food doesn't mean your dreams end there," Monterroso said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 14:51:05+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Immigration",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Chicago",
"Kristi Noem",
"Government and politics",
"Mark Krikorian",
"Aaron Reichlen-Melnick",
"Honduras",
"Politics"
] |
# Trump says US will pay immigrants in country illegally $1,000 to leave
By Rebecca Santana
May 5th, 2025, 02:51 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pushing forward with its mass deportation agenda, President Donald Trump's administration said Monday that it would pay $1,000 to immigrants who are in the United States illegally and return to their home country voluntarily.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release that it would also pay for travel assistance — and that people who use an app called CBP Home to tell the government they plan to return home will be "deprioritized" for detention and removal by immigration enforcement.
"If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest," Secretary Kristi Noem said. "DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App."
The department said it had already paid for a plane ticket for one migrant to return home to Honduras from Chicago and said more tickets have been booked for this week and next.
## It's a major part of Trump's administration
Trump made immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally a centerpiece of his campaign, and he is following through during the first months of his administration. But it is a costly, resource-intensive endeavor.
While the Republican administration is asking Congress for a massive increase in resources for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department responsible for removing people from the country, it's also pushing people in the country illegally to "self-deport."
It has coupled this self-deportation push with television ads threatening action against people in the U.S. illegally and social media images showing immigration enforcement arrests and migrants being sent to a prison in El Salvador.
The Trump administration has often portrayed self-deportation as a way for migrants to preserve their ability to return to the United States someday, and the president himself suggested it on Monday while speaking to reporters at the White House. He said immigrants who "self-deport" and leave the U.S. might have a chance to return legally eventually "if they're good people" and "love our country."
"And if they aren't, they won't," Trump said.
But Aaron Reichlen-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, which advocates for immigrants, said there's a lot for migrants to be cautious about in the latest offer from Homeland Security.
He said it's often worse for people to leave the country and not fight their case in immigration court, especially if they're already in removal proceedings. He said if migrants are in removal proceedings and don't show up in court they can automatically get a deportation order and leaving the country usually counts as abandoning many applications for relief including asylum applications.
## It can be an intricate process
And Homeland Security is not indicating that it is closely coordinating with the immigration courts so that there are no repercussions for people in immigration court if they leave, he said.
"People's immigration status is not as simple as this makes it out to be," Reichlen-Melnick said.
He questioned where Homeland Security would get the money and the authorization to make the payments — and he suggested they are necessary because the administration can't arrest and remove as many people as it has promised so it has to encourage people to do it on their own.
"They're not getting their numbers," he said.
As part of its self-deportation effort, the Trump administration has transformed an app that had been used by the Biden administration to allow nearly 1 million migrants to schedule appointments to enter the country into a tool to help migrants return home. Under the Biden administration, it was called CBP One; now it's dubbed CBP Home.
Homeland Security said "thousands" of migrants have used the app to self-deport.
But Mark Krikorian, who heads the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration, said he doesn't see the offer of paying people to go home as an admission that something in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement agenda isn't working.
Considering the millions of people who are in the country illegally, he said, it's impossible to deport all of them so the administration has to combine its own enforcement efforts with encouraging people to go home voluntarily.
Krikorian said he supports the idea of paying migrants to leave although he questioned how it would work in reality.
"How do you make sure that they've actually gone home? Do you make them sign an agreement where they agree not to challenge their removal if they were to come back?" he questioned. "The execution matters, but the concept is sound."
## This has been tried before
Other countries have tried various iterations of paying migrants to return home.
There's a reason it's attractive to governments wanting to encourage migrants to go. It costs less to buy someone a plane ticket and some incentive money than it does to pay to find them, detain them if necessary, wait for the courts to rule on their case and then send them home.
The Department of Homeland Security said that it costs $17,121 to arrest, detain and remove someone in the U.S. illegally.
Voluntary returns also don't require extensive government-to-government negotiations to get a country to take back its citizens, which can be a major benefit. There are a number of countries that either don't take back their own citizens who are being returned by U.S. immigration enforcement officials or make that process challenging.
A 2011 study by the Migration Policy Institute and the European University Institute found that there were about 128 programs — often referred to as pay-to-go programs — around the world.
But the study found that, with a few exceptions such as one program to return people in the 1990s from Germany to Bosnia, these voluntary return programs generally failed at encouraging large numbers of people to go home.
It is not clear whether these programs resulted in migrants who took the payments actually staying in their home countries and not trying to emigrate again.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-04 20:52:58+00:00
|
[
"Peru",
"Crime",
"Kidnapping",
"Lima",
"Organized crime",
"Law enforcement",
"Mining accidents"
] |
# 13 workers kidnapped from a Peruvian gold mine are found dead
May 4th, 2025, 08:52 PM
---
LIMA, Peru (AP) — The bodies of 13 security guards kidnapped from a major Peruvian gold mine just over a week ago were found Sunday, Peru's Interior Ministry said, their deaths coming as violence escalates in the Andean nation's crucial mining industry.
The gold mine, La Poderosa, said that a search-and-rescue team recovered the staff members' remains i the mine on Sunday. The company blamed their abduction on informal miners allegedly linked to criminal gangs that ambushed the gold mine on April 26.
Peru's Interior Ministry said it had deployed special police forces to "locate and capture those responsible for these heinous crimes." It did not give further details about the attack or its perpetrators.
La Poderosa, a private firm based in Peru's capital of Lima, said that criminal groups fighting for control of the mine in Peru's remote northwestern city of Pataz have killed 39 of the company's workers since it began operating there in 1980, including the latest 13.
In a particularly brazen incident in December 2023, illegal miners attacked the same Poderosa mine with explosives, killing nine people and wounding 15. La Poderosa sent in more security guards in response to the string of attacks.
