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Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 18:32:45+00:00 | [
"Harvey Weinstein",
"Meg Ryan",
"Jessica Mann",
"California",
"New York",
"Legal proceedings",
"Crime",
"New York City Wire",
"Trials",
"Associated Press",
"Miriam Haley",
"Arthur L. Aidala",
"Curtis Farber",
"Matthew Colangelo",
"Sexual assault",
"Kaja Sokola"
] | # Weinstein trial turns tense as accuser gestures at him and lawyers clash over a movie reference
By Jennifer Peltz
May 20th, 2025, 06:32 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — A key witness stared down Harvey Weinstein and pointed sharply at him as she left court in sobs Tuesday, marking one of the most heated points of the former studio boss' sex crimes retrial.
And that was before noon. By the end of the day, prosecutors and defense lawyers were clashing over a question related to the 1989 movie "When Harry Met Sally ...," an unexpected flashpoint about a film Weinstein didn't produce.
The finger-pointing confrontation came after Jessica Mann described Weinstein grabbing, dragging, forcefully undressing and raping her in a Beverly Hills, California, hotel room around the beginning of 2014, after she told him she was dating someone else.
"You owe me one more time!" Weinstein bellowed, according to Mann, who wiped her eyes and took heaving breaths as she testified. Weinstein — who denies ever raping or sexually assaulting anyone — briefly shook his head as he watched from the defense table.
After Mann finished her narrative, she continued crying and didn't answer when a prosecutor asked whether she needed a break. Judge Curtis Farber called for one.
When Mann passed the defense table on her way out, she turned toward the seated Weinstein, aimed a finger at her eyes and then at him. It wasn't clear how many jurors saw the gesture, and Mann didn't respond to a question outside court about what she meant to convey.
After they left, Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala requested a mistrial, as the defense has repeatedly done before. He cited Mann's gesticulation, questioned her displays of emotion and complained that she shouldn't have been asked about the alleged Los Angeles rape, as Weinstein isn't actually charged with it.
The Oscar-winning producer is charged with raping Mann on another occasion, in 2013 in New York, and forcing oral sex on two other women separately in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Farber denied the mistrial request but suggested that Mann be told not to make any more such moves. The judge noted that he had also seen Weinstein react visibly and mutter at times during the trial.
Mann returned to the witness stand without looking at Weinstein, who watched her stone-faced.
She resumed testifying through an edgy morning. And it got edgier in the afternoon, when Aidala began questioning Mann, 39, about her fraught and complex history with Weinstein, 73. She has said she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that he was volatile and violated her if she refused him.
In an opening statement last month, Aidala portrayed Mann as an aspiring actor who had only willing sexual encounters with a Hollywood bigwig she thought could help her.
During questioning Tuesday, the attorney noted she accepted party invitations, dinners and rides from Weinstein and underscored the fact that she continued to see the producer after he allegedly raped her. Aidala also zeroed in on her testimony Monday that she tried to reject Weinstein's first sexual advance but ultimately pretended to enjoy it.
Mann had testified that she gave in because he wouldn't let her leave, and she faked an orgasm in order to extricate herself. Aidala pressed for specifics on how she had "lied to" Weinstein.
"Meg Ryan in the restaurant," Mann replied, referring to a memorable scene involving Ryan's character in "When Harry Met Sally ...."
Mann explained that she had been "making noises," and Aidala began asking her to elaborate. Prosecutors jumped in to object. After an out-of-earshot discussion among the lawyers and judge, Aidala moved on to another question.
After jurors and Mann went home for the day, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo complained that Aidala's questioning went "beyond the pale." Aidala insisted he "was never going to ask her to start moaning," and he said the matter was relevant to Weinstein's understanding of what happened between him and Mann.
Weinstein went from movie mogul to #MeToo pariah in 2017, after allegations emerged that he had sexually harassed and sexually abused women for years. He was later convicted of various sex crimes in both New York and California, but his New York conviction was later overturned, leading to the retrial.
It has been tense at times as his accusers underwent days of questioning. One, Miriam Haley, cursed at Weinstein from the witness stand. Another, Kaja Sokola, was dismayed by questions about her private journal, which Weinstein's lawyers got without her knowledge.
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.
___
Associated Press video journalist Joseph B. Frederick contributed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 10:57:50+00:00 | [
"United Kingdom",
"Keir Starmer",
"Immigration",
"Migration",
"Politics",
"Business",
"COVID-19 pandemic",
"Government programs",
"European Union"
] | # Fewer study and work visas lead to halving in net migration in the UK in 2024
By Pan Pylas
May 22nd, 2025, 10:57 AM
---
LONDON (AP) — Fewer work and study visas contributed to a near-halving in net migration into the U.K. — the number of people moving to the U.K. minus the number of those moving abroad — in 2024, official figures showed Thursday.
The Office for National Statistics said the figure stood at an estimated 431,000 in the year, down 49.9% from 860,000 a year earlier. That's the biggest percentage decline since the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, and the largest numerical drop for any 12-month period.
Britain has relied on people coming into the country legally to contribute to economic growth, certainly in the decades after World War II, when millions arrived to help rebuild the country. And for years, it wasn't much of a political issue and on the periphery of debate.
But it has become a politically toxic issue over the past 20 years or so, and played a key role in the Brexit vote of 2016, when Britain voted to leave the European Union. Membership of the EU comes with the obligation to offer free movement to all citizens of the 27-country bloc.
But immigration figures have gone up, not down, post-Brexit.
The anti-immigration party Reform U.K. won big in recent local elections and is ahead in many opinion polls. Its argument is that too-high immigration is impacting on public services, housing and societal cohesion as a whole.
The figures released Thursday do not include those arriving in the U.K. by unauthorized means to seek asylum, many in flimsy, small boats across the English Channel. Though that number is far lower — some 37,000 people crossed the English Channel on small boats last year — it's amplified the heat surrounding the debate.
A more detailed look at Thursday's figures shows that the biggest contributor to the fall was a sharp decline in immigration, with the number of people coming into the U.K. below 1 million for the first time in around three years. However, the statistics agency also found that emigration swelled back to 2017 levels.
The number of arrivals in the U.K. surged from 2022 onward, driven by many factors, including the more than 200,000 people fleeing Russia's war in Ukraine and more than 150,000 from Hong Kong on special overseas visas.
The period covered by the latest estimates follows the introduction in early 2024 by the then Conservative government of restrictions on people eligible to travel to the U.K. on work or study visas. Though the Conservatives, now the main opposition party, have sought to claim credit for the decline, one of the main reasons they were swept from power after 14 years was the increase in net migration levels to record highs.
In August, weeks after the Labour government took office, the country was convulsed by anti-immigration riots in which mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers were attacked.
Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seeking to get net migration levels down further and earlier this month set out a series of measures aimed at reducing further the number of people moving long term to the U.K.
Starmer said the country risks becoming an "island of strangers" without better integration, and said he wanted net migration to have fallen "significantly" by the next general election, but without giving a specific target.
His plan includes reforming work and study visas and requiring a higher level of English across all immigration routes. Experts think that could reduce the number by a further 100,000 a year. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 07:03:55+00:00 | [
"Germany",
"Germany government",
"Teens",
"Political refugees",
"Jerome M.",
"Stefanie Hubig",
"Indictments",
"Benjamin H.",
"Fires",
"Asylum",
"Jason R.",
"Assault",
"Terrorism"
] | # Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks. 5 teens have been arrested
By Geir Moulson
May 21st, 2025, 07:03 AM
---
BERLIN (AP) — German police on Wednesday arrested five teenagers accused of involvement with a right-wing extremist group calling itself "Last Defense Wave" that allegedly aimed to destabilize the country's democratic system by carrying out attacks on migrants and political opponents.
The early-morning arrests in various parts of Germany were accompanied by searches at 13 properties, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Four of those arrested — identified only as Benjamin H., Ben-Maxim H., Lenny M. and Jason R., in line with German privacy rules — are suspected of membership in a domestic terror organization. The fifth, Jerome M., is accused of supporting the group. Two of the arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. All are between the ages of 14 and 18.
Prosecutors said they are also investigating three other people, ages 18 to 21, who are already in custody. All the suspects are German citizens.
According to the prosecutors, the group was formed in mid-April 2024 or earlier. They said that its members saw themselves as the last resort to defend the "German nation" and aimed to bring about the collapse of Germany's democratic order, with attacks on homes for asylum-seekers and on facilities associated with the left-wing political spectrum.
Two of the suspects set a fire at a cultural center in Altdöbern in eastern Germany in October, prosecutors said, adding that several people living in the building at the time escaped injury only by chance.
In January, another two suspects allegedly broke a window at a home for asylum-seekers in Schmölln and tried unsuccessfully to start a blaze by setting off fireworks. They daubed the group's initials and slogans such as "Foreigners out," "Germany for the Germans" and "Nazi area," as well as swastikas, prosecutors said.
Also in January, three suspects allegedly planned an arson attack on a home for asylum-seekers in Senftenberg, but it never came about because of the earlier arrests of two of the men.
Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said it was "particularly shocking" that all of those arrested Wednesday were minors at the time the group was allegedly founded.
"This is an alarm signal and it shows that right-wing extremist terrorism knows no age," Hubig said in a statement.
In a separate case a week ago, German authorities banned a far-right group called "Kingdom of Germany" as a threat to the country's democratic order and arrested four of its alleged leaders.
In an annual report released Tuesday, the Federal Criminal Police Office said that the number of violent crimes with a right-wing motivation was up 17.2% last year to 1,488. That was part of an overall increase in violent politically motivated offenses to 4,107, an increase of 15.3%. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 12:14:28+00:00 | [
"Italy",
"Giorgia Meloni",
"Courts",
"Sexual assault",
"LGBTQ"
] | # Italy's court says 2 mothers can register as parents on birth certificates
By Nicole Winfield
May 22nd, 2025, 12:14 PM
---
ROME (AP) — Italy's Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled that two women can register as parents of a child on a birth certificate, saying recognition of parental rights can't be restricted to the biological mother alone in families with same-sex parents.
The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for city registrars to deprive children born to same sex-parents of recognition by both the biological mother and the woman who consented to the medically assisted pregnancy of her partner and assumed parental responsibilities.
Advocates for LGBTQ+ rejoiced at the ruling, saying it was a "historic day for civil rights in Italy."
"At last what we have been saying all along is being recognized: boys and girls have the right to see both parents recognized, from birth, even when they are two mothers," Rainbow Families said in a statement.
The group said the ruling served as a reminder to politicians that constitutionally, it's "no longer possible to continue pretending that we do not exist."
The association Pro Life and Family denounced the ruling as illogical and meant thousands of children born to same-sex parents were launched into "an existential joke."
In recent years, some city registrars had begun to record only the name of the biological mother on birth certificates, and not the name of her partner. In order to have legal rights and responsibility over the child, the non-biological mother then had to "adopt" the child.
A 2004 law had provided for such limited parental recognition. But thanks to an Interior Ministry circular in 2023, the restrictions were being enforced anew as part of the policy of the far-right-led government of Premier Giorgia Meloni to crack down on surrogacy and promote traditional family values.
The ruling doesn't address the legality of medically assisted procreation: Italy has strong restrictions on IVF and has had a ban on surrogacy since 2004. Last year, Italy expanded the ban to criminalize Italians who go abroad to have children through surrogacy. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 15:53:12+00:00 | [
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Regina Ventura",
"Barack Obama",
"Manhattan",
"Los Angeles",
"New York City Wire",
"Arun Subramanian",
"Juries",
"Suge Knight",
"Technology",
"Scott Mescudi",
"Cassie",
"Sex and sexuality",
"Sexual misconduct",
"Gerard Gannon",
"Marc Agnifilo",
"David James",
"Human trafficking",
"Kid Cudi"
] | # Cassie's mother says Sean 'Diddy' Combs demanded $20K because her daughter was seeing someone else
By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
May 20th, 2025, 03:53 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — An angry Sean "Diddy" Combs demanded $20,000 from Casandra "Cassie" Ventura's mother and threatened to release explicit sex tapes of his longtime girlfriend after learning she was dating someone else, the mother testified Tuesday at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial.
Regina Ventura said she felt "physically sick" when her daughter sent her an email in late 2011 to say Combs threatened to release two explicit videos of her and send someone to hurt her and the man she was seeing, the rapper Kid Cudi.
"I did not understand a lot of it. The sex tapes threw me," Ventura told the Manhattan federal court.
Ventura, of New London, Connecticut, said she then received a demand from Combs for $20,000.
"He was angry that he had spent money on her and she went with another person," she said.
Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, is expected to testify by Thursday.
Ventura said she tapped a home equity loan to pay Combs because she was "scared for my daughter's safety." Days later, she said, the money was returned and Cassie was soon dating Combs again.
Ventura testified for less than a half-hour, in part because defense attorney Marc Agnifilo declined to cross-examine her. During her testimony, the jury viewed photos of bruises on Cassie's body that Ventura testified were taken when her daughter came home for Christmas in 2011.
Before the jury arrived Tuesday, Agnifilo tried to persuade Judge Arun Subramanian to disallow the testimony, saying it was "purely prejudicial." The judge allowed it though, saying the threats to release sex tapes and harm Cassie made it an instance of "potential extortion."
## A federal agent describes a raid of Combs' home
Jurors also saw parts of two AR-15 rifles found last year during a raid on Combs' mansion on Star Island, a celebrity enclave off of Miami.
Homeland Security Agent Gerard Gannon testified that investigators in March 2024 rammed through Combs' security gate in an armored vehicle and had teams on boats nearby. Besides weapons, they found 7-inch high heels and items prosecutors say Combs used at his freak-off sex marathons like lingerie, sex toys, baby oil, lubricant and condoms.
The testimony came in week two of a projected two-month trial. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the Bad Boy Records founder could face 15 years to life in prison.
## A former assistant describes working for Combs
Earlier Tuesday, David James, Combs' personal assistant from 2007 to 2009, testified that the job seemed to have increasing perils. He said he quit when he realized Combs had put his life in danger by forcing him to drive a car as the angry rapper sat in the back with three handguns on his lap.
James said his job sometimes required him to ensure that hotel rooms where Combs stayed under the name "Frank Black" were stocked with the musician's comforts, including fresh underwear, an iPod, apple sauce, vodka, baby oil, Viagra and condoms.
There were also surprising moments, James said, like once in 2008 when he obeyed a Combs command to bring an iPod from his Miami home to a hotel room, where he opened the door to see Cassie on the bed with a white comforter pulled up to her neck and an unfamiliar naked man fleeing the room.
Another time, he said, Combs showed him a video he'd recorded at a party of James dancing wildly and said: "Ok. I'm going to keep this footage in case I ever need it." James said he took it as a threat to keep him in line.
Cassie testified last week that Combs threatened that if she didn't do as he said, he would release videos of her having sex with male escorts during freak-offs.
James also described being required to take lie detector tests twice when Combs was trying to learn who stole cash and a watch.
He said Combs was on drugs nearly every day, often taking Percocet by day and ecstasy by night. When he stocked Combs' hotel rooms, he said, drugs were in a bag dropped off by security, including a pill meant to look like former President Barack Obama.
The moment when James saw the three guns on Combs' lap came when he testified that he was involved in Combs' attempt to confront his music industry rival Suge Knight at a Los Angeles diner in November 2008 — an incident that Cassie also testified about. He said he quit soon afterward.
"I was real shook up by it," James testified. "This was the first time being Mr. Combs' assistant that I realized my life was in danger."
## More testimony about freak-offs
Before Tuesday's lunch break, Sharay Hayes, an exotic dancer known as "The Punisher," testified that Combs and Cassie brought him into the freak-offs world. He said a woman — Cassie using a pseudonym — called and told him it was her birthday and that her husband said she should hire a dancer.
Hayes said he arrived at a Manhattan hotel room expecting to perform a striptease for a small group of people but instead found the woman who hired him — whom he later found out was Cassie — alone with an otherwise naked man who hid his face with a burqa-like cloth. That man, he said, turned out to be Combs.
Hayes recalled seeing bottles of baby oil in bowls of water and getting handed a stack of $800 in cash. Later, after Combs watched him have a sexual encounter with Cassie, he said he was handed an additional $1,200. He said he was a fan of Combs but didn't realize it was him in the room until a subsequent encounter at another hotel where the message on the TV screen said: "Essex House would like to welcome Mr. Sean Combs."
___
This story was updated to correct that Regina Ventura said Combs demanded $20,000 from her, not $10,000. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 18:59:05+00:00 | [
"Brandon Johnson",
"Chicago",
"Donald Trump",
"Lori Lightfoot",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Discrimination",
"Civil rights",
"Human rights",
"Black experience",
"United States government",
"Legal proceedings",
"United States",
"Conservatism",
"Harmeet K. Dhillon",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Government and politics",
"Voting rights",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] | # Justice Department probes Chicago's hiring after mayor touts Black hires
By Claudia Lauer
May 20th, 2025, 06:59 PM
---
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into hiring practices at the city of Chicago, according to a letter shared on social media and sent to the Chicago mayor's office.
The probes announcement Monday came a day after Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke at a Chicago church to outline his vision for the remainder of his term. During the speech, Johnson praised the number of Black people in top positions in his administration. The speech garnered immediate attention on social media, including calls from conservatives and others to investigate.