A major gold and copper supplier for the world, Peru is unique in allowing informal miners to operate with some protections as long as they plan to legalize their operations. But illegal mining quickly boomed into a vast industry as the metals became increasingly lucrative, new mining techniques emerged and the government struggled to mount a response.
With much of Peru awash in a wave of crime that prompted the government to declare a state of emergency last month, reports of extortion from artisanal miners and entrepreneurs in the country's northern mining area have surged in recent months.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-18 15:52:41+00:00
|
[
"France",
"Netherlands",
"Italy",
"Saudi Arabia",
"Business",
"Spain"
] |
# Flights reduced by 40% at Paris-Orly airport after traffic control systems break down
May 18th, 2025, 03:52 PM
---
PARIS (AP) — France's civil aviation authority asked airlines to reduce flights by 40% at Paris-Orly airport on Sunday evening after air traffic control systems suffered a breakdown.
The authority, known as DGAC, said in a statement that some "regulation" was needed involving a significant reduction in the number of flights. The statement didn't provide details on the cause of the breakdown.
DGAC said its teams "are fully mobilized to restore normal operations as soon as possible."
Paris-Orly airport serves domestic and international flights, including to most European countries and the U.S.
Flights to Spain, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland and several French cities were canceled on Sunday while many others were delayed.
More than 33 million passengers traveled through Paris-Orly airport last year, about half the number at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, according to figures released by the operator Aeroport de Paris.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-12 20:30:30+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Iran",
"Marco Rubio",
"Narendra Modi",
"Vladimir Putin",
"Steve Witkoff",
"Bashar Assad",
"District of Columbia",
"Syria",
"Damascus",
"Middle East",
"Syria government",
"United States government",
"Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud",
"Terrorism",
"Edan Alexander",
"Kaja Kallas",
"Hamas",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"Iran government",
"Ahmed Al-Sharaa",
"Abbas Araghchi",
"War and unrest",
"Diplomacy",
"Politics",
"Recep Tayyip Erdogan",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"India government"
] |
# Trump starts his foreign trip with a crush of problems — and outsized certainty he has the answers
By Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville
May 12th, 2025, 08:30 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump set out on a three-nation visit to the Middle East on Monday, a trip he had originally intended to use to focus on his efforts to press wealthy Gulf nations to pour billions in new investment into the United States.
But now Trump finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises — and searching for glimmers of hope in the deep well of global turmoil — that are casting greater import on the first extended overseas trip of his second term.
"This world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago," Trump crowed to reporters as he sized up the foreign policy challenges he's facing as he heads to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. "And a lot safer than it was six months ago."
The president was brimming with an overabundance of confidence about some of the world's most intractable problems, from tensions in South Asia to the future of sanctions in Syria to the war in Ukraine.
But behind closed doors, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani, and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed will be looking to get a read on how Trump intends to push ahead on resolving the war in Gaza, dealing with Iran's rapidly progressing nuclear program and addressing India-Pakistan tensions.
And after weeks of threats and cajoling, it remains to be seen if Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will listen to Trump, who is demanding they meet in Istanbul this week to discuss ending Russia's war on Ukraine.
Trump, for his part, projected confidence that the meeting will happen and even seemed somewhat optimistic that the end to the conflict is near. He floated the idea of making a detour from his itinerary to visit Turkey if he thinks his presence would be constructive.
"I was thinking about flying over. I don't know where I am going be on Thursday," Trump said. "I've got so many meetings. … There's a possibility there, I guess, if I think things can happen."
But Ukraine's allies remained deeply skeptical Monday about prospects for talks and whether Putin was serious about peace.
"If there is no ceasefire, there cannot be talks under fire," European Union commission vice president Kaja Kallas told reporters at a meeting on Ukraine in London. "We want to see that Russia also wants peace. It takes two to want peace, it takes only one to want war, and we see that Russia clearly wants war."
## Trump sees opening in Gaza
Just as Trump was preparing to depart Washington for the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, was released.
Trump and administration officials framed the moment — a goodwill gesture toward Trump by Hamas — as a chance to get foundering peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas back on track.
"This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved one," Trump posted on social media after Hamas extended the offer Sunday. "Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict."
While Trump pumped up Alexander's release as a potential turning point, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was far more subdued. Israel, notably, has not stepped back from plans to expand its war in Gaza.
Netanyahu's office, in a statement Monday, underscored it had "not committed to a ceasefire of any kind or the release of terrorists" in exchange for Alexander.
"The negotiations will continue under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting," the prime minister's office statement said.
## Trump takes a different tone on Syria
As he prepared to leave Washington, Trump also said he's weighing removing sanctions on the Syrian government. It's an issue that's top of mind for the three Gulf leaders, who have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow through.
"We may want to take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start," said Trump, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged him to do so.
The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump, who has been deeply skeptical of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Al-Sharaa took power after his Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led an offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad in December.
The Trump administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad also remain in place.
## Cajoling India and Pakistan with trade
Trump also took credit for his administration keeping India and Pakistan from returning to a state of all-out war amid the deadliest fighting in six years between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The president said he and aides were ultimately able to talk sense to India and Pakistan's leadership and guide them away from further escalation by dangling carrots, while also threatening both nations with sticks.
"I said, 'Come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys,'" Trump said. "'If you stop it, we'll do trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade.' People never use trade the way I used it."
The situation remains tenuous. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that his country has only "paused" its military action and will "retaliate on its own terms" if there is any future terror attack on the country.
## Big differences remain in Iran nuclear talks
The president will arrive in the region after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held the fourth round of nuclear talks Sunday in Oman with Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
As the talks continue, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages about what nuclear work Iran would be allowed to do under a potential deal.
Senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have said that Tehran would be required to import enriched material to run nuclear reactors for civilian purposes. Trump, however, said last week that his administration hasn't made a decision on the issue.
It's also unclear if Trump will insist that Tehran give up support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi militants in Yemen as part of any nuclear deal.
Whatever his negotiating frame may be, Trump seemed confident that Iran is engaging rationally, and that he will cement a deal soon.
"You can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said of his demand for Iran. "But I think that they are talking intelligently."
However, the two sides still appear a long way from any deal, even as time passes on a two-month deadline imposed by Trump.
___
Madhani reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP writer Jill Lawless contributed from London.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-07 21:50:42+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Kash Patel",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation",
"Government budgets",
"Rosa DeLauro",
"United States government",
"District of Columbia",
"United States",
"Politics",
"Violence",
"Madeleine Dean"
] |
# Kash Patel says FBI needs more funding than what Trump budget bill calls for
By Eric Tucker
May 7th, 2025, 09:50 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel broke with the Trump administration Wednesday over a budget proposal that would dramatically slash funding for the bureau, telling lawmakers, "We need more than what has been proposed."
The 2026 budget proposal released on Friday calls for a funding cut of more than $500 million for the FBI as part of what the White House said was a desire to "reform and streamline" the bureau and reduce "non-law enforcement missions that do not align" with the priorities of President Donald Trump. Patel warned that such a cut would be harmful for the FBI as it reorients priorities to focus on violent crime.
Asked to specify at a House Appropriations subcommittee which positions would need to be cut if the funding reduction was implemented, Patel replied: "At this time, we have not looked at who to cut. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut by coming in here and highlighting to you that we can't do the mission on those 2011 budget levels."
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, pressed Patel for details, saying, "This is your budget. You have to have some idea of what you want to fund or not fund, or where you can cut or not cut, and provide that information" to the Office of Management and Budget.
"That's the proposed budget — not by the FBI," Patel replied. "The proposed budget that I put forward is to cover us for for $11.1 billion, which would not have us cut any positions."
Patel also defended the FBI's plan to relocate about 1,000 FBI employees from the Washington area to cities around the country, one of the first initiatives he revealed upon being sworn in as director in February.
"Part of the process is not just putting people out sporadically, throwing darts on the map. What we've done is we've taken a process with the (career employees) at the FBI and said, 'Where are some of the most violent crime places in America?'" Patel said.
Patel also clashed during one contentious exchange with Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, who served as a House impeachment manager during the second of two impeachment cases against Trump in his first term.
She asserted that the FBI had become "weaponized" under Patel and confronted him over a book he had authored, saying a list of Trump adversaries he included in it amounted to an "enemies list" and was being used by Trump as a "blueprint for revenge."
Patel replied that he was the one who had been "targeted by a weaponized FBI," presumably referring to the fact that he was among the people whose records were secretly seized by the Justice Department years earlier as part of media leak investigations when he was a staffer on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence conducting an investigation into Russian election interference.
"You should read the book because there's no enemies list (in) that book," Patel continued. "There are people that violated their constitutional obligations and their duties to the American people, and they were rightly called out. And you should give that book to every one of your constituents so they can read" about it.
"I won't be doing that," Dean shot back.
"That's their loss," Patel said.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-04 23:18:30+00:00
|
[
"Donald Trump",
"Prisons",
"Nancy Pelosi",
"Jeffrey Epstein",
"Joe Biden",
"California",
"Politics",
"Frank Morris",
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security",
"John Anglin",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Clint Eastwood",
"Nicolas Cage",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation",
"National Park Service"
] |
# Trump says he'll reopen Alcatraz, but doing so would be difficult and costly
By Jill Colvin and Michael R. Sisak
May 4th, 2025, 11:18 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.
In a post on his Truth Social site Sunday evening, Trump wrote that, "For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be."
"That is why, today," he said, "I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders."
Trump's directive to rebuild and reopen the long-shuttered penitentiary was the latest salvo in his effort to overhaul how and where federal prisoners and immigration detainees are locked up. But such a move would likely be an expensive and challenging proposition. The prison was closed in 1963 due to crumbling infrastructure and the high costs of repairing and supplying the island facility, because everything from fuel to food had to be brought by boat.
Bringing the facility up to modern-day standards would require massive investments at a time when the Bureau of Prisons has been shuttering prisons for similar infrastructure issues.
The prison — infamously inescapable due to the strong ocean currents and cold Pacific waters that surround it — was known as the "The Rock" and housed some of the nation's most notorious criminals, including gangster Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly.
It has long been part of the cultural imagination and has been the subject of numerous movies, including "The Rock" starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage.
Still in the 29 years it was open, 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes, according to the FBI. Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the attempt.
The fate of three particular inmates — John Anglin, his brother Clarence and Frank Morris — is of some debate and was dramatized in the 1979 film "Escape from Alcatraz" starring Clint Eastwood.
Alcatraz Island is now a major tourist site that is operate by the National Park Service and is a designated National Historic Landmark.
Trump, returning to the White House on Sunday night after a weekend in Florida, said he'd come up with the idea because of frustrations with "radicalized judges" who have insisted those being deported receive due process. Alcatraz, he said, has long been a "symbol of law and order. You know, it's got quite a history."
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that the agency "will comply with all Presidential Orders." The spokesperson did not immediately answer questions from The Associated Press regarding the practicality and feasibility of reopening Alcatraz or the agency's role in the future of the former prison given the National Park Service's control of the island.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat whose district includes the island, questioned the feasibility of reopening the prison after so many years. "It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President's proposal is not a serious one," she wrote on X.