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division shared its investigation notice on Monday, citing Johnson's comments to the congregation Sunday as the trigger for a pattern or practice investigation into whether the city has habitually violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race.
"Considering these remarks, I have authorized an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination as set forth above," the letter signed by Assistant Attorney General for Harmeet K. Dhillon said. "If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions."
The investigation fits with the Trump administration's larger realignment of how federal agencies view and fight discrimination. It's also part of a larger remaking of the department's civil rights division, which saw a wave of departures as the administration outlined its priorities.
Historically, the civil rights division has investigated claims of discrimination against minorities, monitoring police departments, housing providers and voting rights. These probes are not criminal investigations. They look for a pattern of discrimination and are often settled through court-approved agreements. These consent decrees create a set of required changes that must be met for oversight and monitoring to end.
Dhillon told The Associated Press Tuesday that she does not see the administration's priorities as a shift.
"I would say that it's our view that all racial discrimination is illegal in the United States. And I think it's fair to say the prior administration only looked at that from a particular angle," she said. "I think that we are taking a step back and taking a broader view, which is what is required under these statutes."
Dhillon said the investigation is in its very early stages and that she could not say what the exact parameters of the investigation would be.
"Statutes of limitations apply, but we are going to be looking where the facts lead us," she said, adding that Johnson's predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, had also made "concerning" statements about race in regards to hiring.
The Chicago mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Johnson, who took office in 2023, has gained a reputation for being blunt and even combative at times, getting into public spats with reporters when asked questions about policy or administrative decisions.
With Chicago a routine target of criticism from President Donald Trump and members of his administration, Johnson has occasionally taken a more cautious approach, as when he joined other mayors from so-called sanctuary cities at a congressional hearing earlier this year. But speaking to reporters Tuesday, Johnson doubled down on his commitment to ensure a diverse city workforce and called the investigation a "divisive tactic."
"We don't have to apologize for being concerned about the residents of this city who have borne the brunt of school closures. Think about unemployment in this city, where it is mostly concentrated. Think about violence where it is mostly concentrated," he said. "It would be shameful if I were to repeat the sins of those who have been in this position before because they did not speak enough to Black Chicagoans."
Johnson said his administration is full of highly qualified individuals with educational, law and other specialized backgrounds, before throwing a punch at the Trump administration.
His administration is full of, "individuals that I would question their qualifications. You're running a major department and your qualification is wrestling," he said. "As his administration moves away from diversity, you're seeing more chaos. As my administration embraces diversity, you are seeing us build the safest, most affordable city in America."
Dhillon said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was also opening an investigation into Johnson's statements. A spokesman for the EEOC confirmed that the commission had received a letter from DOJ, but said he could not confirm whether the agency is investigating a specific complaint. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 23:15:22+00:00 | [
"Ruth Eleonora Lpez",
"Nayib Bukele",
"Eleonora Alfaro",
"Law enforcement",
"El Salvador",
"Theft",
"Eugenio Chicas",
"Noah Bullock",
"Human rights",
"Salvador Sanchez Ceren",
"Corporate crime",
"Embezzlement"
] | # Mother of arrested Salvadoran lawyer says daughter is innocent and calls for her release
May 20th, 2025, 11:15 PM
---
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The mother of a human rights lawyer arrested in El Salvador said Tuesday she was able to see and speak with her daughter more than 24 hours after her arrest and declared her daughter's innocence in what critics say was government retaliation for her work.
Eleonora Alfaro spoke after visiting Ruth Eleonora López, the head of the anti-corruption team at nongovernmental organization Cristosal.
Police arrested López Sunday night alleging she participated in the embezzlement of funds when she held a government position earlier in her career.
Cristosal has been one of the most outspoken critics of some of President Nayib Bukele's policies, especially the ongoing three-year state of emergency.
"My daughter is completely innocent, she has nothing to do with it," Alfaro said. "She knows where this comes from and I do too." She called on Bukele to order her daughter's release.
"He has ordered my daughter's arrest, because she has at times expressed criticism in favor of the people in and in favor of all Salvadoran society," she said. Alfaro added that police treated her respectfully when she visited and that her daughter was in good health.
Bukele's office has not commented on the arrest.
The alleged wrongdoing dates to her time as an adviser to Eugenio Chicas, the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during the administration of President Salvador Sánchez Cerén (2014-2019).
Chicas moved from the court to the Cabinet of Sánchez Cerén and also served as a congressman. Last November, he and some of his relatives were convicted in a civil case for illegal enrichment between 2009 and 2021.
Chicas, who was detained in February, is now being prosecuted on criminal charges of illegal enrichment.
The Attorney General's Office alleged that López had been involved in Chicas' embezzlement.
Cristosal President Noah Bullock said Tuesday that López's arrest was an "attack against the entire human rights movement."
____
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 15:04:17+00:00 | [
"Newark",
"Ras Baraka",
"Donald Trump",
"Alina Habba",
"Tom Homan",
"Prisons",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"National",
"Immigration",
"Kristi Noem",
"United States government",
"Bonnie Coleman",
"Donald Payne Jr.",
"Politics",
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement",
"Law enforcement",
"Indictments",
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security",
"Rob Menendez"
] | # Prosecutors charge New Jersey Democrat over ICE protest
By Mike Catalini, Alanna Durkin Richer, and Eric Tucker
May 20th, 2025, 03:04 PM
---
Federal prosecutors alleged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey pushed and grabbed officers while attempting to block the arrest of the Newark mayor outside an immigration detention facility, according to charges in court papers unsealed on Tuesday.
In an eight-page complaint, interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba's office said McIver was protesting the removal of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka from a congressional tour of the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark on May 9.
The complaint says she attempted to stop the arrest of the mayor and pushed into agents for Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She faces two counts of assaulting, resisting and impeding an officer.
McIver has denied any wrongdoing and has accused federal agents of escalating the situation by arresting the mayor. She denounced the charge as "purely political" and said prosecutors are distorting her actions in an effort to deter legislative oversight.
Habba had charged Baraka with trespassing after his arrest but dismissed the allegation on Monday when she said in a social media post she instead was charging the congresswoman.
Prosecuting McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress for allegations other than fraud or corruption.
The case instantly taps into a broader and more consequential struggle between a Trump administration engaged in overhauling immigration policy and a Democratic party scrambling to respond.
Within minutes of Habba's announcement, McIver's Democratic colleagues cast the prosecution as an infringement on lawmakers' official duties to serve their constituents and an effort to silence their opposition to an immigration policy that helped propel the president back into power but now has emerged as divisive fault line in American political discourse.
Members of Congress are authorized by law to go into federal immigration facilities as part of their oversight powers, even without advance notice. Congress passed a 2019 appropriations bill that spelled out the authority.
A nearly two-minute clip released by the Homeland Security Department shows McIver on the facility side of a chain-link fence just before the arrest of the mayor on the street side of the fence. She and uniformed officials go through the gate and she joins others shouting they should circle the mayor. The video shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and officers. At one point her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform emblazoned with the word "Police" on it.
It isn't clear from bodycam video whether that contact was intentional, incidental or a result of jostling in the chaotic scene.
The complaint says she "slammed" her forearm into an agent and then tried to restrain the agent by grabbing him.
Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's top border adviser, said during an interview on Fox News Tuesday "she broke the law and we're going to hold her accountable"
"You can't put hands on an ICE employee. we're not going to tolerate it," he said.
House Democratic leaders decried the criminal case against their colleague in a lengthy statement, calling the charge "extreme" and "morally bankrupt" and lacking "any basis in law or fact.
On Tuesday Democratic lawmakers pushed back against the charges.
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone called the arrest "outrageous" and said the lawmakers "were met by unidentified masked agents with loaded weapons, and now they face charges? The department of justice and ICE are weaponizing this place."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday during a Congressional hearing that lawmakers can conduct oversight but accused those who visited the Newark detention facility of showing up with a "mob" intending to break in and attack law enforcement.
New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who along with Rep. Rob Menendez had joined McIver at the detention center, told reporters Tuesday that her and Menendez's attorneys are scheduled to meet Wednesday with Habba's office.
"That's the first contact that we've actually had from her so we don't know what she has intended, but we're ready for whenever it might be," she said.
Watson Coleman added that Habba's office has indicated that charges are still on the table.
"It's a possibility and it may be a probability. We shall see," she said.
A message seeking comment Tuesday was left with Habba's office.
McIver, 38, first came to Congress in September in a special election after the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. left a vacancy in the 10th District. She was then elected to a full term in November. A Newark native, she served as the president of the Newark City Council from 2022 to 2024 and worked in the city's public schools before that.
___
Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Joey Cappelletti and Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 20:57:38+00:00 | [
"Bomb threats",
"Honolulu",
"San Diego",
"Airport security",
"Evacuations"
] | # Flight at San Diego airport evacuated and 1 arrested following reports of a bomb threat
May 20th, 2025, 08:57 PM
---
SAN DIEGO (AP) — One person was arrested following reports of a possible bomb threat on a Hawaiian Airlines flight set to take off from San Diego International Airport, leading to the evacuation of the plane, officials said.
The Airbus A330 bound for Honolulu had just pushed back from the gate around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday when "a flight attendant informed the flight's captain that a passenger reported a possible bomb onboard," according to a statement from Port of San Diego Harbor police.
The captain called police and SWAT officers, and the FBI responded to search the aircraft. Nothing suspicious was found, and there was no threat to travelers, the police statement said.
A 35-year-old man was arrested on charges of making a false bomb threat and false report of a security threat, according to a news release from the Port of San Diego. The man allegedly told a flight attendant that the passenger next to him had a bomb.
Hawaiian Airlines said in a statement that "a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft" and the captain alerted authorities as a precaution.
All 293 people aboard Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15 were evacuated and transported by bus to a safe area.
The plane was cleared by law enforcement and the passengers were able to reboard. It departed for Honolulu around 2:15 p.m., the airline later said.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the incident happened Tuesday, not Monday. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 19:08:53+00:00 | [
"Los Angeles",
"Animals",
"Elephants",
"Tulsa",
"Cher",
"Oklahoma",
"Lawsuits",
"Legal proceedings",
"Bob Blumenfield",
"Jake Davis"
] | # Aging elephants moved from Los Angeles to Tulsa Zoo, but advocates say they should be at a sanctuary
By Christopher Weber
May 21st, 2025, 07:08 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Billy and Tina, the last remaining elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo, were quietly moved this week to a zoo in Oklahoma despite pending lawsuits seeking to have them transferred instead to an animal sanctuary where they could live out their days with more room to roam.
The announcement last month that Billy, 40, and Tina, 59, would be sent to the Tulsa Zoo angered animal advocates who argue that they would be subjected again to an enclosure that's too small for aging elephants.
The move came "under cover of darkness," said Jake Davis, an attorney for the Nonhuman Rights Project. Davis said he received reports that the Asian elephants were transferred out about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday to elude protesters who've been staking out the zoo.
The nonprofit on Tuesday filed a petition asking a court to release Billy and Tina from the LA Zoo and send them to one of two accredited sanctuaries appropriate for elephants where they would have full-time care and ample space.
"At a sanctuary, they could live as nature intended," Davis said Wednesday. "They need massive swaths of land; they need varied terrain."
The LA Zoo said in a statement Wednesday that the elephants "have arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo" but didn't say when the transfer occurred.
The move was necessary because the Tulsa Zoo has other Asian elephants who will provide important socialization for Billy and Tina because "keeping them in larger groups is crucial for their well-being," especially at their advanced age, the LA Zoo statement said. Asian elephants typically live around 60 years.
A move to a sanctuary was considered, but the Tulsa Zoo was the top recommendation based on the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Elephant Species Survival Plan, which considers "space, herd dynamics, and expertise of the staff," the LA Zoo said.
"This option also ensured that Billy and Tina would be able to remain together," the statement said.
Davis said he expects the Los Angeles lawsuit will be dismissed but his group will not give up the fight to get Billy and Tina a sanctuary retirement home. He said his team is exploring legal options in Oklahoma. The Tulsa Zoo didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.
A lawsuit filed this month by an LA resident sought to halt the elephants' transfer, but a judge denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order. That lawsuit includes a declaration by the singer Cher, who has advocated for the elephants for years, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"Billy and Tina have served their time in confinement," Cher said in the declaration. "They deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity."
The LA Zoo referred questions about the court actions to the city attorney's office, which said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion in April requiring the zoo to explore sanctuary options for the pair. But before the council could act, the zoo went forward with the move, "thwarting public discourse and transparency," In Defense of Animals said in a statement Wednesday.
The nonprofit said the Tulsa Zoo's enclosure is "cramped, unnatural, and harmful to elephant health," with seven animals "jammed into an enclosure less than one percent the size of their smallest natural range."
The Tulsa Zoo said last month that it has renovated and expanded its elephant exhibit, which dedicates 17 of its 124 total acres to pachyderms. A large barn was built in 2024 and an additional 10 acres will be added to preserve this summer, the zoo said in an April statement.
Zoos across the country have been targeted in recent years by animal activists who criticize living conditions for elephants. Broadly, some elephant experts say urban zoos simply don't have the space that elephants, who roam extensive distances in the wild, need for a normal life.
Some larger zoos such as the Toronto Zoo and San Francisco Zoo have phased out their elephant programs, sending their aging animals to sanctuaries that have far more space.
But other zoos say they are committed to keeping elephants and are turning to breeding, arguing that a sustainable population of zoo elephants will help spur a commitment to wildlife conservation among future generations of visitors.
In New York, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed legal papers to try to free the Asian elephant Happy from the Bronx Zoo but lost in court in 2022. The group then filed similar papers in California to try to free the Fresno Chaffee Zoo 's three African elephants but a judge ruled against the group. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 15:54:58+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Vladimir Putin",
"Space launches",
"Military and defense",
"District of Columbia",
"China",
"China government",
"U.S. Air Force",
"Politics",
"Aerospace technology",
"Troy Meink",
"Russia",
"U.S. Department of Defense",
"Michael Guetlein",
"United States government"
] | # Trump selects concept for $175-billion 'Golden Dome' missile system
By Tara Copp
May 20th, 2025, 03:54 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defense program — a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put U.S. weapons in space.
Speaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be "fully operational before the end of my term," which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles "even if they are launched from space."
It's likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a U.S. official familiar with the program said.
Trump, seated next to a poster showing the continental U.S. painted gold and with artistic depictions of missile interceptions, also announced that Gen. Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will be responsible for overseeing Golden Dome's progress.
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
For the last several months, Pentagon planners have been developing options — which the U.S. official described as medium, high and "extra high" choices, based on their cost — that include space-based interceptors. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public.
The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many satellites and sensors — and for the first time, space-based interceptors — would be purchased.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial $25 billion for the program in his proposed tax break bill now moving through Congress.
The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary. Golden Dome's added satellites and interceptors — where the bulk of the program's cost is — would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.
The space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome "represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations," Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the U.S. Space Force, told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday.
China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with abilities to disable critical U.S. satellites, which can make the U.S. vulnerable to attack.
Last year, the U.S. said Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon that could loiter in space for long durations, then release a burst that would take out satellites around it.
Trump said Tuesday that he had not yet spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Golden Dome program, "but at the right time, we will," he told reporters at the White House.
In a joint statement earlier this month, China and Russia called the Golden Dome idea "deeply destabilizing in nature," warning it would turn "outer space into an environment for placing weapons and an arena for armed confrontation."
There is no money for the project yet, and Golden Dome overall is "still in the conceptual stage," newly confirmed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators during a hearing Tuesday.
While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet — which is not the way new systems are normally developed.
The Pentagon and U.S. Northern Command are still drafting what is known as an initial capabilities document, the U.S. official said. That is how Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland defense, identifies what it will need the system to do.
The U.S. already has many missile defense capabilities, such as the Patriot missile batteries that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome.
Trump directed the Pentagon to pursue the space-based interceptors in an executive order during the first week of his presidency.
___
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:21:57+00:00 | [
"Keir Starmer",
"Rachel Reeves",
"Retirees",
"United Kingdom government",
"Europe",
"England",
"London",
"Business",
"Conservatism",
"United Kingdom",
"Subsidies",
"Politics"
] | # UK's Starmer paves the way for reversal of policy that limited fuel subsidies for retirees
By Pan Pylas
May 21st, 2025, 12:21 PM
---
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested Wednesday that a hugely unpopular measure which deprived millions of retirees an annual winter fuel subsidy will be changed, a striking reversal in policy.
Starmer said he wanted to help people with the cost of living and added that he wanted more retirees to be eligible for the so-called winter fuel payments. He spoke during his weekly questioning in the House of Commons after figures were released showing inflation was up at its highest level in over a year.
"As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements," he said. "That is why we want to ensure that as we go forward more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments."
Soon after Labour came to power last July, Treasury chief Rachel Reeves removed the winter fuel allowance, worth between 200 and 300 pounds ($266 and $399) a year, from all but the poorest retirees, arguing that the measure was needed because of the dire state of the public finances left by the previous Conservative government.
The more targeted payment meant that around 11 million retirees, many on limited incomes, lost out and were struggling to make ends meet, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.
Many members of Labour, in and out of parliament, thought the relatively modest 1.5 billion-pound ($2 billion) saving that the policy change reaped was not worth the political cost.
The move arguably contributed to a swift decline in popularity for Starmer's government since it was elected. In local elections in England earlier this month, Labour fared poorly, with many party representatives blaming the removal of the winter fuel payment.
Since then, there's been growing speculation that the government will change tack by either scrapping the measure or increasing the level at which the allowance is paid.
Starmer told lawmakers that the decision will be made "as part of a fiscal event." It appears that whatever change is made will most likely be announced in the next budget in the fall.
During Wednesday's exchanges in the House of Commons, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party, asked how the public could "ever trust" Starmer after the "inevitable U-turn" on winter fuel payments.
Starmer appeared to justify the change on economic grounds and said that higher than expected first quarter U.K. growth, lower borrowing costs and trio of trade deals with the European Union, India and the United States give the government room for maneuver.
"It's only because of the measures we've taken that the economy is improving, growth at the highest rate in the G-7, four interest rate cuts, three trade deals because countries want to trade with this country because of the decisions that we've made," Starmer said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 00:39:10+00:00 | [
"Bryan Kohberger",
"Legal proceedings",
"Trials",
"Idaho",
"Constitutional law",
"Ethan Chapin",
"Kaylee Goncalves",
"Steven Hippler"
] | # Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger ask for trial delay, citing in part publicity around the case
May 22nd, 2025, 12:39 AM
---
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Attorneys for a man accused of killing four University of Idaho students have asked that his trial be delayed, citing in part a recent NBC "Dateline" special that they called prejudicial toward Bryan Kohberger and a need for additional time to prepare his defense.
The filing dated Tuesday said moving forward with an August trial would infringe upon Kohberger's constitutional rights. It said attorneys need more time to review discovery, complete investigations and prepare for trial.
There was no immediate ruling on the request, which comes days after the judge overseeing the case, Fourth District Judge Steven Hippler, said he wanted to identify anyone who may have violated a gag order by leaking information from the investigation to news organizations or anyone else not directly involved with the case.
Hippler last week ordered prosecutors and defense attorneys to provide a list of everyone who might have had access to the previously unreported information about Kohberger's internet search history and other details that were featured in the "Dateline" episode that aired May 9.
Kohberger's attorneys raised concerns about the special and an upcoming book on the case set for release in mid-July. Their filing states the blurb for the book "suggests that the apparent Dateline leak was not the only violation of this Court's non-dissemination order."
"A continuance is necessary to fully investigate the leaks and to mitigate the prejudicial effects of such inflammatory pretrial publicity occurring so close to the current trial date," the filing said.
Kohberger, 30, a former graduate student in criminal justice at Washington State University, is charged in the stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. The four were found dead in a rental home near campus in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.
A not-guilty plea was entered on Kohberger's behalf. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty if he is convicted. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 18:33:09+00:00 | [
"Kristi Noem",
"Donald Trump",
"U.S. Coast Guard",
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security",
"Military and defense",
"United States government",
"Politics",
"U.S. Department of Transportation",
"Connecticut",
"Kevin E. Lunday",
"Veronica Krystofik",
"Linda Fagan",
"Arctic",
"Mike Ezell"
] | # Noem promises reform to US Coast Guard Academy graduates
By Susan Haigh
May 21st, 2025, 06:33 PM
---
The U.S. Coast Guard is facing its largest readiness crisis since World War II, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday as she promised an overhaul of the service that she called the "point of the spear" in the nation's defense.
Noem, the keynote speaker at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's commencement, outlined the Trump administration's plans to increase the service's military workforce by at least 15,000 by the end of fiscal year 2028. The plan also calls for reducing the number of admirals by 25%, boosting recruiting efforts and increasing the fleet, including icebreakers that are used in the Arctic.
"A new chapter for America's Coast Guard, one like we have never seen before, starts right now," she told the 256 cadets, who became newly minted officers from the prestigious service academy in New London, Connecticut.
Noem spoke of the Coast Guard being 10% short of its enlisted workforce goals and relying on outdated aircraft and ships, some sailing with 75% of the needed crew members. She recalled a meeting with President Donald Trump, who she said asked what the Coast Guard needed.
"I said sir, they need everything," Noem said. "They've been neglected for too long."
## Big change is afoot
The Coast Guard has more than 43,000 active duty members, 8,000 reservists, and 30,000 auxiliary members.
"We are on the edge of transformational change," said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, who Noem announced Wednesday will become the service's new commandant. Lunday has been the service's acting commandant since Jan. 21, after Trump fired former Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first female leader of the Coast Guard.
The administration's modernization plan, called Force Design 2028, officially takes effect on Wednesday, Noem said. Besides increasing the workforce, it calls for the appointment of a dedicated civilian leader to oversee the nation's maritime service, essentially mirroring how the other branches of the U.S. military are led at the Pentagon.
Nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the proposed Coast Guard Service Secretary within the Homeland Security Department would advocate for a service "weakened by decades of underinvestment, neglect and strategic drift," and create a new level of accountability, according to the plan released Wednesday.
Such a change would require congressional approval. Currently, there is at least one bill before Congress that would create such a position.
"Creating a Secretary of the Coast Guard ensures they have the leadership, resources, and support they need to continue their vital missions," said the bill's author, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi, chair of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, in a recent written statement. "It's time we give the Coast Guard the same level of recognition and advocacy that other military branches receive."
## Coast Guard is now under Homeland Security
Control of the Coast Guard was officially transferred from the U.S. Department of Transportation to DHS in 2003. The Commandant of the Coast Guard, a four-star admiral and the highest ranking Coast Guard officer, is now tasked with leading the service.
The Coast Guard competes for attention with more than a dozen components of the DHS, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Under the Trump administration's plan, the appointment of a secretary, accountable to the president and the DHS secretary and subject to congressional oversight, presents an opportunity to reform the service's organizational structure.
"The Coast Guard must be able to conduct its missions and deliver results without being mired in wasteful bureaucracy," the report reads.
A major focus of the plan is to reorganize how the service operates, eliminate redundancies and streamline processes for things like acquiring much-needed cutters and icebreakers. Part of that reorganization includes reducing the approximately 47 admirals by 12 in hopes of empowering decision-making at all levels of the Coast Guard while creating a "more agile, capable and responsive fighting force."
Many of the service academy graduates cheered the promised reforms during Wednesday's commencement. Cadet Veronica Krystofik of Colchester, Conn., who was named the Distinguished Graduate of the class of 2025, said Force Design 2028 marks "the most significant shift in a century."
"But I'm not worried because I know exactly who is stepping up to that challenge. Our class," she said.
Six international students also graduated on Wednesday. They will return to their native countries' maritime services.
More than 200 protesters gathered in a park near the front gate of the academy on Wednesday ahead of the commencement, many denouncing Noem's immigration enforcement policies. Some held signs reading "Kristi Noem Go Home" and also urging the Coast Guard to "Disobey Unlawful Orders," referring to recent deportation flights.
___ |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:51:47+00:00 | [
"Pope Leo XIV",
"Vatican City",
"Rome",
"Religion",
"Francesco Tamburlani",
"Peru",
"Physical fitness",
"Valerio Masella",
"Catholic Church",
"Jannik Sinner",
"Lifestyle"
] | # At the gym, the future Pope Leo XIV kept a high heart rate and a low profile
By Paolo Santalucia
May 21st, 2025, 12:51 PM
---
ROME (AP) — The Omega gym in Rome has long been frequented by residents of the up-market Prati district, as well as priests, nuns and monsignors from the nearby Vatican City. And also, to the delight of gym staff, the man who would become pope.
Robert Prevost came to the Vatican from Peru in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world. Cardinal Prevost broke a sweat at Omega for two years until, earlier this month, he was elected Pope Leo XIV.
"When the name of the pope was announced, my phone rings and my son tells me, 'Dad, it's Robert! Robert, our member!'" Francesco Tamburlani, the owner of the gym, said in an interview. "I heard the gym staff behind him cheering. ... This moved us, filled us with joy."
A typical workout for someone of Prevost's age, 69, was a mere warm-up for the little-known American cardinal, according to Valerio Masella, his personal trainer. Although it is hard to define an age group for personalized programs, Prevost's plan was more befitting of men aged 50-55. Masella would train him two or three times a week in sessions lasting up to an hour.
So, how much does the pope bench? Masella can't speak to his papal power, since Prevost was focused on posture and cardiovascular capacity. He ran on his favorite treadmill that faces a mural featuring famous local landmarks, among them St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
"We would start off slow and then go pretty strong, I must say. Especially a lot of resistance on the exercise bike, a very strong climb," Masella said.
Throughout their two-year training, Masella never knew Prevost was a cardinal, nor did he hear him utter a discouraging word.
"I don't think I've ever heard him make a comment about anything that wasn't positive. He was always positive about everything -- the weather, the city, the people, also for me, he said he liked the gym."
A Vatican spokesperson didn't reply when asked for comment.
A sporting pope isn't new. Pope John Paul II, who was elected at the age of 58, was an avid skier and mountain trekker.
Chicago-born Prevost's game is tennis. On May 15, he met top-ranked player Jannik Sinner, who gave him a racket and offered to play during an off day at the Italian Open. Leo had said earlier in the week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist.
After Prevost took over the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops in 2023, he said in an interview with the Augustinian Order that his new job had left him little free time to practice his game. While the Mediterranean climate makes tennis possible year-round, the papacy will likely leave him even fewer chances to step onto a court.
Tamburlani, the Omega owner, says the Holy Father is welcome back any time he wants to squeeze in a workout. After all, his membership's still active.
"This would make us so happy," he said. "We would organize our gym to guarantee his safety and his privacy. We would just need a sign." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 08:27:20+00:00 | [
"Anwar Ibrahim",
"Myanmar",
"Kuwait",
"Oman",
"Bahrain",
"China",
"Donald Trump",
"Min Aung Hlaing",
"Association of Southeast Asian Nations",
"China government",
"Malaysia government",
"Economic policy",
"Malaysia",
"United States Congress",
"Politics",
"United States government",
"Government policy",
"Business",
"Earthquakes",
"Hiking"
] | # US tariff hikes, Myanmar war and sea disputes will top ASEAN summit agenda
May 22nd, 2025, 08:27 AM
---
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — The civil war in Myanmar, maritime disputes in the South China Sea and U.S. tariff hikes will top the agenda of a two-day Southeast Asian summit next week, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.
The meeting in Malaysia, the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, on Monday will be followed by a summit on Tuesday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The GCC already has strong links with the U.S. and "wants to be close to China too," Anwar said. "We want to have that synergy to enhance trade investments, more effective collaboration," Anwar said in a media briefing late Wednesday.
ASEAN countries, many which rely on exports to the U.S., have been hit by U.S. tariffs ranging from 10% to 49%. U.S. President Donald Trump last month announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs, prompting countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to swiftly begin trade negotiations with Washington.
Anwar said the U.S. has promised to review Malaysia's case "sympathetically." He said ASEAN is also working together to see how it can negotiate with the U.S. as a bloc. At the same time, he said that ASEAN must build its economic resilience by deepening links with other partners such as China, India and the European Union.
Anwar said the U.S.-China rivalry would not split the bloc as the region continues to engage both superpowers. He also downplayed territorial disputes between ASEAN members and China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety, and Myanmar's conflict since the 2021 military takeover.
Anwar met last month with Myanmar military chief Gen. Ming Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and held virtual talks with the opposition National Unity Government. Even though the talks were focused on humanitarian aid following a devastating earthquake in March that killed more than 3,700 people, Anwar said he hopes they could eventually push a peace process forward.
Min Aung Hlaing has been barred from attending ASEAN meetings after the military refused to comply with ASEAN's peace plan, which includes delivery of humanitarian aid and negotiations. Opponents and critics of the military government say aid is not freely allowed into areas not under the army's control, and accuse the army of violating its self-declared ceasefire with dozens of airstrikes. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 12:51:57+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Immunizations",
"Medication",
"U.S. Food and Drug Administration",
"District of Columbia",
"COVID-19 pandemic",
"COVID-19",
"Health",
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"Politics",
"Business",
"Vinay Prasad",
"Marty Makary",
"United States government"
] | # FDA panel debates COVID vaccine recipe as questions swirl about fall shots
By Matthew Perrone and Lauran Neergaard
May 22nd, 2025, 12:51 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Government advisers are meeting Thursday to decide if COVID-19 vaccines need updating to improve protection this fall and winter — even as a new Trump administration policy has thrown into question who may be eligible for a shot.
The Food and Drug Administration's outside experts have met regularly since the launch of the first COVID-19 vaccines to discuss tweaking their recipes to stay ahead of the virus. Thursday's meeting is the group's first since President Donald Trump took office.
But it comes just two days after FDA leaders upended the prior U.S. policy of recommending annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older.
Instead, the FDA said routine approval of COVID-19 boosters will be limited to seniors and to younger people who are at high risk of severe infection. Manufacturers will need to do new studies to show whether seasonal shots still benefit healthy people younger than 65.
That raises big implications for next fall's vaccination campaign, with uncertainty over whether healthy people still could get a vaccine even if it's not recommended for them — or whether insurers will keep paying for the shots for everyone. Nor is it clear what the policy means for babies who have never been vaccinated.
"This is a mess," said Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease expert. "The one thing we don't want to do is put a barrier in place that prevents parents from getting their children vaccinated if they want to."
FDA's independent advisers may raise those issues Thursday, but the changes are not the focus of the meeting, which was scheduled before FDA's announcement.
Instead, the panel is set to recommend whether the virus has mutated enough to warrant strain updates for shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax.
"We are asking for guidance to help the FDA decide what strain to select for COVID-19 vaccines going forward," FDA vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad said in comments opening the meeting. Prasad added that the agency wants "to give people a little more time to digest," the new policy on vaccines and is open to feedback.
Last fall's recipe was tailored to omicron descendants on the JN.1 branch of the virus family tree. Novavax brewed shots targeting the parent JN.1 variant while Pfizer and Moderna opted for a subtype called KP.2.
That JN.1 family still dominates, although it continues to evolve. The question is whether last fall's shots still offer enough cross-protection or if manufacturers instead should match today's most common subtype, called LP.8.1.
The World Health Organization recently said last year's version was OK but that vaccine makers could choose an update. The European Medicines Agency instead recommended targeting the newest subtype.
FDA officials didn't express a preference in documents posted online ahead of Thursday's meeting. Prasad suggested earlier in the week that the government should move away from yearly updates.
"Instead of having a COVID-19 strategy that's year-to-year where we change things every single year, why don't we let the science tell us when to change?" he said.
Debating that science is what the FDA's vaccine advisers do each year. If they recommend leaving the shots unchanged — and the FDA agrees — it's possible that healthy adults and children may still get access to a fall booster, since this week's policy changes suggest new studies would be required only if manufacturers switch strains or introduce a completely new vaccine. Those would be large, six-month studies, and vaccine experts question if their cost and logistics could make them unfeasible.
Still, the FDA's strain decision normally isn't the final word on recommendations about who should be vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's own advisory panel meets in June to make recommendations about the fall shots. Among its options are keeping universal access or recommending vaccination for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice in getting a shot.
Prasad and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary were both outspoken critics of the government's handling of COVID-19 shots during the pandemic, particularly the recommendation for use in young, healthy adults and children. Before joining government, they each garnered attention from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who built a national following by casting doubt on the safety and benefits of vaccines.
In a medical journal editorial outlining the FDA's new approach, they criticized the U.S.'s "one-size-fits-all" approach, saying it has long been out of step with Europe and other places with more limited recommendations for boosters.
___
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 | 2025-05-21 13:45:49+00:00 | [
"Philippines",
"China government",
"South China Sea",
"Beijing",
"China",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Oceans",
"Military and defense",
"United States Congress"
] | # US, Philippines militaries conduct drills in waters adjacent to the China-claimed South China Sea
May 21st, 2025, 01:45 PM
---
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The militaries of the U.S. and Philippines have carried out joint drills in waters adjacent to the South China Sea claimed by Beijing, amid a rising number of incidents between China and the Philippines in the vital Southeast Asian waterway.
Participating in the maneuvers in the Sulu Sea this week were ships and aircraft from navies and coast guards, along with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. 7th Fleet responsible for the Asia-Pacific said in a statement.
It said the drills included "exercises in maritime domain awareness, division tactics, maneuvering" and search and seizure.
There was no immediate comment from Beijing on the drills.
In a new national map released in 2003, the Chinese government demarcated its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, with vague dash lines that drew protests and rejections from rival coastal governments, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
China has transformed seven disputed reefs into what are now missile-protected island bases, including Mischief Reef, which lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The Sulu Sea lies inside that zone.
China has ignored a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated China's extensive territorial claims based on historical grounds, and objects to activities by the U.S. military in the region — specifically those that challenge its island claims and threat to invade Taiwan, just north of the Sulu Sea.
The U.S. lays no claims in the waters, but has declared that freedom of navigation and overflight and the peaceful resolution of the conflicts are in its core national interests.
The U.S. also has a treaty obligating it to defend the Philippines if attacked and has been dispatching additional troops and weaponry to upgrade the island nation's ability to defend itself.