The island serves as a veritable time machine to a bygone era of corrections. The Bureau of Prisons currently has 16 penitentiaries performing the same high-security functions as Alcatraz, including its maximum security facility in Florence, Colorado, and the U.S. penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, which is home to the federal death chamber.
The order comes as Trump has been clashing with the courts as he tries to send accused gang members to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, without due process. Trump has also floated the legally dubious idea of sending some federal U.S. prisoners to the Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT.
Trump has also directed the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold up to 30,000 of what he has labeled the "worst criminal aliens."
The Bureau of Prisons has faced myriad crises in recent years and has been subjected to increased scrutiny after Jeffrey Epstein's suicide at a federal jail in New York City in 2019. An AP investigation uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons. AP reporting has disclosed widespread criminal activity by employees, dozens of escapes, chronic violence, deaths and severe staffing shortages that have hampered responses to emergencies, including assaults and suicides.
The AP's investigation also exposed rampant sexual abuse at a federal women's prison in Dublin, California. Last year, President Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency after AP reporting spotlighted its many flaws.
At the same time, the Bureau of Prisons is operating in a state of flux — with a recently installed new director and a redefined mission that includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees at some of its prisons and jails under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. The agency last year closed several facilities, in part to cut costs, but is also in the process of building a new prison in Kentucky.
___
Sisak reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Gary Fields in Washington, Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Michael Balsamo in New York contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-10 15:57:30+00:00
|
[
"Louisiana",
"Jeff Landry",
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"Bill Cassidy",
"Donald Trump",
"Julia Letlow",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Voting",
"Senate elections",
"Impeachment",
"Eddie Rispone",
"Politics",
"2021 United States Capitol riot",
"Elections",
"John Fleming",
"Associated Press",
"Legal proceedings",
"Ashley Bosch"
] |
# Louisiana governor pushes primary challenger to GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy
By Thomas Beaumont
May 10th, 2025, 03:57 PM
---
President Donald Trump and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry have discussed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy in next year's Republican primary, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
The Republican governor's promotion of a new challenger to Cassidy reflects unease within Trump's base about the two-term senator. Cassidy voted to convict Trump in Trump's 2021 impeachment trial over the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. And Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, expressed doubts about Trump's pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the nation's health secretary before voting to confirm Kennedy.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and have a favorable electoral map in the 2026 midterms to help them keep control. But Cassidy is among several GOP senators up for reelection next year who are facing challenging primaries over past moves to distance themselves from Trump.
For the senator, "the biggest hurdle is going to be the impeachment vote. That's what he has to overcome. And I don't think he has the mindset to say, 'I made a mistake,'" said Eddie Rispone, the Republican nominee for Louisiana governor in 2019 and a Cassidy supporter. "And Louisiana is a big Trump state."
Landry, a close Trump ally, spoke last month with the president about Letlow as a potential Senate candidate, according to two people with knowledge of the conversation. They were granted anonymity to share contents of a conversation they were not authorized to discuss publicly.
A spokesperson for Letlow declined to comment on a potential campaign for Senate or the discussion between Landry and Trump. Landry's office declined to comment.
Landry, elected in 2023, has been advocating for Letlow to consider a run, according to the people who confirmed their April conversation about Letlow. A Senate seat would be a safe bet for a Republican given that Trump received 60% of the vote in carrying Louisiana last year.
Republican insiders describe Landry and Cassidy not as close, but as having a cordial working relationship despite a difference in their feelings of loyalty to Trump, which creates some distance between Cassidy and segments of the party base in the state.
"Senator Cassidy delivers conservative results for the people of Louisiana," Cassidy spokesperson Ashley Bosch said in a statement. "He's worked hard to support the President's agenda and we're confident voters will re-elect him next year."
Letlow is a three-term Republican representative from northeast Louisiana. She won the seat in a special election in March 2021 after her husband, Luke, had been elected but died of complications from COVID-19.
Letlow sits on the influential House Appropriations Committee. Her district was a mostly rural swath of northeast Louisiana when she arrived in Congress. It has shifted as a result of a redistricting map ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024 and now also include parts of metropolitan Baton Rouge, where Cassidy lives.
Cassidy already faces one major challenger, Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, a former congressman.
Some Republican activists in the state condemned Cassidy for his 2021 vote to convict Trump, a vote Cassidy said afterward he was "at peace" casting.
The state Republican executive committee voted unanimously to censure Cassidy. The Republican committee in Bossier Parish, which includes the city of Shreveport in northwest Louisiana, adopted a censure measure describing Cassidy as "an object of extreme shame" and called for his resignation.
Trump revived his public contempt for Cassidy a year ago after the senator spoke out when the then-former president promised to pardon those convicted in connection with the Capitol riot; Trump did that after taking office in January.
In an April 2024 post on Truth Social, Trump called Cassidy "one of the worst Senators in the United States Senate" and a "disloyal lightweight."
Louisiana's new congressional primary election system also could be a wrinkle for Cassidy.
Until the new system was adopted this year, congressional candidates from all parties seeking the same office ran on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. In these so-called jungle primaries, only a candidate who received 50% of the vote would win the office outright. If no one reached the threshold, the top two finishers would face each other in a runoff.
Next year, only voters who note Republican affiliation on their voter registration — and those who affiliate with no party — will be able to participate in the GOP Senate primary. The effect is seen as a potential challenge for Cassidy, who had benefited from the less-partisan nature of the old system.
"It does tighten it a little bit for him, because you do have the far-right Republicans — for them, it's going to be hard to forgive him for that impeachment vote," Rispone said.
Still, Cassidy has a clear fundraising advantage, with more than $7.4 million in his campaign account at the end of the first quarter. Cassidy has also begun laying the campaign groundwork in Louisiana and is expected to announce his candidacy formally in the coming weeks.