China routinely harasses Philippine fishing boats in parts of the South China Sea, also within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometers) from its coastline. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 18:18:22+00:00 | [
"Ron DeSantis",
"Florida",
"Government programs",
"Jack Campbell",
"Casey DeSantis",
"Philanthropy",
"Politics",
"Associated Press",
"Kate Payne",
"Mark Wilson",
"Alex Andrade"
] | # Prosecutors open investigation related to Hope Florida Foundation
By Kate Payne
May 20th, 2025, 06:18 PM
---
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors have opened an investigation related to the Hope Florida Foundation, the nonprofit behind the welfare program that has been touted as the signature achievement of first lady Casey DeSantis.
A public records custodian in the office of Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell confirmed the existence of "an open, on-going investigation" Tuesday in response to a records request from The Associated Press. The investigation was first reported by the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times.
Questioned by reporters at an event Tuesday in Tampa highlighting the work of Hope Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the initiative, which uses state employees to help connect Floridians in need with faith institutions and community-based nonprofits and wean them off government assistance.
"I believe in this program deeply and I stand by it 100%," DeSantis said.
"This is a rewiring of the way that government operates," the first lady said.
"It's a model for the nation. Instead of saying, 'Here's a handout,' let's give you hope and a hand up to live up to your God-given potential," she added.
State lawmakers in DeSantis' own party have been scrutinizing the program and its nonprofit foundation, which gave $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement to two nonprofits. Those groups in turn gave millions to a political committee, chaired by DeSantis' then-chief of staff, that campaigned against a failed referendum on recreational marijuana.
On Tuesday, Mark Wilson, the president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the chair of one of the nonprofits that received the grants, appeared at the event with the governor and first lady to highlight businesses that are collaborating with Hope Florida.
"Folks, we are just getting started," Wilson said.
"Imagine the connection that happens when churches and employers and government works together," he added.
Last month, Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade wrapped up the investigation he had been spearheading into Hope Florida, saying he would leave the rest of the inquiry to "the FBI and Department of Justice." Andrade has alleged that the flow of funds from the foundation to the nonprofits and on to the political committees amounts to "conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud."
DeSantis has dismissed the investigation of Hope Florida as a politically motivated smear against his wife, who he's floated as his potential successor when he terms out in 2026.
"I think that everything that's been thrown at it is pure politics," DeSantis said.
___ Kate Payne 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 | 2025-05-21 04:05:33+00:00 | [
"South Africa",
"Elon Musk",
"Donald Trump",
"Cyril Ramaphosa",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Marco Rubio",
"United States government",
"Genocide",
"United States",
"South Africa government",
"Racism",
"Politics",
"John Steenhuisen",
"Race and ethnicity",
"United States Congress",
"Government policy",
"JD Vance",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] | # South Africa's leader aims to salvage relationship with Trump in White House visit
By Gerald Imray
May 21st, 2025, 04:05 AM
---
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump will host South Africa's leader at the White House on Wednesday for a meeting that might be tense after Trump accused the country's government of allowing a "genocide" to take place against minority white farmers.
South Africa has strongly rejected the allegation and President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed for the meeting with Trump in an attempt to salvage his country's relationship with the United States, which is at its lowest point since the end of the apartheid system of racial segregation in 1994.
Trump has launched a series of accusations at South Africa's Black-led government, including that it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy.
Ramaphosa said he hopes to correct what he calls damaging mischaracterizations during the meeting, which is Trump's first with an African leader at the White House since he returned to office.
Some in South Africa worry their leader might get "Zelenskyy'd" — a reference to the public bashing Trump and Vice President JD Vance handed out to the Ukrainian president in their infamous Oval Office meeting in February.
In advance of the meeting, a White House official said Trump's topics of discussion with Ramaphosa were likely to include the need to condemn politicians who "promote genocidal rhetoric" and to classify farm attacks as a priority crime. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said Trump also was likely to raise South African race-based barriers to trade and the need to "stop scaring off investors."
Here's what to know ahead of the Trump-Ramaphosa meeting.
## Will Trump stand by the genocide allegation?
Trump's criticism of South Africa began in early February in a post on Truth Social when he accused South Africa's government of seizing land from white Afrikaner farmers and a "massive Human Rights VIOLATION" against members of the white minority.
Trump's allegation that Afrikaners were being mistreated was at the center of an executive order he issued days later that cut all U.S. assistance to South Africa.
He went further this month, alleging there was a "genocide" against white farmers and the Trump administration has brought a small group of white South Africans to the U.S. as refugees in what it says is the start of a larger relocation program.
The U.S. has been asked if it will stand by the genocide allegation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with CBS that it would and that the administration felt there was evidence, citing instances of white farmers being murdered and claiming some were being "forcibly removed" from their properties.
Some white farmers have been killed in violent home invasions. But the South African government says the causes behind the relatively small number of homicides are misunderstood by the Trump administration; they are part of the country's severe problems with crime and not racially motivated, it says. Black farmers have also been killed.
The South African government has said the allegations against it are misinformation.
South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, who is white and a member of a different political party from Ramaphosa, said in an interview with The Associated Press that no land was being seized from farmers and claims of genocide were false.
"When you mischaracterize things like that and this misinformation gets out, it does have real-world consequences," said Steenhuisen, who is part of the South African delegation in Washington.
## 'Kill the farmer' chant
The White House official said Trump would also likely impress on Ramaphosa the need for the South African government to publicly condemn politicians who repeat an apartheid-era chant that contains the lyrics "kill the farmer" and "shoot the farmer." The chant is sometimes used at political rallies by a minority opposition party.
It has often been cited by critics of South Africa — including South African-born Trump ally Elon Musk — as evidence of the persecution of white farmers because it uses the word Boer, which specifically refers to Afrikaners.
While Ramaphosa's party does not use the chant, the government has not condemned it. An Afrikaner group says it should be labelled hate speech.
## What is Musk's connection?
Musk has been at the forefront of the criticism of his homeland, casting its affirmative action business laws as racist. Musk said on social media that his Starlink satellite internet service wasn't able to get a license to operate in South Africa because he was white.
South African authorities say Starlink hasn't formally applied. If it did, it would be bound by laws that require foreign companies to allow 30% of their South African subsidiaries to be owned by shareholders who are Black or from other racial groups disadvantaged under apartheid.
The Trump administration considered those laws a trade barrier and U.S. companies should be exempt from racial requirements, according to the White House official.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday, quoting unnamed sources, that South Africa was willing to negotiate on easing the laws for Musk's Starlink in an attempt to defuse tensions with the U.S. Ramaphosa didn't comment on any possible discussions with Musk or his representatives when asked by South African reporters in Washington.
## Getting 'Zelenskyy'd'
Ramaphosa was also asked if he worried he might be "humiliated" in a public appearance with Trump. Parts of the South African media have questioned whether Ramaphosa might get "Zelenskyy'd" at the White House — a reference to Trump's berating of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of the world's media.
Trump has directed much of his criticism at Ramaphosa and senior government officials, accusing them of doing "some terrible things."
Ramaphosa said the meeting would focus on trade and normalizing relations and he was not concerned it would become confrontational or that he would be humiliated.
"South Africans are never humiliated, are they? South Africans always go into everything holding their heads high," he said.
___
AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
___
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 18:53:32+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Doug Burgum",
"Fires",
"Oregon",
"Washington",
"U.S. Department of the Interior",
"United States government",
"New Jersey",
"Nebraska",
"Billings",
"Wildfires",
"United States",
"Fish",
"Climate and environment",
"Tim Sheehy",
"National Park Service",
"Elon Musk",
"Government budgets",
"Steve Ellis",
"Animals",
"Timothy Ingalsbee",
"Politics",
"Climate"
] | # Trump plans to merge wildland firefighting efforts into one agency, but ex-officials warn of chaos
By Matthew Brown
May 20th, 2025, 06:53 PM
---
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is trying to merge the government's wildland firefighting efforts into a single agency, a move some former federal officials warn could increase the risk of catastrophic blazes and ultimately cost billions of dollars.
Trump's budget would centralize firefighting efforts now split among five agencies and two Cabinet departments into a single Federal Wildland Fire Service under the U.S. Interior Department.
That would mean shifting thousands of personnel from the U.S. Forest Service — where most federal firefighters now work — into the new agency with fire season already underway. Budget documents do not disclose how much the change could cost or save.
The Trump administration in its first months temporarily cut off money for wildfire mitigation work and sharply reduced the ranks of federal government firefighters through layoffs and retirement. That resulted in the loss of more than 1,600 qualified firefighters in the Forest Service — an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture — and hundreds of people at Interior, according to the National Association of Forest Service Retirees and Democratic lawmakers.
The personnel declines and proposed agency reshuffling come as climate change makes fires more severe by warming and drying the landscape. More than 65,000 wildfires across the U.S. burned almost 9 million acres last year.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Tuesday during testimony before the House Appropriations Committee that the new fire service would streamline work to stamp out blazes.
"We want more firefighters on the front lines and less people trying to make manual decisions on how to allocate resources and personnel," Burgum said. "We've got duplicative and ineffective structures that could be improved."
But organizations representing firefighters and former Forest Service officials say it would be costly to restructure firefighting efforts and cause major disruptions in the midst of fire season. Over the long term, they said, it would shift the focus from preventing fires through forest thinning and controlled burns, to extinguishing them even in cases where fire could have beneficial effects.
"You will not suppress your way to success in dealing with catastrophic fires. It's going to create greater risk and it's going to be particularly chaotic if you implement it going into fire season," said Steve Ellis, the chairman of the forest service retirees group and a former wildfire incident commander.
The group, which includes several former Forest Service chiefs, said in a letter to lawmakers that consolidation of firefighting work could "actually increase the likelihood of more large catastrophic fires, putting more communities, firefighters and resources at risk."
Cleaving the Forest Service's firefighting duties from its role as a land manager would be "like separating cojoined twins — it would basically kill the agency" said Timothy Ingalsbee with Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, a Eugene, Oregon-based advocacy group.
Another destructive fire season is expected this year, driven by above normal temperatures for most of the country, according to federal officials.
More than 1 million acres have burned in 2025, including in Arizona, Minnesota, California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Jersey and other states.
The Trump administration proposal has some bipartisan support, with California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla and Montana Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy sponsoring legislation that's similar. Before his election last year, Sheehy founded an aerial firefighting company that relies heavily on federal contracts.
A prior proposal to merge the Forest Service and Interior to improve firefighting was found to have significant drawbacks by the Congressional Research Service in a 2008 report.
"A wildfire agency would likely focus on fire control, largely because acres burned are the most readily measurable performance standard," the report said. "Wildfire management activities that seek to reduce damages, such as protecting individual structures and reducing biomass fuels, are less likely to be emphasized."
Burgum indicated the administration was not waiting for the bill to pass and he would work with Agriculture Sec. Brooke Rollins to begin coordinating operations for the current fire season.
The Forest Service workforce was initially cut in February during billionaire Elon Musk's push to reduce federal spending, and at least 1,000 National Park Service workers also were let go. A court order to rehire fired workers along with a public outcry brought many workers back to their jobs but Democratic lawmakers have said it's not enough.
The Forest Service had about 9,450 wildland firefighters as of May 3, with a goal of 11,300 by mid-July.
Interior employs about 6,700 wildland firefighters, spread between the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Land Management.
State officials in Washington and Oregon said this month that a loss of federal workers who help support wildland firefighting is making planning for the upcoming wildfire season a challenge. The administration has not released the exact number of fired and rehired workers.
In a separate action aimed at wildfires, the Trump administration last month rolled back environmental safeguards around future logging projects on more than half of U.S. national forests.
The emergency designation covers 176,000 square miles (455,000 square kilometers) of terrain primarily in the West but also in the South, around the Great Lakes and in New England.
Most of those forests are considered to have high wildfire risk, and many are in decline because of insects and disease. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 13:05:04+00:00 | [
"Israel",
"Israel government",
"Yaron Lischinsky",
"District of Columbia",
"Jerusalem",
"Middle East",
"DC Wire",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Yechiel Leiter",
"United States Congress",
"Mike Herzog",
"Religion",
"Ron Prosor",
"Business"
] | # Who were the Israeli Embassy staffers shot dead days before getting engaged?
By Tia Goldenberg
May 22nd, 2025, 01:05 PM
---
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The two people shot and killed outside a Jewish museum in Washington were young staffers at the Israeli Embassy who were soon to be engaged. The suspect shouted "Free Palestine" as he was being arrested.
Israel identified the victims as Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, without giving their ages. They were leaving a young diplomats event at the Capital Jewish Museum that was meant to "foster unity and celebrate Jewish heritage" when they were killed on Wednesday.
Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring and was just days away from proposing to Milgrim on a planned trip to Jerusalem, according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.
Here is a look at the victims:
## Yaron Lischinsky
Lischinsky worked as a research assistant at the Israeli Embassy, where he was responsible for a number of tasks, including keeping its political department up to date on "important events and trends happening in the Middle East & North Africa," according to his LinkedIn profile.
Lischinsky moved to Israel from Germany at age 16, according to his profile, and he said that he had "the privilege of calling both Jerusalem and Nuremberg my home."
Ron Prosor, a veteran Israeli diplomat, said that Lischinsky was a student of his at an Israeli university. He said that Lischinsky was Christian, "a true lover of Israel" who had served in the military "and chose to dedicate his life to the state of Israel."
In Germany, the German-Israeli Society — a group that promotes bilateral relations and solidarity with Israel — said that Lischinsky grew up partly in Bavaria and spoke fluent German.
It said that he was a founding member of the youth forum of the Israeli-German Society, the group's counterpart in Israel, and took a job at the Israeli Embassy in Washington in 2022. It said that he was also a passionate photographer.
On his LinkedIn profile, Lischinsky said that he advocated for interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding. He said that he was an "ardent believer" in deepening Israel's ties with the Arab world through the U.S.-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords.
On Instagram, his bio included a yellow ribbon symbolizing the struggle to free the hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip.
He earned a master's degree in government, diplomacy and strategy from Reichman University near Tel Aviv.
## Sarah Milgrim
Milgrim worked at the Israeli Embassy's department of public diplomacy and organized visits and missions to Israel. She was an American citizen, according to Israel's former ambassador to the U.S., Mike Herzog.
In her LinkedIn bio, she said that her passion "lies at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work."
She said that as a Jewish educator, she facilitated "insightful discussions on geopolitics in Israel and Palestine." She said that she worked in Tel Aviv for Tech2Peace, an organization that provides "high-tech and entrepreneurial training alongside conflict dialogue to young Palestinians and Israelis."
She had a certificate in religious engagement and peacebuilding from the United States Institute of Peace, an organization funded by the U.S. Congress that promotes conflict resolution.
She graduated from the University of Kansas in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies with a minor in anthropology and also had a master's in international affairs from American University.
Her Instagram bio also had a yellow ribbon, as well as a passage from Deuteronomy, "Justice, justice you shall pursue," written in Hebrew.
___
Geir Moulson in Berlin, and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 01:16:37+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Canada government",
"Canada",
"United States government",
"United States Congress",
"Congress",
"United States",
"Military and defense",
"Mark Carney",
"Ottawa",
"Politics"
] | # Canada is talking to the US about joining its 'Golden Dome' missile defense system, Carney says
By Rob Gillies
May 22nd, 2025, 01:16 AM
---
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday his government is talking to the U.S. about joining President Donald Trump's future Golden Dome missile defense program.
The multilayered, $175 billion system would for the first time put U.S. weapons in space. Trump said the previous day he expected the system to be fully operational by the end of his term in 2029.
"Is it a good idea for Canada? Yes, it is a good to have protections in place for Canadians," Carney said.
Carney confirmed he's had talks with Trump about it and said there are discussions with senior officials. Trump said the Canadian government had contacted his administration indicating it wants to join the program and that he will work with Ottawa to ensure it contributes its "fair share."
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
"It's something that we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level." Carney said. "But not I'm not sure one negotiates on this. These are military decisions that have been taken in that context, and we will evaluate it accordingly."
Carney warned that Canada faces potential missiles threats in the "not-too-distant future" that could come from space.
"Is Canada going to be doing this alone or with the United States? Because with a Golden Dome, there will be discussions that could have an impact on Canada, but Canada wouldn't be a part of them," Carney said.
The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary. Golden Dome's added satellites and interceptors — where the bulk of the program's cost is — would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.
Canada and the U.S. are partners in the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the combined organization that provides shared defense of airspace over the two nations.
The newly elected Carney spent much spent much of the last few months saying the old relationship with the U.S. based on steadily increasing integration is over. Trump has infuriated Canadians by saying Canada should be the 51st state.
"We cooperate if necessary but not necessarily cooperate," Carney said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 14:40:23+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Elon Musk",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"Wisconsin",
"Government budgets",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Green Bay",
"Doha",
"2020 United States presidential election",
"Government and politics",
"Campaign finance",
"Elections",
"Political action committees"
] | # Elon Musk says he will cut back on political spending
By Chris Megerian, Thomas Beaumont, and Ryan J. Foley
May 20th, 2025, 02:40 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and a key financial supporter of President Donald Trump, said Tuesday that he'll be spending "a lot less" on political campaigns, a reversal that could be a setback for Republicans ahead of next year's midterm elections.