And in a sign things might not be as bad with Trump as they were, Cassidy received different sort of recognition from the president at an economic event at the White House this month.
"We have some great people, great senators, here," Trump said. "Bill Cassidy, thank you, Bill."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-03 00:08:49+00:00
|
[
"California",
"Black experience",
"Colleges and universities",
"James B. Milliken",
"United States government",
"Texas",
"United States",
"U.S. Department of Education",
"Education"
] |
# University of Texas chancellor is named president of the University of California
May 3rd, 2025, 12:08 AM
---
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — James B. Milliken, who has led major public university systems in New York and Texas, was named president of the University of California on Friday.
Milliken comes to the role from the University of Texas, where he has served as chancellor since 2018. He has also held leadership roles at The City University of New York, the University of Nebraska and the University of North Carolina.
The UC system has 10 campuses, including Berkeley, Los Angeles and Davis. Milliken starts on Aug. 1. He will be paid nearly $1.5 million a year.
"The University of California is universally regarded as the preeminent public research university in the world, and I am deeply honored to have an opportunity to join the many talented faculty, staff, and campus leaders in their vital work," Milliken said in a UC press release. "It is more important than ever that we expand the education, research, health care, and public service for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited so many Californians."
The announcement comes at a time when the Trump administration is targeting federal funding at universities in an attempt to get them to comply with the Republican president's political agenda.
The University of California, Berkeley, is among dozens of colleges under investigation by the U.S. Education Department over its ties to The PhD Project, a group aimed at diversifying the business world and higher education faculty. The Trump administration is also investigating Berkeley over allegations of antisemitism linked to pro-Palestinian protests against the war in Gaza that broke out last year across campuses nationwide.
In response, Berkeley said it has "an unwavering commitment" to fighting antisemitism.
The Trump administration also launched probes into three University of California campuses over their admissions policies to determine whether they comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions.
Milliken succeeds Michael V. Drake as UC president. Drake was the first Black person to serve in the role in the system's more than 150-year history. Drake announced last year that he would step down after serving as president since 2020, leading the system through the coronavirus pandemic, a graduate student strike and various campus protests.
His announcement last July that he planned to step down followed a particularly tumultuous spring. Over several days last April and early May, counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA that had grown on campus and law enforcement waited hours to step in. The next day, authorities in riot gear dispersed more than 1,000 people who had gathered to support the encampment.
Drake said Milliken "has the depth of wisdom and experience" to deal with the challenges that come with leading one of the nation's largest public university systems.
"I have great confidence in both his leadership and his commitment to the University's enduring values," he said in a statement. "I'm excited about his appointment and look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish at the University."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that he was excited to see Milliken selected for the role to "drive the next chapter of innovation, talent, and progress that will shape California and the country for generations to come."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-14 22:56:50+00:00
|
[
"Jose Menendez",
"Erik Menendez",
"Kitty Menendez",
"California",
"Los Angeles",
"Legal proceedings",
"Prisons",
"Courts",
"Terry Baralt",
"Joan VanderMolen",
"Criminal punishment",
"Homicide",
"Sexual assault",
"Tamara Goodell",
"Anna Erickson",
"Rebecca Sneed"
] |
# What to know about the Menendez brothers after their resentencing
By Jaimie Ding
May 14th, 2025, 10:56 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lyle and Erik Menendez were 21 and 18 when they killed their parents. Now, at 57 and 54, the brothers are eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge Tuesday reduced their sentences from life in prison without parole to 50 years to life.
In August 1989, the brothers killed their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said they killed their parents for a substantial inheritance.
The saga has captured the public's attention over the decades, spawning documentaries and television specials, as the brothers have lived out their adult years in incarceration.
Here's what to know about their lives and what lies ahead:
## A wealthy upbringing
After moving from New Jersey, the family settled into a multi-million dollar Spanish-style mansion in the wealthy Beverly Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jose Menendez, was a powerful entertainment executive, and his wife, Kitty, a former beauty queen he met in college.
At the time, Lyle was attending Princeton University but struggling academically, and Erik was a young tennis star.
In the aftermath of the killings, the family discovered Jose Menendez's 1981 will, which left everything to the two brothers. An opinion from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals details the spending spree that Erik and Lyle went on, thinking they were poised to inherit millions.
Lyle bought three Rolex watches, a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and a restaurant in Princeton, New Jersey, while Erik purchased a Jeep Wrangler and hired a full-time tennis coach, according to the court document.
The brothers addressed the lavish spending in a Netflix documentary, "The Menendez Brothers," that came out last October.
"The idea that I was having a good time is absurd," Erik said in a recorded phone call from prison. "Everything was to cover up this horrible pain of not wanting to be alive."
The family said that in reality there was no inheritance — whatever assets Jose had were gobbled up by legal fees and taxes, and both of his properties were sold at a loss.
## Reunited after decades apart
Lyle Menendez was transferred to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County in 2018, reuniting him with Erik Menendez, who was brought there in 2013.
Before that Lyle spent decades housed at Mule Creek State Prison in northern California, while Erik was at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California. They could only keep in touch through letters.
Anerae Brown, who spent time at both facilities as an inmate, described Pleasant Valley as a segregated and "hyperviolent environment" while testifying at the brothers' resentencing hearing. There was one instance where Brown was attacked by five men with weapons.
Doing the things that Erik participated in, such as school and self-help classes, would put a target on one's back, Brown said.
## The brothers each got married in prison
Lyle Menendez first married Anna Erickson, a former model, in 1996 before he surrendered to prison. They divorced in 2001.
In 2008, he married attorney Rebecca Sneed. She announced on Facebook last November that the two had separated but "remain best friends and family."
She continues to run his Facebook page, where she has posted updates on the brothers' resentencing case.
Erik Menendez married Tammi Menendez in 1999 after corresponding with her as a pen pal for years. She has a daughter from her first marriage, and both were at court Tuesday for the brothers' resentencing hearing.
Conjugal visits are prohibited for those sentenced to life without parole under California law.
## Plans if released
If the brothers are released from prison, their cousin, Diane Hernandez, and several family members said they would welcome the brothers into their homes.
They also would immediately visit their aging aunts, Hernandez said.
Joan VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister, is now 93 and has been calling for Erik and Lyle's release since last fall. Her health has deteriorated since then, Hernandez said.
Terry Baralt, Jose Menendez's sister, has been battling cancer and was recently hospitalized after attending a hearing in April. Her cancer recently advanced to Stage 4, her daughter said in court.
Lyle Menendez said at his resentencing hearing Tuesday that he longs to reunite with his relatives.
"I look forward to be able to reunite with my extended family and continue the journey of healing that has sustained me through my incarceration," he said.
The brothers have also indicated they would continue the work they started in prison that has supported fellow inmates to help others in society. Lyle said he hoped to advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and serve the incarcerated community.
Tamara Goodell, another cousin, said in court that Lyle was excited to expand the Green Space Project he had started at the Richard J. Donovan facility to other prisons. The project was inspired by the Norwegian approach to incarceration that believes humane prison environments leads to more successful reintegration into society.
Erik Menendez has said he would like to expand the Life Care and Hospice program he co-founded, which connects elderly and disabled inmates with younger inmates to serve as aids.
"At a certain point, something shifted in me," Erik said. "I started living with purpose."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-05 18:30:21+00:00
|
[
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Hip hop and rap",
"Shootings",
"Music",
"Crime",
"New York City",
"Indictments",
"Gun violence",
"New York City Wire",
"Faith Evans",
"Legal proceedings",
"Entertainment",
"Jennifer Lopez"
] |
# The stories behind all of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' name changes
By Jonathan Mattise
May 5th, 2025, 06:30 PM
---
In the criminal indictment for this week's sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the document lists many of the hip-hop mogul's aliases.
Most people, especially music fans, probably already know them.
From "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy" and even the obscure "Brother Love," here's a look back at Combs' self-appointed names and what was going on during his career in each era.
## Puff Daddy
His childhood nickname was Puffy because, as he told Jet Magazine in 1998, he used to huff and puff when he got mad. Hence the early stage names: Puffy and Puff Daddy. In these days, he was side by side with fellow New York City rapper Notorious B.I.G., the star of Combs' Bad Boy record label.
In 1998, Combs won two Grammys as Puff Daddy, one for best rap album for his debut "No Way Out" and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for "I'll Be Missing You" with Faith Evans. The song memorialized Notorious B.I.G., who was fatally shot in 1997 in a case that remains unsolved. This was during the East vs. West rap rivalry, particularly with Tupac Shakur from California and his team at Death Row Records. Shakur was fatally shot in 1996.
Combs also started his fashion line Sean John, his first and middle name, in 1998.
## P. Diddy
The shift to P. Diddy unfolded in 2001, not long after Combs was acquitted of gun and bribery charges from when he and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses told police that Combs was among the people shooting in the club.
Combs noted at the time that Notorious B.I.G. came up with the nickname P. Diddy. Under this new name, Combs reached new heights of success. He became the producer and star of the talent-search TV show "Making the Band" in 2002, performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 and weeks later won a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for "Shake Ya Tailfeather."
## Diddy
He dropped the "P." from his artist nickname in 2005. He told the "Today" show at the time that fans at concerts weren't doing well chanting P. Diddy. Still, he ran into issues in trying to use Diddy for his 2006 album "Press Play" due to a lawsuit by British DJ Richard "Diddy" Dearlove over the use of the name. Combs used P. Diddy for some releases of the album as a result.
His legal issues and his stardom continued. In 2008, Diddy settled a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Diddy punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. Roughly two months later, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
## Swag
For just a week in May 2011, Combs changed his name to "Swag," posting in a video online that it was part of his "comeback" after a bad illness.
## Love, a.k.a. Brother Love
He posted on social media in November 2017 that he was celebrating his birthday by changing his name to "Love, a.k.a. Brother Love." Combs said he would not be answering to Puffy, Diddy, Puff Daddy or any of his other monikers. He said at the time that he knew it was risky and would be corny to change his name again, but he said he had changed as a person and was not who he was before. Later that month, he said was joking about the name change and people could use any of his older names.
In 2021, he announced that he had legally changed his middle name to Love. A year later, he clarified on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that Diddy remains his stage name. He released "The Love Album - Off the Grid" in 2023.
At his sex trafficking trial Monday, the judge read off a list of his monikers to prospective jurors, telling them, "There is one defendant: Sean Combs."
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-16 03:09:39+00:00
|
[
"Zimbabwe",
"Animals",
"Elephants",
"Lions",
"AFRICA PULSE",
"Climate and environment",
"Arnold Tshipa",
"Associated Press",
"Technology",
"Zimbabwe government"
] |
# Zimbabwe is full of elephants and conflict with villagers is growing. A new approach hopes to help
By Farai Mutsaka
May 16th, 2025, 03:09 AM
---
HWANGE, Zimbabwe (AP) — When GPS-triggered alerts show an elephant herd heading toward villages near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, Capon Sibanda springs into action. He posts warnings in WhatsApp groups before speeding off on his bicycle to inform nearby residents without phones or network access.
The new system of tracking elephants wearing GPS collars was launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It aims to prevent dangerous encounters between people and elephants, which are more frequent as climate change worsens competition for food and water.