Musk disclosed his decision via videoconference during a Bloomberg forum in Doha, Qatar. It speaks to his possible disenchantment with politics after his tumultuous tenure as Trump's pick to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which has fallen far short of its goals for reducing federal spending. Musk has scaled back his government role to spend more time at his businesses, including Tesla, which have seen intense blowback. Tesla reported a big drop in profits in the first quarter.
"In terms of political spending I'm going to do a lot less in the future," Musk said. Asked why, he responded that "I think I've done enough."
Musk's statement marks a reversal of the course he had set during the 2024 campaign — when he was among the very top political spenders — and immediately after.
Musk spent at least $250 million supporting Trump in the presidential campaign, as the main contributor to America PAC, a super PAC that was active in advertising and funding door-to-door canvassing groups across the seven most-competitive states in the November presidential election.
Musk relished in the publicity, campaigning alongside Trump at times and headlining some of his own campaign rallies on the GOP nominee's behalf.
And while he took credit for helping Trump return to the White House, Musk suffered a public defeat in April, after he became deeply involved in a Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign. Musk-backed groups America PAC and Rebuilding America's Future spent more than $21 million on the April 1 election in support of the Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel.
But Schimel's defeat by 10 percentage points in Wisconsin, a state Trump carried just five months earlier, was a blow to Musk, who campaigned for Schimel in Green Bay the weekend before the election and had also pledged to enforce Trump's agenda in the 2026 midterm elections.
A week after Trump's November victory, Musk said the political action committees he supported would "play a significant role in primaries," adding later that he might help finance Republican challengers to GOP members of Congress who did not support Trump's nominees.
"How else? There is no other way," Musk wrote on X, which he rebranded after purchasing Twitter, in response to the suggestion of supporting intraparty challenges.
An adviser to Musk's PACs declined to comment Tuesday.
Once Trump took office, Musk held a prominent role as an adviser and leader of DOGE. He and his acolytes in the department fanned out widely across the federal government to enact deep cuts to the workforce and spending, in some cases seeking to shutter entire agencies altogether.
DOGE has pushed to fire tens of thousands of workers in downsizing at agencies, ranging from the IRS to Health and Human Services, and pressured tens of thousands more to take buyout and early retirement offers. And they sought to shut down agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
With backing from DOGE, agencies have cancelled tens of thousands of government contracts and grants that they say do not align with the administration's priorities. Some of those moves were done so quickly that they had to be reversed after pushback or court rulings finding that they were illegal.
Critics say it amounts to a reckless chain-saw approach that could destroy much of the nation's apolitical civil service, impair services for vulnerable populations, and halt critical research.
DOGE claims on its "Wall of Receipts" it has saved an estimated $170 billion, but those savings numbers have been shown to be flawed and inflated in many cases.
Musk's role prompted intense pushback, including protests at his electric vehicle company, Tesla. Speaking to reporters earlier this month as he prepared to step back from DOGE, Musk noted the backlash.
"Being attacked relentlessly is not super fun," he said. "Seeing cars burning is not fun," he added, referring to the instances of Tesla cars being smashed or set on fire.
Musk's announced intention to step back from political spending comes during multiple new business opportunities, including a deal to host the latest versions of his Grok artificial intelligence chatbot on Microsoft's data centers.
Meanwhile, his brain-computer interface company Neuralink is planning to implant its experimental devices in dozens more people and his electric-vehicle company Tesla is developing a humanoid robot that Musk hopes to one day send to Mars.
Musk could change his mind about campaign spending. The 2026 midterm campaigns are just getting off the ground, while some candidates have not yet announced their candidacy for elections that remain 18 months away.
But as of Tuesday, Musk said he did not expect to.
"Well, if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it," Musk said. "I do not currently see a reason."
————————————————————————————————— Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Ali Swenson and Jill Colvin in New York City contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 19:32:29+00:00 | [
"Billy Long",
"Donald Trump",
"Elizabeth Warren",
"Internal Revenue Service",
"Hunter Biden",
"Ron Wyden",
"Mike Crapo",
"Taxes",
"Legislation",
"Campaign finance",
"Business",
"Michael Faulkender",
"Douglas ODonnell",
"Government and politics",
"Gary Shapley",
"Daniel Werfel",
"Government appointments and nominations",
"Melanie Krause",
"Politics"
] | # IRS nominee who sponsored legislation to abolish it faces pointed questions
By Fatima Hussein
May 20th, 2025, 07:32 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former congressman who sponsored legislation to abolish the IRS and is now the nominee to lead that agency faced pointed questions from senators Tuesday about his past promotion of questionable tax credits, his lack of background in tax administration and the political contributions he received after being picked to lead the agency.
Former U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Missouri appeared before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing. He was grilled by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who questioned whether Long believed the president could legally direct the IRS to take away a taxpayer's tax-exempt status.
Her questions came as President Donald Trump, a Republican, has said he wants Harvard University and other non-profit organizations to lose their tax-exempt status.
Federal law prohibits the executive branch from exerting influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations.
"I'm going to follow the law," Long said, adding "I'd have to go to the lawyers," to interpret the law.
"What do you understand this law to be saying?" Warren asked. Long said he would not be able to answer. After the back and forth, Warren told Long, "You shouldn't be within a thousand miles of the directorship of the IRS."
Long told senators he had "the opportunity to make real, transformational change to an agency that needs it more than any other."
The IRS, like other federal agencies, has hemorrhaged employees due to cuts spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency, all while the agency churns through acting leaders as it awaits a confirmed one.
Douglas O'Donnell, the Trump administration's first acting IRS commissioner, announced his retirement in February as furor spread over DOGE gaining access to IRS taxpayer data. Melanie Krause, the second acting commissioner, resigned in April over a deal between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security to share immigrants' tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gary Shapley, an IRS whistleblower who previously testified about investigations into Hunter Biden's taxes, was acting commissioner for a matter of days before being replaced by Treasury's deputy secretary, Michael Faulkender.
If confirmed, Long would be the first confirmed Trump nominee to lead the tax collection agency.
Democratic senators on the committee have railed against Long's nomination, based primarily on his past work for a firm pitching a fraud-ridden pandemic-era tax break as well as campaign contributions he received after he was nominated to serve as IRS commissioner by Trump.
After serving in Congress, Long worked with a firm that distributed the pandemic-era employee-retention tax credit. That tax credit program was eventually shut down in 2023 after then IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel determined that it was fraudulent.
Democrats have also called for a criminal investigation into Long's connections to other alleged tax credit loopholes. The lawmakers allege that firms connected to Long — like White River Energy Corp. — duped investors into spending millions of dollars to purchase fake tax credits. A representative from White River did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment.
Democratic lawmakers have also written to Long and his associated firms detailing concerns with what they call unusually timed contributions made to Long's defunct 2022 Senate campaign committee shortly after he was nominated to serve as IRS commissioner by Trump.
"Bottom line, the American people have the right to know whether the future IRS commissioner is a crook," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
Republicans, however, were open to supporting Long. Committee Chair Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho said he was confident Long "will be fully transparent to Congress and the American people."
Long pointed to his work in Congress as relevant experience to serve as IRS commissioner.
"By being familiar with the workings of Congress," he said, "we will have a comprehensive understanding of Congress' intent."
"I think there's a lot of wasted brain cells" at the IRS, Long said. He did not offer clarity on whether the Direct File program — the free electronic tax return filing system developed during the Biden administration — should be ended. But Long said it would be one of the first programs that come up for discussion if he is confirmed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 22:48:56+00:00 | [
"Abraham Lincoln",
"Illinois",
"Louise Taper",
"Assassinations",
"Business",
"John Wilkes Booth"
] | # Lincoln's blood-stained gloves from the night of his assassination among 144 artifacts on auction
By John O'Connor
May 21st, 2025, 10:48 PM
---
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Treasured artifacts associated with President Abraham Lincoln were on the auction block Wednesday, separated from a collection that was intended to be available for public display forever but wound up in the middle of an interagency feud amid a lingering $8 million debt.
The blood-stained leather gloves that were in Lincoln's pocket the night he was assassinated were among the 144 items up for bid, 136 of which sold. They were auctioned to pay off the remainder of a two-decade-old loan that the Lincoln Presidential Foundation used to buy a one-of-a-kind cluster of Lincoln artifacts from a California collector.
The auction at Freeman's/Hindman in Chicago raised $7.9 million, but that includes buyers' premiums of roughly 28% tacked onto each sale to cover the auction house's administrative costs.
The gloves were the top-selling items, bringing in $1.52 million including the premium. One of two handkerchiefs Lincoln had with him April 14, 1865, the night he was shot, went for $826,000.
A "Wanted" poster featuring photos of three suspects in the assassination conspiracy, led by John Wilkes Booth, sold for $762,500, far higher than the top estimated price of $120,000.
And the earliest known sample of the 16th president's handwriting, from a notebook in 1824, fetched $521,200.
Phone and email messages seeking comment were left for the foundation. Its website said proceeds from the auction would be put toward retiring the debt and "any excess funds will go toward our continued care and display of our extensive collection."
The foundation purchased a 1,540-item assemblage in 2007 from Louise Taper for the fledgling Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which opened in 2005 in the city where he established a law practice and lived while serving in the Illinois Legislature and briefly in Congress.
The artifacts were supposed to give the library and museum, which was rich in Lincoln-related manuscripts, a boost in what it lacked — the meaty kind of curios that draw tourists.
But fundraising was slow, forcing the sale of non-Lincoln portions of the collection and threats by the foundation to sell more before it finally extended the loan.
In 2012 a controversy arose over what had been the crown jewel of the group — a stovepipe hat, appraised at $6 million, that Lincoln was said to have given as a gift to a southern Illinois supporter. That story came under intense scrutiny, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, resulting in a 2019 study that found there was no evidence the hat belonged to Lincoln. It was not part of Wednesday's auction. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:41:18+00:00 | [
"Hong Kong",
"Freedom of the press",
"Jimmy Lai",
"Selina Cheng",
"Taxes",
"News media",
"Business",
"Information security",
"Hong Kong government"
] | # Some Hong Kong reporters and news outlets are targeted by unwarranted tax audits, media group says
By Kanis Leung
May 21st, 2025, 12:41 PM
---
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's tax authorities targeted at least 20 people, including journalists, current or former heads of media organizations and their families, with audits without sufficient evidence, a leading media professional group said Wednesday as it raised concerns over the city's press freedom.
Hong Kong Journalists Association chairperson Selina Cheng said the Inland Revenue Department accused the affected companies and individuals of failing to fully report their income years ago and issued backdated tax demands. Cheng called some of the department's claims "strange" and "unreasonable."
Cheng said the moves added stress to journalists and media organisations and affected their daily operations.
"It does have a negative effect on Hong Kong's press freedom," Cheng told a news conference. "Press freedom not only means the ability for media and journalists to operate safely, physically ... It also means the business environment, whether it is sustainable for them to operate."
In one case, the tax department alleged that a journalist had made a business registration and requested that they pay profit tax for a company they did not run — citing a business registration number that didn't exist, she said. The department also asked to audit a company's profit tax for a year before it was founded, she said.
In an email to The Associated Press, the Inland Revenue Department said it has established procedures to review the information provided by taxpayers and that it will follow up on cases in which information shows a possible breach of rules.
"The industry or background of a taxpayer has no bearing on such reviews," it said, declining to comment on any case.
Hong Kong journalists have been navigating a narrowing space in recent years amid Beijing's crackdown on dissent following massive anti-government protests that rocked the city in 2019. Drastic political changes have created an increasingly restricted environment for them in the semi-autonomous Chinese city once regarded as a bastion of press freedom in Asia.
In 2021, Apple Daily and Stand News, popular outlets known for their critical reports of the government, were forced to shut down after the arrests of their top management.
Last year, two former editors of Stand News became the first journalists convicted under a colonial-era sedition law since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. One received a 21-month jail term and the other was freed after his sentence was reduced because of ill health and time already served in custody.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily founder, is still fighting national security charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In March 2024, Hong Kong enacted another security law that deepened fears over civil liberties and press freedom.
The Hong Kong government insists that there are no restrictions on press freedom if journalists' reports are based on facts.
In September, the journalists' association said dozens of journalists and some of their family members and associates were harassed in what it called the largest-scale harassment of reporters in the city that they are aware of.
Cheng said the tax audits affected at least eight organizations, including independent media outlets like Hong Kong Free Press, alongside the Hong Kong Journalists Association and others. At least 20 people, including her and her parents, were also impacted, she added.
Hong Kong was ranked 140 out of 180 territories in Reporters Without Borders' latest World Press Freedom Index, down from 80 in 2021, with its press freedom situation listed as "very serious" for the first time. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 07:39:41+00:00 | [
"Burkina Faso",
"Thomas Sankara",
"Jean Emmanuel Oudraogo",
"Radicalism",
"Blaise Compaore",
"Communism",
"Francis Kr",
"Military and defense",
"Ibrahim Traore"
] | # Burkina Faso's military leaders turn to 'Africa's Che Guevara' to rally struggling country
By Associated Press
May 21st, 2025, 07:39 AM
---
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — The military rulers of Burkina Faso have turned to a man once known as "Africa's Che Guevara" as a way to rally a country struggling to defeat extremists and turning away from former Western allies.
Hundreds of young people gathered over the weekend in the capital, Ouagadougou, for the opening of a mausoleum for legendary leader Thomas Sankara.
"I'm the driver of the revolution!" one young man exclaimed with delight, sitting behind the wheel of the jeep that Sankara used during his presidency decades ago.
A charismatic Marxist leader who seized global attention by defiantly declaring his country could rely on itself, Sankara came to power in 1983 at the age of 33 after he and former ally Blaise Compaore led a leftist coup that overthrew a moderate military faction. But in 1987, Compaore turned on his former friend in a coup that killed Sankara in the capital — and later became president himself.
## An anti-imperialist legacy
Nearly four decades after his death, Sankara is being celebrated in Burkina Faso, a nation of 23 million people once known for its bustling arts scene and vibrant intellectual life — including Sankara's anti-imperialist and pan-African legacy.
"When I stepped inside the mausoleum, I felt the revolution," said Timoté, a 22-year-old who said he came because of what he heard about Sankara at home and at school.
Sankara's mausoleum, designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré, has been the project of current military leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore.
Since taking power during a coup in 2022, Traore has presented himself as the new Sankara. He has named one of the main streets after the revolutionary leader, elevated him to the rank of Hero of the Nation and revived revolutionary slogans such as "Fatherland or death, we will win!" in most of his speeches.
The mission of the mausoleum is "to keep the flame of the revolution alive and to remind the world of Capt. Thomas Sankara's fight to break the chains of slavery and imperialist domination," Burkina Faso Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo said as he read Traore's statement.
## An unstable Burkina Faso
Despite promising to fight the security crisis that pushed them to stage a coup, Burkina Faso's military leaders have struggled to deal with the worsening crisis. According to conservative estimates, more than 60% of the country is now outside of government control, more than 2 million people have lost their homes and almost 6.5 million need humanitarian aid to survive.
Human rights groups say the military leadership has installed a system of de facto censorship, crushing critics, while many have been killed by jihadi groups or government forces.
As people flocked to Ouagadougou to celebrate Sankara, life elsewhere in the country reflects a different reality.
"We can go out for a bit in the city center, but with caution," said one student from Dori, the capital of the northern region, echoing concerns about restrictions on free speech and movement.
The student spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested.
Security concerns have permeated every aspect of life outside Ouagadougou. Even the price of beer has skyrocketed as more places become inaccessible to traders.
"There are two Burkina Fasos," said a teacher from the east, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. "One where the streets are deserted at night, and another that comes alive to enjoy the cool evening air." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 18:20:59+00:00 | [
"Massachusetts",
"Rhode Island",
"Peter Neronha",
"Indictments",
"Business",
"Shannon Reilly",
"Climate and environment",
"Climate"
] | # Massachusetts construction company to pay $11M in illegal dumping case
May 21st, 2025, 06:20 PM
---
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island's top legal chief announced Wednesday that a Massachusetts construction company has agreed to pay $11 million to settle criminal charges that it illegally dumped thousands of tons of contaminated fill in the Ocean State's Capitol city during a highway construction project.
According to Attorney General Peter Neronha's office, Barletta Heavy Division Inc. of Canton not only violated state law when it disposed the contaminated fill in Rhode Island but also "deceived state regulators" when pressed about the source of the fill.
Neronha filed state criminal charges against Barletta in early 2023 after the company agreed to pay $1.5 million in a settlement with the federal government over the same construction fill.
"When the federal case against Barletta was resolved some time ago, I strongly believed that Rhode Islanders deserved a better outcome, and so we proceeded with our state case," Neronha said in a statement. "I am pleased that now, because of our demonstrated willingness to take this case to trial, Barletta has paid an unprecedented monetary amount of $11 million dollars to resolve our case."
Barletta oversaw a $247 million project, that started in 2018, to rebuild the Route 6/10 interchange. The charges involved construction-fill disposal that took place in 2020, where investigators say the company transported backfill from other projects to the Route 6/10 site. The project has since been completed.
"With today's settlement agreement and the dismissal with prejudice of all criminal and civil charges in this case, Barletta is pleased to put this matter behind us and looks forward to continuing our long history of successfully and responsibly delivering world class public infrastructure projects," said Shannon Reilly, an attorney representing Barletta.
When the state criminal charges were filed, the company said the soil was "urban fill " — commonly found in city settings throughout the U.S. The attorney general's office maintained that the fill contained hazardous materials and the company disposed more than 4,500 tons in Rhode Island.
"Whether Barletta learns from this experience remains to be seen. But they have paid a heavy price for their unlawful, irresponsible, and deceptive behavior, and deservedly so," Neronha said.
Proceeds of the $11 million settlement will be used to fund dental care services for Providence city youth, Neronha added. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 19:15:37+00:00 | [
"Missouri",
"St. Louis",
"Kansas City",
"George W. Bush",
"Funerals and memorial services",
"Politics",
"Government budgets",
"John C. Danforth",
"Kit Bond",
"United States Senate",
"John Ashcroft"
] | # Former US Sen. Bond remembered at Missouri Capitol
By Heather Hollingsworth and David A. Lieb
May 20th, 2025, 07:15 PM
---
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Christopher "Kit" Bond, a Republican who was Missouri's youngest governor before serving four terms in the U.S. Senate, was remembered Tuesday as a beloved statesman who helped train a generation of leaders.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol escorted his body from St. Louis, where he died last week at the age of 86, to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, where hundreds of people gathered for a memorial service. Bond is to lie in state through Wednesday so members of the public can pay their respects.
"Over and over again, Kit launched the careers of young people, talented, committed, dedicated people who later, after appointment, found opportunity beckoning them to achievement levels they hadn't anticipated," said John Ashcroft, who was a governor, senator and attorney general under President George W. Bush. "Kit was a person of both individual and governmental integrity. I have no recollection of anytime where Kit failed to live up to his commitments."
As a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond secured federal money for big and small projects in Missouri, scoffing at government watchdog groups that considered him a master of pork-barrel spending.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver recalled that while he was serving as mayor of Kansas City, a monument to honor World War I veterans known as Liberty Memorial had fallen into disrepair. He likened the 217-foot (66-meter) tall structure that was built after a burst of postwar patriotism to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He said Bond stepped in with federal dollars to help restore it.
"Working together as friends was the propellant that allowed us, with others, to alter the landscape of Kansas City," Cleaver said.
Early in his career, Bond was considered a political wunderkind. When he took office at age 33 as Missouri's youngest governor, he was also the state's first Republican chief executive in about three decades and garnered consideration as a vice presidential candidate. His early success stalled when he lost a reelection bid, but he later rebounded to win another term as governor before being elected to the Senate in 1986 and eventually becoming the patriarch of the Missouri Republican Party.
Testaments to Bond's longevity in the public arena are stamped across Missouri. A federal courthouse in Jefferson City and a life sciences center at the University of Missouri-Columbia are named after him. A highway bridge crossing the Missouri River in Hermann and one in Kansas City also carry his name.
"Kit Bond was an exceptional person who was blessed with many talents," said former U.S. Sen. John Danforth. "He was very smart. He was highly educated. He had boundless energy. He wanted for nothing. He could have clung on to what was his and lived comfortably only for himself. But that was not what he did. He invested his talents, put them at risk, and he produced such a great return to the state."
___
Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 15:39:30+00:00 | [
"Shootings",
"New York",
"Thomas Mascia",
"Law enforcement",
"New Jersey",
"Gun violence",
"New York City Wire",
"Philip Marcelo",
"Indictments",
"Jeffrey Lichtman",
"Jared Rosenblatt",
"Anne Donnelly"
] | # Former New York state trooper pleads guilty to faking his own shooting
By Philip Marcelo
May 21st, 2025, 03:39 PM
---
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he shot himself then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway, prompting a regionwide search.
Thomas Mascia agreed to serve six months in jail, followed by five years probation and continued mental health treatment as he formally changed his not guilty plea during a court appearance in Nassau County court in Mineola.
He also agreed, as part of his plea deal, to pay $289,000 in restitution for the overtime costs for officers during the three-day search for a nonexistent suspect.
The 27-year-old West Hempstead resident had been charged with official misconduct, tampering with evidence and falsifying documents. He became a trooper in 2019 and resigned in January after being suspended without pay while state police launched a criminal investigation into the shooting.
Mascia's parents, Dorothy and Thomas, also pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing an illegal firearm, which was found during a search of the family's home.
Mascia claimed he was shot in the leg on Oct. 30 by a driver parked on the shoulder of the Southern State Parkway, about a mile from his home.
Instead, prosecutors say, he staged the scene of the alleged shooting by scattering shell casings, then shot himself at a park, stashed the .22-caliber rifle, drove back to the highway and called for backup.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said after Wednesday's hearing that "one of the most disturbing parts" of the case was that he intentionally set in motion a potentially dangerous search.
Mascia described the fictitious driver as a "dark-skinned" man wearing a balaclava that exposed only his eyes. He also claimed the suspect fled in a car bearing temporary New Jersey plates heading toward New York City.
"If someone had been stopped that fit the description? Who knows what would have happened?" the district attorney said. "It's just a frightening thought."
Donnelly said the ruse was an apparent bid to gain sympathy from a former girlfriend and that state police are also looking into an accident Mascia was involved in while serving as a trooper upstate.
During Wednesday's proceedings, prosecutors asked the former trooper a series of questions confirming the sequence of events.
"You knew this was a lie and chose to do it anyway?" Jared Rosenblatt of the district attorney's office asked at the end of the questions.
"Yes," Mascia replied in a low voice.
The former trooper and his parents didn't respond to reporters as they left the courthouse with their lawyers. They're scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20.
The family had appeared in court earlier this month to change their pleas, but the judge at the time halted the proceedings after Mascia said he did not feel well mentally.
Jeffrey Lichtman, Mascia's lawyer, said after the hearing that his client was suffering from an undiagnosed mental health problem at the time of the shooting and is now being treated.
"While this is a dark day for him, he is happy to put this in the past and move forward with his life," he said. "He apologizes to anyone affected by his lapse in judgment and hopes his community will forgive him."
___
Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 10:32:36+00:00 | [
"Indonesia",
"Bali",
"Telegram",
"Taylor Kirby Whitemore",
"Law enforcement",
"Prisons",
"Pornography",
"Immigration",
"Airport security",
"Business"
] | # An American man is arrested in Indonesia for allegedly selling porn videos on social media
By Niniek Karmini
May 21st, 2025, 10:32 AM
---
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An American man was arrested in Indonesia's tourist island of Bali for allegedly selling pornographic videos through social media, officials said Wednesday.
Taylor Kirby Whitemore was arrested on March 25 by the Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement team when he was about to leave Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport for Malaysia, immigration official Yuldi Yusman said.
Authorities said Whitemore was linked to accounts on X and the Telegram messaging app that promoted and processed transactions for paid pornographic content, Yusman said.
He was moved to a detention center in the capital, Jakarta, on May 16, for further investigation.
The case went unreported until authorities on Wednesday presented Whitemore at a news conference in Jakarta. Wearing an orange vest and a mask and with his hands tied, he did not make any statement.
"The immigration office had successfully identified Whitemore, a tourist visa holder who stayed in Bali," Yusman told a news conference.
He said an investigation conducted by the digital forensic team at his office since Feb. 17, using face recognition technology integrated with the immigration system, has led to Whitemore's arrest.
"We strongly suspected that the promoted videos he produced were taken in Indonesia," Yusman told reporters, adding that Whitemore has violated Indonesia's Pornography Law and Immigration. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to 500 million rupiah ($30,540) if found guilty.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, has strict laws against narcotics and the production and distribution of pornography. Authorities in 2019 arrested a British man in Bali after he sold explicit videos of himself online to fund an extravagant lifestyle on the island. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 20:35:04+00:00 | [
"Melissa Wiginton",
"Christianity",
"Waukegan",
"Illinois",
"Daniel Hartman",
"Religion",
"Texas",
"Associated Press",
"Lifestyle",
"Kennedy Maye",
"Mercedes Collins",
"Lilly Endowment Inc.",
"Adi Camacho",
"Technology",
"Shari Oosting",
"Education",
"Betty Freymann"
] | # With fewer ordinations, seminaries find ways to serve young professionals in other fields
By Kathryn Post
May 20th, 2025, 08:35 PM
---
PRINCETON, N.J. (RNS) — On a Tuesday evening in early April, an audience sat enraptured in Princeton Theological Seminary's dining hall as, one by one, adults in their 20s walked up to a platform, took the microphone and shared a story.
"I realized that if God made our bodies this intricate, shouldn't the care we give others be just as intricate?" Jewel Koshy asked.
"I allowed Jesus to look at me, and I looked at him, and my life was completely transformed," Betty Freymann said.
"How can we stay inquisitive in a world where excellence is expected and assimilation is often rewarded?" Ray'Chel Wilson asked. "For me, I take my questions to God."
Despite the setting, the young adults speaking weren't seminarians: They were entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, health care workers and other professionals at a summit as part of the Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network, a new initiative from Princeton Theological Seminary that aims to equip young Christian leaders to find their calling beyond parish ministry.
___
This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.
___
"If you lead in the public sector, if you are an artist or a business leader or an educator, and you're deeply motivated by your Christian faith, we think theological education has something to offer there as well," said Shari Oosting, project director of the Polaris Network.
In recent years, many U.S. seminaries have faced existential threats fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and a changing religious landscape. As organized religion continues to fade in popularity among many Gen Z, some seminaries are downsizing, combining and embracing online and hybrid models. They are also evolving, offering different certificate programs or degrees tailored for non-clergy students. Some seminaries target retired or second-career students, while others refuse to give up on young adults, instead designing programs to help them live out their spirituality beyond seminary walls.
Freymann, 28, a Dallas-based tech consulting manager and a participant at the Polaris summit, said meeting other Christians doing "the Lord's work" in the secular world has made her feel less alone.
"I love that we're pushing to form Christian leaders. Not Catholic, not Presbyterian, not Episcopal leaders, but Christian leaders," said Freymann, who is Catholic and hosts a Spanish-language podcast for Latino Catholics.
That Monday (March 31), Freymann gathered in the seminary's library with roughly 30 other young adults. The room was abuzz as participants responded to discussion prompts, wove strands of yarn for an interactive art project and heard a lecture about the church in the modern world. Throughout the summit, each shared eight-minute personal stories about Christian leadership in groups or at the final storytelling festival.
"Something that really stood out to me is the fact that everyone is a young adult," said participant Kennedy Maye, a 22-year-old psychology major at the University of Kentucky. Raised as a nondenominational Christian, she often discusses God with other young adults in her life but said she often finds herself "defending God." Here, it was different.
Launched in 2023 with a $4 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, the Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network convenes these cohorts while also offering sub-grants to fund their local ministry efforts and provide workshops on topics like mental health, vocational discernment and sustainability. The aim is to combat isolation among young Christian leaders and counteract the narrative that all young people are losing their faith.
"In a lot of ways, these young people are teaching us how to be a seminary for the next generation," said the Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean, the Mary D. Synnott professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary and one of the architects of Polaris.
Built to train pastors, many seminaries like Princeton are increasingly welcoming students looking to discern their calling rather than intending to work at a congregation. Dean said she has observed that pastoral credentials don't have the draw they used to for students, which is mirrored in trends at the seminary.
While enrollment in its Master of Divinity program — a prerequisite for many seeking ordination — has declined in recent years (down to 155 students in the 2024-2025 school year, from 245 students in 2020-2021), Princeton's master's programs for leaders interested in theology/sustainability and in justice/public life have grown steadily since being launched in 2023. The seminary has also seen growth in part-time, hybrid and online offerings. And this year, it saw the largest incoming class of degree-pursuing students in the last five years.
According to data from the Association of Theological Schools, an umbrella group of over 270 schools, Princeton isn't alone. Though enrollment in Master of Divinity programs continues to decline among ATS member schools, down roughly 14% since 2020, that dip has been offset by boosts in two-year, often customizable Master of Arts programs and non-degree enrollment, leading to an overall 1.8% increase in enrollment at ATS schools since 2020.
Still, seminaries are facing significant challenges. As a result, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, an influential Evangelical Free Church school near Chicago, announced last month it will be acquired by a Canadian university and move to British Columbia.
Despite financial setbacks, the school has had a transformative impact on the nearby city of Waukegan, Illinois, thanks to a young adult-centered program called Mosaic Ministries.
Mosaic Ministries began praying with and building relationships with Waukegan churches in 2010. With the help of the Lilly Endowment, it became a formal collaboration of 12 churches in 2017, with the purpose of developing ministries with young adults. By listening to what young
people asked for — space to ask hard questions and do life together, not just host another barbecue, for example — churches adapted.
"As the years went by, our churches grew healthier, they grew more intergenerational, they grew more missional, and this collaboration of churches shifted from individual churches to a network," said the Rev. Daniel Hartman, co-director of Mosaic Ministries at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
In 2022, that network came together to form Refined, a program for young adults from each of the 12 churches. Across 18 months, the young adults received mentoring, attended retreats and became involved in Waukegan-based community projects.
Though Adi Camacho grew up attending a Baptist church in Waukegan, she joined Refined after several years away from the church.
"It was my first time getting to meet brothers and sisters who were not from my congregation that could hear my heart and be there for me and love and support me in such a godly way," Camacho said. "We were able to break barriers between our churches."
Camacho hosts a podcast about Mosaic Ministries' impact and pitches the program at citywide events like cleanup days, toy drives or prayer services. The city routinely looks to Mosaic to meet local needs, and Mosaic's hub, a revamped former library, is a gathering place designed to welcome young people who might be hesitant to meet at church, said Hartman.
It's not yet clear how Mosaic Ministries will be impacted by the seminary's move. However, Mosaic and similar innovative seminary initiatives take a unique approach to empowering young people in their own contexts, without trying to convince them to enroll as students. For example, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Texas has created programming for both Christian and "Christ curious" young adults.
"There are all kinds of places where young adults gather at the edges of Christian conversation," said Melissa Wiginton, vice president for strategic engagement and partnerships at the Austin seminary. "We know that there is a longing out there for people to be connected to something that's sturdy enough to hold them, but not so rigid that it encages them."
Since 2017, the seminary, also with the help of the Lilly Endowment, has created such spaces via its 787 Initiative, which offers faith and community engagement for young people in Austin. Mercedes Collins, who runs a recreational club, We Outside ATX, for Austin's Black community, provides input for 787's advisory council. She said young people in her network are craving spaces where their voices are heard.
"Community is a spiritual thing, right?" said Collins, who identifies as more spiritual than religious. "We're not meant to be here alone." 787 was a precursor to the seminary's Austin Story Project, which launched in January and will offer an in-person storytelling cohort and spiritual pilgrimages for young adults. The first pilgrimage will focus on nonviolence, where participants will visit sites connected with nuclear weapon production in the Pacific Northwest. A survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima will accompany them.
"Everybody's in a massive period of experimentation," said Dean, of Princeton Theological Seminary. "Desperation is a spiritual gift, and so it gives you a chance to experiment with things that, you know, 10 years ago were off the table. That's happening everywhere, and we are no different in that." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 19:45:29+00:00 | [
"California",
"Fraud",
"Nicole Brown",
"Crime",
"Accidents",
"Law enforcement",
"Head injuries",
"Fairs and festivals",
"Counterfeiting and forgery",
"Peter Schuman",
"Emergency care",
"Brian Gurwitz"
] | # California cop was partying at festival while collecting $600,000 for fake injury, officials say
May 21st, 2025, 07:45 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California police officer was caught partying at the Stagecoach Music Festival while collecting more than $600,000 in workers' compensation for a head injury that prosecutors allege was faked.
Westminster officer Nicole Brown, 39, was charged Monday with 15 felonies of workers' compensation and insurance fraud, the Orange County District Attorney's office said. She faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted.
Brown was on the job March 21, 2022, when she received a "minor abrasion" to her forehead while trying to arrest an uncooperative suspect, according to prosecutors. She told her watch commander that she had a headache and was feeling dizzy.
Though an emergency room doctor who examined her that day released her back to work without restrictions, she called out sick for several days and was diagnosed with a severe concussion about a week after the initial injury. She was placed on Total Temporary Disability, which made her eligible to receive her full salary for up to a year and two-thirds of her salary after that.
Later, investigators would find out that during the three days she called out sick after her injury, Brown went to several soccer conferences in San Diego. In the following year while collecting disability, she also ran in two 5K races, went snowboarding or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, attended baseball games, played golf, went to Disneyland and took online courses with a local university, prosecutors allege.
"Mrs. Brown suffered a significant head injury when she was on duty," her attorney Brian Gurwitz said, "and she intends to vigorously fight these allegations."
According to prosecutors, some of Brown's ongoing symptoms that she reported during this time were: headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, and inability to look at a screen.
The district attorney's office began their investigation into potential fraud after she was seen by several people "dancing and drinking" in April 2023 at the Stagecoach Music Festival, an annual country music festival held in the Coachella Valley with "loud music and bright lights everywhere." This was reported to the Westminster Police Department.