"When we started it was more of a challenge, but it's becoming phenomenal," said Sibanda, 29, one of the local volunteers trained to be community guardians.
For generations, villagers banged pots, shouted or burned dung to drive away elephants. But worsening droughts and shrinking resources have pushed the animals to raid villages more often, destroying crops and infrastructure and sometimes injuring or killing people.
Zimbabwe's elephant population is estimated at around 100,000, nearly double the land's capacity. The country hasn't culled elephants in close to four decades. That's because of pressure from wildlife conservation activists, and because the process is expensive, according to parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo.
Conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants, lions and hyenas killed 18 people across the southern African country between January and April this year, forcing park authorities to kill 158 "trouble" animals during that period.
"Droughts are getting worse. The elephants devour the little that we harvest," said Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending her tomato crop with cow dung manure in a community garden that also supports a school feeding program.
Technology now supports the traditional tactics. Through the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities track collared elephants in real time. Maps show their proximity to the buffer zone — delineated on digital maps, not by fences — that separate the park and hunting concessions from community land.
At a park restaurant one morning IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa monitored moving icons on his laptop as he waited for breakfast. When an icon crossed a red line, signaling a breach, an alert pinged.
"We're going to be able to see the interactions between wildlife and people," Tshipa said. "This allows us to give more resources to particular areas."
The system also logs incidents like crop damage or attacks on people and livestock by predators such as lions or hyenas and retaliatory attacks on wildlife by humans. It also tracks the location of community guardians like Capon Sibanda.
"Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road," Sibanda said. He collects and stores data on his phone, usually with photos. "Within a blink," alerts go to rangers and villagers, he said.
His commitment has earned admiration from locals, who sometimes gift him crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allotment worth about $80 along with internet data.
Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa said the platform ensures that "conservation decisions are informed by robust scientific data."
Villagers like Senzeni Sibanda say the system is making a difference: "We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time and rangers react more quickly."
Still, frustration lingers. Sibanda has lost crops and water infrastructure to elephant raids and wants stronger action. "Why aren't you culling them so that we benefit?" she asked. "We have too many elephants anyway."
Her community, home to several hundred people, receives only a small share of annual trophy hunting revenues, roughly the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, which goes toward water repairs or fencing. She wants a rise in Zimbabwe's hunting quota, which stands at 500 elephants per year, and her community's share increased.
The elephant debate has made headlines. In September last year, activists protested after Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed slaughtering elephants to feed drought-stricken communities. Botswana's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London so Britons could "have a taste of living alongside elephants."
Zimbabwe's collaring project may offer a way forward. Sixteen elephants, mostly matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, allowing rangers to track entire herds by following their leaders. But Hwange holds about 45,000 elephants, and parks officials say it has capacity for 15,000. Project officials acknowledge a huge gap remains.
In a recent collaring mission, a team of ecologists, vets, trackers and rangers identified a herd. A marksman darted the matriarch from a distance. After some tracking using a drone and a truck, team members fitted the collar, whose battery lasts between two and four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers with rifles kept watch.
Once the collar was secured, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch staggered off into the wild, flapping its ears.
"Every second counts," said Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 04:02:37+00:00
|
[
"Florida",
"Crime",
"Glen Edward Rogers",
"Jeffrey Hutchinson",
"Capital punishment",
"Ron DeSantis",
"Renee Flaherty",
"Homicide",
"Legal proceedings",
"Children",
"James Colaw"
] |
# Florida executes a man for the shotgun killings of his girlfriend and her 3 young children
By Curt Anderson
May 1st, 2025, 04:02 AM
---
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — An Army combat veteran whose Gulf War experience triggered severe mental problems was executed Thursday evening in Florida for the 1998 shotgun slayings of his girlfriend and her three young children.
Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was the fourth person executed this year in the state under death warrants signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, with a fifth execution set for May 15.
Hutchinson had no last statement but appeared to be mumbling to himself as the procedure started just before 8 p.m. His legs shook sporadically, and he seemed to have body spasms for several minutes and then was still. The process took a little more than 15 minutes.
The execution was carried out soon after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal without comment.
Hutchinson had long claimed that he was innocent and that two unknown assailants perpetrated the killings under a U.S. government conspiracy aimed at silencing his activism on claims including Gulf War illnesses involving veterans. Hutchinson served eight years in the Army, part of it as an elite Ranger.
Court records, however, showed that on the night of the killings in Crestview, Hutchinson argued with his girlfriend, 32-year-old Renee Flaherty, then packed his clothes and guns into a truck. Hutchinson went to a bar and drank some beer, telling staff there that Flaherty was angry with him before leaving abruptly.
A short time later, a male caller told a 911 operator, "I just shot my family" from the house Hutchinson and Flaherty shared with the three children: 9-year-old Geoffrey, 7-year-old Amanda, and 4-year-old Logan. All were killed with a 12-gauge shotgun that was found on a kitchen counter. Hutchinson was located by police in the garage with a phone still connected to the 911 center and gunshot residue on his hands.
Darran Johnson, the brother of Renee Flaherty, said after the execution that justice was done but the family's pain will never end.
"Not a day goes by that we don't think about the loved ones that were taken from us," Johnson said.
At his 2001 trial, Hutchinson's defense was based on his claim that two unknown men came to the house and killed Flaherty and the children after he struggled with them. A jury found him guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, and he received life in prison for Flaherty's killing and three death sentences for the children.
Hutchinson filed numerous unsuccessful appeals, many focused on mental health problems linked to his Army service. In late April his lawyers sought to delay his execution by claiming he was insane and therefore could not be put to death.
Bradford County Circuit Judge James Colaw rejected that argument in an April 27 order.
"This Court finds that Mr. Hutchinson's purported delusion is demonstrably false. Jeffrey Hutchinson does not lack the mental capacity to understand the reason for the pending execution," the judge wrote.