Three days after the festival, Brown and her stepfather attended a Zoom meeting where she sat in a dark room and said she was unable to look at the screen. Her stepfather said she still could not do paperwork or take phone calls. After the meeting, she was admitted to an inpatient center for traumatic brain injury.
Prosecutors say Brown collected more than $600,000 from the city of Westminster, which includes her full salary and medical expenses.
Her stepfather Peter Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, has also been charged with two felonies related to insurance fraud and helping commit a crime. He is a licensed attorney in California and faces discipline from the state bar, prosecutors said. Schuman does not have an attorney listed and could not be reached for comment.
Brown was sworn into the Westminster Police Department in February 2019, according to Behind the Badge, a publication reporting on law enforcement news in California. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 19:19:35+00:00 | [
"Colombia",
"Forests",
"Colombia government",
"Plants",
"Metals and mining",
"New York City",
"National parks",
"Business",
"Climate and environment",
"Associated Press",
"Climate"
] | # Colombia lost huge area to deforestation in 6 months, public watchdog report warns
By Steven Grattan
May 20th, 2025, 07:19 PM
---
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia lost nearly 88,900 hectares (340 square miles) of forest — an area larger than New York City — in just six months, driven by the rapid spread of illegal roads, coca cultivation, and unregulated mining, according to a report by Colombia's procurator's office.
The independent watchdog warned of accelerating environmental destruction in some of the country's most ecologically critical regions.
The report, released Monday, covers the period between October 2024 and March 2025 and focuses on seven high-risk areas including Caqueta, Guaviare, Putumayo, and Meta — southern departments that form part of the Amazon basin and are vital to Colombia's biodiversity and freshwater systems.
Investigators documented more than 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) of illegal road construction, much of it cutting into national parks like Chiribiquete, Nukak, and Farallones de Cali. These roads often enable the transport of illegal goods and open new fronts for forest clearance.
"The construction of these routes would consolidate a terrestrial corridor that would significantly facilitate the development and consolidation of illicit economies and environmental damage in the region," the report says.
While coca crops remain the primary driver of deforestation — particularly in Meta, Putumayo, and the Naya River region — the report also highlights illegal gold mining as a growing threat. In Buenaventura's rural zone near the Naya River, investigators found heavy machinery operating near Indigenous reserves and inside protected areas, with roadwork connecting the region to trafficking routes toward the Pacific Ocean.
Caqueta experienced the greatest forest loss, with nearly 30,000 hectares (115 square miles) deforested, followed by Guaviare and Putumayo. Much of the damage occurred near Indigenous territories and vital ecological corridors crucial for wildlife. The report also highlighted land grabbing and speculative vegetation removal — done to claim land or boost its value without immediate use — as growing threats to the region.
Authorities are urged to investigate the legality of new roads and issue immediate closure orders where appropriate.
Last year, Colombia's government reported that deforestation fell 36% in 2023 versus the previous year, marking the lowest level since records began. However, 2024 saw a 35% surge, fueled by an uptick in the Amazon region.
Colombia's environment ministry had not responded to a request for comment on the report by the time of publication.
___
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 | 2025-05-20 21:39:41+00:00 | [
"Barack Obama",
"District of Columbia",
"John Podesta",
"Donald Trump",
"Maryland",
"Carl Nichols",
"Taylor Taranto Trump",
"Hillary Clinton",
"United States government",
"Fraud",
"Riots",
"United States",
"DC Wire",
"Veterans",
"Carmen Hernandez",
"Politics",
"Law enforcement",
"Legal proceedings",
"Juries"
] | # Former Capitol riot defendant is convicted of gun charges stemming from his arrest near Obama's home
By Michael Kunzelman
May 20th, 2025, 09:39 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — A military veteran whose Capitol riot case was erased by a presidential proclamation was convicted Tuesday of charges that he illegally possessed guns and ammunition in his van when he was arrested near President Barack Obama's home in the nation's capital.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also convicted Taylor Taranto of recording himself making a hoax threat to bomb a government building in Maryland. The judge decided the case without a jury after a bench trial that started last week in Washington, D.C.
Taranto was arrested in Obama's neighborhood on the same day in June 2023 that Trump posted on social media what he claimed was the former president's address. Investigators said they found two guns, roughly 500 rounds of ammunition and a machete in Taranto's van.
Taranto was livestreaming video on YouTube in which he said he was looking for "entrance points" to underground tunnels and wanted to get a "good angle on a shot," according to prosecutors. He reposted Trump's message about Obama's home address and wrote: "We got these losers surrounded! See you in hell, Podesta's and Obama's." He was referring to John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign.
Taranto wasn't charged with threatening Obama or Podesta. But the judge convicted him of making a hoax bomb threat directed at the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Taranto's lawyers said he didn't have any bomb-making material and wasn't near the institute when he made those statements on a livestreamed video. During the trial's opening statements, defense attorney Pleasant Brodnax said the video shows Taranto was merely joking in an "avant-garde" manner.
"He believes he is a journalist and, to some extent, a comedian," Broadnax said.
But the judge concluded that a reasonable, objective observer might have believed Taranto's statements on the video. While some viewers may have thought his words were of a "madcap nature," others could have interpreted them as coming from "an unbalanced narrator willing to follow through on outlandish claims," Nichols said.
Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, didn't immediately schedule a sentencing hearing for Taranto. He has been jailed for nearly two years since his arrest because a judge concluded that he poses a danger to the public.
After reading his verdict from the bench, the judge said he would entertain a request by defense attorney Carmen Hernandez to release Taranto from custody until his sentencing. Nichols said he intends to rule on that request later this week.
Taranto, a Navy veteran from Pasco, Washington, is one of only a few people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol who remained jailed after President Donald Trump 's sweeping act on clemency in January. Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the riot.
Before Trump's pardons, Taranto also was charged with four misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6 attack. Prosecutors said he joined the crush of rioters who breached the building. He was captured on video at the entrance of the Speaker's Lobby around the time that a rioter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by an officer while she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 16:01:33+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Metals and mining",
"Doug Burgum",
"United States government",
"China",
"United States",
"Politics",
"Associated Press",
"Climate and environment",
"Canada",
"Miyoko Sakashita",
"Business",
"Samoa",
"U.S. Department of the Interior",
"Oliver Gunasekara"
] | # Trump administration will evaluate request to sell leases for seabed mining of critical minerals
By Tammy Webber
May 21st, 2025, 04:01 PM
---
The Trump administration said Wednesday that it will consider selling leases to extract minerals from the seabed off the South Pacific island of American Samoa, a potential first step in a wider industry push to allow deep-sea mining that environmentalists oppose because they say it could irreparably harm marine ecosystems.
The Department of Interior said it is responding to an April request from California-based company Impossible Metals for a commercial auction. The company wants to mine the ocean floor for deposits of nickel, cobalt and other critical minerals.
Last month, President Trump signed an executive order directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fast-track permits for companies to mine the ocean floor in U.S. and international waters. The move comes amid the Trump administration's trade war with China, which controls many critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese used in high-tech manufacturing, including for military uses.
"Critical minerals are fundamental to strengthening our nation's resilience and safeguarding our national interests," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a news release. He said the upcoming evaluation could be a prelude to future mining in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Environmentalists worry that ocean mining could harm fisheries and even affect oceans' ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide, the main driver of global warming. More than 30 countries, as well as fisheries trade groups, environmentalists and some auto and tech companies, have called for a moratorium on seabed mining.
"We're ready for a fight as Trump's dangerous deep-sea mining obsession worsens," said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Mining the ocean floor will damage fragile habitat and unique critters we haven't even discovered yet. Island communities depend on healthy oceans and declaring open season on mineral prospecting puts people and wildlife at risk."
Impossible Metals said it has developed an autonomous underwater robot that uses artificial intelligence to minimize harm to marine life and habitat.
"Beginning the process to access seabed minerals from our own waters is a big win for the U.S. (by) securing critical minerals here at home instead of relying on foreign competitors," Impossible Metals CEO Oliver Gunasekara said in an email. "We're ready to work with all stakeholders to show that bold innovation, economic prosperity, and environmental protection can go together."
Burgum said the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will undertake a multistep evaluation, starting with public input.
Opponents say any U.S. approval of deep-sea mining would ignore an ongoing process to adopt international rules for the practice. Most countries in the 1990s joined a United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority to govern seabed mining in international waters. But the U.S. never signed on to the effort, which hasn't yet adopted rules.
Countries can approve mining in their own territorial waters, so Impossible Metals wouldn't need permission from the authority. Canada-based The Metals Company has said it plans to apply this year through a U.S. subsidiary for permits to mine in international waters.
___
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 | 2025-05-21 03:46:30+00:00 | [
"Endangered species",
"Nevada",
"Animals",
"Songbirds",
"Fish",
"Climate and environment",
"Patrick Donnelly",
"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service",
"Climate"
] | # A rare olive-colored fish that exists only in Nevada could soon be listed as an endangered species
By Rio Yamat
May 21st, 2025, 03:46 AM
---
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal protections could soon be extended to a rare Nevada fish that environmentalists say is "barely clinging to existence" because of rapid groundwater pumping in a remote region experiencing extreme drought conditions.
A proposal to list the tiny Fish Lake Valley tui chub as an endangered species was issued Wednesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, kicking off a 60-day public comment period.
It marks the Trump administration's first consideration to list an endangered species during his second term. But it comes as a result of a yearslong legal fight: The Center for Biological Diversity, which sued in 2023, won a settlement last year that forced the government to decide by this month whether to list the fish.
In its proposal, the wildlife agency said the endangered species designation is warranted because of "the destruction and modification" of the tui chub's habitat "caused by agricultural production or other land management practices," as well as the effects of climate change and competition with invasive species.
Yet at the same time, the Trump administration has been trying to eliminate habitat protections for endangered and threatened species. Environmentalists say habitat destruction is the biggest cause of extinction.
Patrick Donnelly, director of the center's work across the Great Basin where the tui chub is found, said Nevada can't afford to lose any more of its native fish species, like the Ash Meadows killifish and Raycraft Ranch springfish that became extinct decades ago.
"The Fish Lake Valley tui chub is barely clinging to existence," he said. "I'm thrilled these fish are poised to get the life-saving protections they urgently need."
Under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to kill, import, export, possess or transport those species.
The olive-colored minnow, which is less than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) long, used to live in a half dozen springs in Nevada's Fish Lake Valley, near the California border. But they are now found in just one pond between Las Vegas and Reno that environmentalists say is threatened by groundwater pumping, mainly for the production of alfalfa. Other threats include looming lithium mining and geothermal energy projects.
The fish are widely considered a health indicator for Fish Lake Valley, Donnelly said. The valley's wetlands, which support all kinds of desert wildlife, including the pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep, are also dependent on the groundwater there.
"If the water level keeps going down and the Fish Lake Valley tui chub goes extinct, that whole ecosystem is going to crash, because it's the same water that sustains both of them," he said.
While the Trump administration's proposal brings the tiny fish one step closer to federal protections, across the California line, a different tiny fish remains a Trump target.
As deadly wildfires raged across Los Angeles earlier this year, Trump falsely blamed efforts to protect California's endangered delta smelt for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. On social media, he called the slender fish found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary a "worthless fish."
And Trump has long criticized the way California manages its water. His prior administration allowed more water to be directed to the Central Valley and out of the delta. Environmental groups opposed that, saying it would harm endangered species, including the delta smelt.
The pace of listings under the Endangered Species Act dropped dramatically during Trump's first term. Now, his administration wants to redefine what "harm" means under the act, which has long included altering or destroying the places those species live.
In a proposed rule last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service said habitat modification shouldn't be considered harm because it isn't the same as intentionally targeting a species, which is called "take."
If adopted, environmentalists say, the proposal would lead to the extinction of endangered species because of logging, mining, development and other activities. They argue the definition of "take" has always included actions that harm species, and that the definition of "harm" has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 21:12:36+00:00 | [
"New York",
"National",
"Airport security",
"Brian Patterson"
] | # Man taken into custody at Buffalo airport after crashing pickup truck into gate
May 20th, 2025, 09:12 PM
---
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (AP) — A man in a pickup truck drove through a roadside gate at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and crossed a runway before being taken into custody Tuesday morning, according to police.
The unidentified man was apprehended at the western New York airport without incident about 6 minutes after breaching the gate, which was damaged. The incident, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m., did not disrupt air traffic, said Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Chief Brian Patterson.
It was not clear why the man breached the gate, but Patterson told reporters at a briefing that "we've come to the conclusion that this was intentional."
The pickup truck crossed a taxiway and a runway before the man was taken into custody on an inactive runway outside a plane that is used for training, the chief said.
Paterson said the man faces state and federal charges.
The FBI was assisting with the investigation.
A dog inside the vehicle was being cared for. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 22:10:12+00:00 | [
"New York City",
"Andrew Cuomo",
"Donald Trump",
"Eric Adams",
"Newark",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Letitia James",
"James Comey",
"James Comer",
"Nursing homes",
"New York City Wire",
"United States government",
"Politics",
"COVID-19 pandemic",
"Jeanine Pirro",
"Elections",
"Basil Smikle",
"Brad Lander",
"Voting",
"Rich Azzopardi",
"Pandemics"
] | # Cuomo's comeback faces a new challenger: Donald Trump's Justice Department
By Anthony Izaguirre
May 21st, 2025, 10:10 PM
---
With just weeks to go until New York City's mayoral primary, one of the leading candidates, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, finds himself under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. He seems to think it might actually help.
In a new advertisement released Wednesday, the Cuomo campaign seized on the investigation as a potential selling point to voters, calling it an attempt by the Trump administration to "interfere with New York City's election."
"Why? Because Andrew Cuomo is the last person they want as mayor," the ad says. "If Donald Trump doesn't want Andrew Cuomo as mayor, you do."
It added that Cuomo would be a mayor who stood up to "bullies."
The investigation, confirmed to The Associated Press Tuesday by a person familiar with the matter, is centered on the truthfulness of statements Cuomo made to Congress last year about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as it spread through nursing homes. The person was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
In other times, revelations so close to an election that a major candidate was the subject of a criminal probe might mean political doom.
But while some of Cuomo's opponents in the Democratic primary pounced, accusing the former governor of perjury during his Congressional testimony, others said they were disturbed by what they characterized as the political weaponization of federal law enforcement.
The Justice Department recently launched an investigation of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has battled Trump in civil court, over paperwork related to a home she helped a relative buy in Virginia. It filed criminal charges against a Democratic member of Congress for jostling with federal agents as they arrested the Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey outside an immigration detention center. The Secret Service interviewed former F.B.I. director James B. Comey about a message critical of Trump that he posted on social media.
Trump's Justice Department also scuttled a criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a Trump ally on immigration policy.
Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic state lawmaker who is running for mayor, said that while he believed Cuomo had lied to Congress, "Donald Trump cannot be trusted to pursue justice."
"While I believe New Yorkers should reject the disgraced ex-Governor at the ballot box, the Trump administration's actions are dangerous," Mamdani said in a statement.
## Cuomo questioned over handling of report about nursing home deaths
Cuomo, who touts his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic on the campaign trail, has been dogged by a short-lived state directive that temporarily prevented nursing homes from refusing to accept patients recovering from the virus. The policy, intended to help alleviate hospital overcrowding, was reversed after criticism that it might accelerate virus outbreaks in nursing homes.
Amid the scrutiny, Cuomo's administration substantially understated deaths in nursing homes in its public reports for several months, fueling more criticism that it was engaged in a cover-up.
Cuomo was grilled on the subject by a congressional panel last year, with the group saying it had evidence that Cuomo had reviewed, edited and drafted parts of a state health department report on nursing home deaths. Cuomo told the panel he was not involved in the report, but then later said he did not recall being involved.
The panel referred Cuomo to the Biden administration's Justice Department for criminal prosecution over accusations that he lied to Congress, but no charges were brought. Months later, Republican Rep. James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, then re-sent the referral to the Justice Department after Trump took office, releasing a statement saying Cuomo "must be prosecuted."
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in an email that "Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political."
The Justice Department has declined to comment. Jeanine Pirro, who has been a harsh critic of Cuomo's pandemic nursing home response from her perch as a Fox News host, was recently appointed as the new leader of the U.S. attorney's office in Washington. Pirro had unsuccessfully challenged Cuomo in a 2006 state attorney general race.
## Probe may not change many people's votes, former party leader says
Basil Smikle, former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, predicted that the investigation might not lead to many people changing their votes.
"If you're a Cuomo voter, you've already made up your mind that you're OK with all of the stuff that's in his past," he said. "I don't know if this changes things much."
That could change though, he said, if Cuomo were to be charged and it became clear that a criminal case would interfere with his ability to serve as mayor.
Still, the probe has allowed some of Cuomo's opponents to hammer the former governor for, in their view, being insufficiently critical of Trump on the campaign trail.
"Andrew Cuomo believing he may need a pardon for committing perjury explains his incessant kissing up to Donald Trump," said city Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running against Cuomo.
The current mayor, Adams, who dropped out of the Democratic primary but is still running for a second term on an independent ballot line, told reporters Wednesday that he wouldn't comment on the investigation.