In their court filings, Hutchinson's lawyers said he suffered from Gulf War Illness — a series of health problems stemming from the 1990-1991 war in Iraq — as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and paranoia related to his claim that he was targeted by government surveillance.
Florida's lethal injection protocol uses a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.
So far this year, 15 people have been put to death in the U.S. including Hutchinson.
A fifth Florida execution is scheduled May 15 for Glen Rogers, who was convicted of killing a woman at a motel in 1997. Rogers also was convicted of another woman's murder in California and is believed by investigators to have killed others around the country.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-08 05:00:45+00:00
|
[
"Europe",
"Frank-Walter Steinmeier",
"Donald Trump",
"European Union",
"Keir Starmer",
"Emmanuel Macron",
"Friedrich Merz",
"Vladimir Putin",
"War and unrest",
"Germany government",
"Eurocopa 2024",
"Russia Ukraine war",
"Genocide",
"Politics",
"Charles de Gaulle",
"Legal proceedings"
] |
# World War II ended in Europe 80 years ago. Celebrating V-E Day is now tinged with some dread
By Raf Casert and Danica Kirka
May 8th, 2025, 05:00 AM
---
LONDON (AP) — Even if the end of World War II in Europe spawned one of the most joyous days the continent ever lived, Thursday's 80th anniversary of V-E Day is haunted as much by the specter of current-day conflict as it celebrates the defeat of ultimate evil.
Hitler's Nazi Germany had finally surrendered after a half-decade of invading other European powers and propagating racial hatred that led to genocide, the Holocaust and the murdering of millions.
That surrender and the explosion of hope for a better life was celebrated with parades in London and Paris and towns across Europe while even the leaders of erstwhile mortal enemies are bonding again.
Germany itself again expressed gratitude for the change that May 8, 1945, brought — to the world and to itself.
"It was Germans who unleashed this criminal war and dragged all of Europe with them into the abyss," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told parliament. "Today, 80 years later, our profound thanks still go to the Allied soldiers and the European resistance movements who mustered all their strength and endured great losses in order to defeat the Nazi regime."
## Gloomy outlook
Steinmeier's comments underscore that former European enemies may thrive — to the extent that the 27-nation European Union even won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize — but that the outlook has turned gloomy over the past year.
The body count continues to rise in Ukraine, where Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion started the worst war on the continent since 1945. The rise of the hard right in several EU member states is putting the founding democratic principles of the bloc under increasing pressure.
"We are not celebrating this 8 May today in a spirit of calm self-assurance. Because we can see that freedom is not the grand finale of history," Steinmeier warned. "We therefore no longer need to ask: Did 8 May free us? But we ask: How can we stay free?"
Such warnings made the continuation of the unlikely stretch of peace in most of Europe anything but a given.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which assured peace in Europe under the U.S. nuclear umbrella and its military clout, is under internal strain rarely seen since its inception.
There too, the German president, who has a largely ceremonial role but embodies the moral resolve of the nation, also took a not-so-veiled swipe at the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump, saying the way the United States is turning away from the international order "is a shock on an entirely new scale."
## U.S. contributions to the war effort
The United States was instrumental in turning the tide of the war in Europe, invading along with Allies the D-Day beaches in France's Normandy on June 6, 1944, in what proved to be the tipping point of the war in Europe that inexorably led to the invasion of Germany and the defeat of the Nazis.
On Wednesday, Trump proclaimed Thursday as a day for the United States to celebrate victory in World War II, insisting the country should better recognize its essential role in the war.
"We are going to start celebrating our victories again!" he said.
The war did drag on beyond Europe, especially in the Pacific against Japan, but even Taiwan joined in marking the day for the first time — and highlighting current-day threats. Instead of Russia, it was centering on China, its immediate rival. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.
"Military aggression against another country is an unjust crime that is bound to fail," Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said, adding that both Taiwan and Europe were "now facing the threat of a new authoritarian bloc."
## European celebrations
Commemorations have been going all week through Europe, and Britain has taken a lead. Here too, the current-day plight of Ukraine in its fight against Russia took center stage.
"The idea that this was all just history and it doesn't matter now somehow, is completely wrong," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. "Those values of freedom and democracy matter today."
In London, a service was held at Westminster Abbey, where the royal family took time to chat with the veterans, bending over to hear the older veterans in wheelchairs, many of whom the royals have now met at previous services.
In France, where the date is a public holiday, President Emmanuel Macron presided over a wreath-laying ceremony in Paris in front of a statue of Gen. Charles de Gaulle, who refused the Franco-German armistice in 1940. De Gaulle fled to London and founded the French Free Forces, organizing networks of resistance fighters and overseeing anti-Nazi sabotage missions in France.
In Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz again highlighted how Germany has remodeled itself into a beacon of European democracy by laying a wreath at the central memorial for the victims of war and tyranny.
Symbolically, President Vladimir Putin will be totally out of lockstep with the rest of Europe as Russia celebrates its Victory Day one day later with a huge military parade on Moscow's Red Square to mark the massive Soviet contribution to defeat Nazi Germany.
___
Raf Casert reported from Brussels. Mike Corder in Wageningen, Netherlands, Samuel Petrequin in Paris and Jamey Keaten in Geneva, contributed to this report.
|
Associated Press News
|
2025-05-01 22:10:12+00:00
|
[
"POW",
"Anita Baca",
"Associated Press"
] |
# The top photos of the week by AP's photojournalists
By The Associated Press
May 1st, 2025, 10:10 PM
---
April 25-May 1, 2025
This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Anita Baca, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published by The Associated Press in the past week.
____
Follow AP visual journalism:
AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews
|
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