"I'm not going to do to him what others did to me," he said. "I'm going to allow the investigation to take its course." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 23:28:47+00:00 | [
"Crime",
"New Orleans",
"Catholic Church",
"Legal proceedings",
"Lawsuits",
"Religion",
"Soren Gisleson",
"Courts",
"Sexual abuse",
"Sexual assault",
"Richard Trahant",
"Bankruptcy",
"Aaron Hebert"
] | # New Orleans Archdiocese agrees to pay nearly $180M to victims of clergy sexual abuse
By Jack Brook, Jim Mustian, and Lisa Baumann
May 21st, 2025, 11:28 PM
---
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay nearly $180 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement announced Wednesday, the latest in a string of settlements by the Catholic Church.
The archdiocese, its parishes and several insurers will pay $179.2 million into a trust to benefit survivors, according to a statement by the committee that negotiated the agreement. The money will be distributed after the church emerges from bankruptcy, it said.
But many of the survivors were not on board, their lawyers said.
"This proposed settlement was made in a secret backroom deal that the Archdiocese, the creditors committees and the mediators knew the overwhelming majority of victim-survivors would never agree to and will undoubtedly vote down," attorneys Soren Gisleson, Johnny Denenea and Richard Trahant said in a statement to The Associated Press. "It makes no sense and is a continuation of the lifetime of abuse the Archdiocese has inflicted on these folks."
The agreement, which would settle a lawsuit filed in 2020, requires approval from the survivors as well as the bankruptcy court and other Archdiocese creditors.
Aaron Hebert, who says he was abused by a priest in the 1960s as an eighth grader, called the deal "an insult and a slap to the face."
"The Archdiocese of New Orleans and Archbishop (Gregory) Aymond are throwing this offer out to prevent victims and survivors from taking their claims to state court," Hebert said.
The committee's statement said the deal also includes what it called "unprecedented" provisions and procedures to safeguard against future abuse and provide services to survivors, including a survivors' bill of rights and changes to the Archdiocese's process for handling abuse claims.
"I am grateful to God for all who have worked to reach this agreement and that we may look to the future towards a path to healing for survivors and for our local church," Aymond said in a statement.
The suit involves more than 500 people who say they were abused by clergy. The case produced a trove of church records said to document years of abuse claims and a pattern of leaders transferring clergy without reporting their alleged crimes to law enforcement.
In 2018 the archdiocese released a list identifying more than 50 clergy members who were removed from the ministry over the years due to "credible accusations" of sexual abuse.
___
Mustian reported from New York, and Baumann from Bellingham, Washington. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 07:53:27+00:00 | [
"United Kingdom",
"Keir Starmer",
"London",
"United Kingdom government",
"Arson",
"Fires",
"Stanislav Carpiuc",
"Crime",
"Politics"
] | # Third man charged over fires at properties linked to UK Prime Minister Starmer
May 21st, 2025, 07:53 AM
---
LONDON (AP) — A third suspect has been charged with arson over a series of fires targeting property linked to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, police said Wednesday.
Petro Pochynok, 34, has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. The Ukrainian national appeared at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning, speaking only to confirm his name and London address.
Two other men also have been charged with setting fire to Starmer's personal home, along with a property where he once lived and a car he had sold. They are Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Ukraine-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26.
Lavrynovych and Carpiuc appeared in court earlier. All three suspcts have been ordered detained until a joint hearing at London's Central Criminal Court on June 6.
No injuries were reported from the fires in north London, which occurred on three nights between May 8 and May 12.
Starmer and his family had moved out of his home after he was elected in July, and they live at the prime minister's official Downing Street residence.
A Toyota RAV4 that Starmer once owned was set ablaze on May 8, just down the street from the house where he lived before he became prime minister. The door of an apartment building where he once lived was set on fire on May 11, and on May 12 the doorway of his home was charred after being set ablaze.
Counterterrorism detectives led the investigation because it involves the prime minister. The charges were authorized by the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division, which is responsible for prosecuting offenses relating to state threats, among other crimes.
Starmer called the fires "an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 11:16:26+00:00 | [
"Friedrich Merz",
"Keir Starmer",
"Donald Trump",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Emmanuel Macron",
"Antonio Tajani",
"Abdullah Sabah Albadri",
"Italy government",
"Germany government",
"Antisemitism",
"United Kingdom government",
"South Korea",
"District of Columbia",
"Israel",
"Europe",
"Israel government",
"Violence",
"Radicalism",
"Shootings",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Politics",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Terrorism",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars"
] | # Global leaders condemn fatal attack on 2 Israeli Embassy staffers in DC
By Stefanie Dazio
May 22nd, 2025, 11:16 AM
---
BERLIN (AP) — Global reactions poured in Thursday in the hours after two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum.
Authorities say the suspect yelled, "Free, free Palestine" after he was arrested.
The violence was condemned by world leaders. Here's what they said:
## What did U.S. President Donald Trump say?
"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" Trump posted on social media early Thursday. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA."
## What did Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say?
Netanyahu 's office said Thursday that he was "shocked" by the "horrific, antisemitic" shooting.
"We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel," he said in a statement.
## What did U.S. Vice President JD Vance say?
Vance said "my heart breaks" for the victims. "Antisemitic violence has no place in the United States," he wrote on social platform X.
## What did former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris say?
"I stand with the entire Jewish community in condemning this sickening violence," she wrote on X. "Antisemitism and violence have no place in our country. We all must come together and fight hatred."
## What did Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, say?
"It is just a horrific tragedy, an act of terror, and another way in which we have to recognize Jewish people all over the world are being singled out for these kind of horrible attacks," Huckabee said in an interview on Fox & Friends.
Huckabee went on to push back against critics of Israel's execution of the war in Gaza, blaming Hamas for the war dragging on.
"We've got a lot of ignorant, idiotic people who don't seem to understand the difference between right and wrong," Huckabee said. "It shouldn't be that complicated."
## What did British Prime Minister Keir Starmer say?
Starmer said "antisemitism is an evil we must stamp out wherever it appears. My thoughts are with their colleagues, family and loved ones, and as always, I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community."
Starmer's spokesperson said the government has "offered its full support to the Israeli embassy in London."
In April, a man carrying a knife tried to break into Israel's London embassy. Abdullah Sabah Albadri was charged with a terrorism offense.
This month five Iranian men were arrested over an alleged plot to attack the embassy. They were later released, and police say the investigation is continuing.
## What did French President Emmanuel Macron say?
Macron says he has reached out to his Israeli counterpart after the killings in what the French leader called "an antisemitic attack."
Jean-Noël Barrot, France's foreign minister, called it "an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity" and said "nothing can justify such violence."
France's government on Thursday instructed police and military officials to put "visible and dissuasive" security in place around Jewish sites.
The instructions were issued by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and published by his ministry. The minister said security should be reinforced around Jewish sites – he specified synagogues, schools, shops, media and cultural events – following the shooting.
"The measures put in place … should be visible and dissuasive," his instructions to police and defense officials said. "I know I can count on your mobilization."
## What did German Chancellor Friedri
Merz, in a post on X, said he was "shocked" by the news.
"Our thoughts are with their families," Merz wrote. "At this stage we must assume an anti-Semitic motive. I condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms."
## What did Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani say?
Italy strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Israeli government and victims.
"Antisemitic violence that is the child of hatred against Jews is not acceptable and must be stopped," Tajani said in a statement.
He said Italy was committed to fighting all forms of hatred and discrimination and promoting "a culture of respect and peaceful coexistence through education, remembrance and the firm defense of human rights."
## What did Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, say?
"There is and should be no place in our societies for hatred, extremism, or antisemitism. I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Israel," Kallas, EU foreign policy chief, said.
## What did the Czech Republic's foreign ministry say?
The Czech Foreign Ministry said it "condemns the vile antisemitic attack."
It added: "Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and loved ones of the victims."
## What did South Korea's Foreign Ministry say?
"The government of the Republic of Korea expresses deep concern over the occurrence of a barbaric criminal act, which cannot be justified under any circumstances," the ministry said.
## What did Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard say?
"This act of violence is yet another horrifying example of why hate and antisemitism must never be normalized," she wrote on X. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 13:01:41+00:00 | [
"Animals",
"Frogs",
"John Bateman",
"Endangered species",
"New York",
"Climate and environment",
"Salamanders and newts",
"Margot Fass",
"Zoology",
"Associated Press",
"Climate"
] | # Habitat loss and climate change make it tough to be an amphibian. Some humans are helping
By Maryel Pryce and Oliver Butler
May 21st, 2025, 01:01 PM
---
HONEOYE, N.Y. (AP) — On a rainy March evening, John Bateman puts on his boots and a headlamp and heads to a wetland cut through by a busy road. As he walks, he scans the pavement for spring peepers, toads, salamanders and newts making their slow way as they migrate to new habitat each spring, and leans down occasionally to help guide one across.
It's a small act that makes a big difference for these amphibians, who need different habitats for different stages of their life cycle — sometimes wetlands, sometimes drier uplands. Roads often separate these habitats, and migrating amphibians can get squished.
They already face challenges from habitat lost to development. That's especially true for vernal pools, the small pools that show up each spring in forested ecosystems as snow melt and rainwater collect at low points on the ground. These pools hold water as late as July, and provide essential breeding habitat for amphibians like salamanders and frogs.
Larger wetlands can enjoy federal protections, but not the vernal pools, which are too small and temporary.
"Unfortunately, with urban sprawl and development, a lot of the forests are being cleared for new housing developments as people move out of the cities and into the suburbs," said Bateman, a professor of environmental conservation and horticulture at Finger Lakes Community College. "When they clear these forest habitats, vernal pools are going to be buried and become new houses, condominiums, and neighborhoods."
___
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between Rochester Institute of Technology and The Associated Press.
___
The U.S. Geological Survey calls amphibian declines "a global phenomenon" and one that's been underway in the U.S. since at least the 1960s. The agency said populations are dropping almost 4% each year in the U.S.
Development isn't the only threat. Amphibians are being affected by Earth's changing climate. The Appalachian region is particularly rich in salamander species, and with temperatures rising, their range is shifting northward, Bateman said.
That concerns him.
"At one point you hit the top and there is nowhere else to go," Bateman said.
A warming climate also requires cold-blooded amphibians to spend more time hunting to get the food they need to maintain their metabolism, said Karen Lips, a University of Maryland biology professor whose research found salamanders becoming smaller as a result.
Bateman isn't the only conservationist working to help amphibians.
Margot Fass owns A Frog House, a center for frog advocacy in Pittsford, New York. In April, she raised money and worked with 70 volunteers to build three vernal pools as part of Save the Frogs Day. The pools should help amphibians, but will also be a source of water for birds and other wildlife.
Fass grows animated as she talks about chemical-free gardens and their importance to amphibians: "One spray of pesticides can kill a frog within an hour. It's just horrible."
Both she and Bateman are strong believers in educating their communities to help amphibians. They often give talks in schools, libraries and to various groups.
"It's amazing how few people really know that frogs are endangered or that a third of them have gone extinct," Fass said.
The Genesee Land Trust, a not-for-profit conservation organization, is another active member in preserving and protecting land in the greater Rochester region. It owns Cornwall Preserve in Pultneyville, New York, on the edge of Lake Ontario. The trust bought the 77-acre property in 2016, becoming the first non-farmers to own the land in 200 years. They're preserving the historical farmland and in doing so have restored some wetlands and vernal pools.
"The wetland immediately served a population of birds after we first started digging," said Elliotte Bowerman, the trust's director of communications.
Catching amphibians may just be a nostalgic childhood memory for most, but for Bateman it never lost its magic. He believes preserving wetlands and vernal pools is critical not only for the amphibians and the environment, but for the next generation to experience the childlike wonder of discovering these hidden creatures.
"I think that the future generations are absolutely going to be at a loss to not have those experiences that I did as a child, to have that connection with nature," he said.
___
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 | 2025-05-22 08:45:45+00:00 | [
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Yoav Gallant",
"Israel",
"International Criminal Court",
"Gaza Strip",
"The Hague",
"Law enforcement",
"Courts",
"Mohammed Deif",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Hamas",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Karim Khan",
"Indictments",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars"
] | # ICC prosecutor says Netanyahu arrest warrant should remain as Israel jurisdiction challenge is heard
By Molly Quell
May 22nd, 2025, 08:45 AM
---
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — International Criminal Court prosecutors have urged judges to reject a request by Israel to scrap arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister while the court reconsiders its jurisdiction over Gaza and the West Bank.
In a 10-page written submission posted on the ICC website late Wednesday, prosecutors argue there is "no basis to withdraw or vacate" the pending warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
The warrants were issued in November, when judges found there was "reason to believe" Netanyahu and Gallant used "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials strongly deny the accusations.
The prosecution document was signed on behalf of prosecutor Karim Khan, who temporarily stepped down on Friday pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The filing argues it is important for the underlying investigation to continue in the "current situation where crimes are ongoing and escalating."
Last month, appeals judges ordered a pretrial panel to reconsider an Israeli challenge to the court's jurisdiction.
Israel argued in its application for the warrants to be withdrawn that the court "doesn't have, and never had" jurisdiction to issue warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Israel is not a member of the court and contends the ICC has no authority to prosecute Israeli nations. The Hague-based institution, however, has accepted "The State of Palestine" as one of its 126 member nations.
ICC chief prosecutor Khan is currently on leave until the conclusion of an external probe into accusations that he tried for more than a year to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will.
An investigation by The Associated Press last year found that two court employees, in whom the alleged victim confided, reported the alleged misconduct in May 2024 to the court's independent watchdog.
Along with the warrants for the Israeli officials, the court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas' armed wing, over the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel's offensive in Gaza. The warrant was withdrawn in February, after his death in an Israeli airstrike was confirmed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 17:16:48+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Pete Hegseth",
"Sean Parnell",
"Qatar",
"Cyril Ramaphosa",
"U.S. Department of Defense",
"Roger Marshall",
"Tammy Duckworth",
"Government regulations",
"Military and defense",
"Politics",
"Constitutional law",
"Troy Meink"
] | # Pentagon says Hegseth has accepted gifted Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump
By Lolita C. Baldor
May 21st, 2025, 05:16 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday, despite ongoing questions about the ethics and legality of taking the expensive gift from a foreign nation.
The Defense Department will "work to ensure proper security measures" on the plane to make it safe for use by the president, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations."
Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars.
"Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE," Trump posted on his social media site during the trip.
Others, however, have said Trump's acceptance of an aircraft that has been called a "palace in the sky" is a violation of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts. Democrats have been united in outrage, and even some of the Republican president's GOP allies in Congress have expressed concerns.
"This unprecedented action is a stain on the office of the presidency and cannot go unanswered," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. "Until Americans get transparency on this shady deal, which apparently includes a corrupt plot for Donald Trump to keep the plane at his library after leaving office, I'll continue to hold all Department of Justice political nominees."
Schumer has introduced legislation that would prohibit any foreign aircraft from being used as Air Force One and forbid use of taxpayer money to modify or restore the aircraft. But on Wednesday, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas objected when Schumer asked for a vote, thus blocking it. He did not offer an explanation for his objection.
Critics also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements, which would be costly and take time.
"Far from saving money, this unconstitutional action will not only cost our nation its dignity, but it will force taxpayers to waste over $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to overhaul this particular aircraft when we currently have not one, but two fully operational and fully capable Air Force One aircraft," said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.
She said during a hearing Tuesday that it is a "dangerous course of action" for the U.S. to accept the aircraft from the Qatari ruling family.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators that Hegseth has ordered the service to start planning how to update the jet to meet needed standards and acknowledged that the plane will require "significant" modifications.
The Air Force, in a statement, said it is preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft, but that any details are classified.
Trump was asked about the move Wednesday while he was meeting in the Oval Office with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. "They are giving the United States Air Force a jet," Trump said, bristling at being questioned about the gift by a reporter.
Trump said it was given "not to me, to the United States Air Force, so they could help us out" and noted that "Boeing's a little bit late, unfortunately."
Ramaphosa, who was sitting next to Trump and has been working to repair his relationship with the president, said, "I'm sorry I don't have a plane to give you."
"If your country was offering the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it," Trump said.
Trump has presented no national security imperative for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years.
He has tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he wouldn't fly around in the aircraft when his term ends. Instead, he said, the 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.
___
Associated Press writers Tara Copp, Michelle L. Price and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 04:02:19+00:00 | [
"Mike Johnson",
"Donald Trump",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Hakeem Jeffries",
"Karoline Leavitt",
"John Rose",
"Government programs",
"California",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Taxes",
"Congress",
"New York City Wire",
"Andrew Harris",
"Politics",
"Voting",
"Business"
] | # Republicans head to White House as Trump's tax break package is in trouble
By Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Leah Askarinam, and Joey Cappelletti
May 21st, 2025, 04:02 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defying opposition within his ranks, House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted late Wednesday that Republicans would march ahead on their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package after a lengthy White House meeting with GOP holdouts refusing to back the bill.
Johnson and his GOP leadership team appeared confident they would be able to stick to their schedule and shore up GOP support for final passage late Wednesday or Thursday following last-ditch talks to salvage the "big, beautiful bill." But next steps are highly uncertain.
"We're excited that we're going to land this airplane," Johnson, R-La., said back at the Capitol.
But as evening hours set in, the upbeat tone stood at odds with the unwieldy scene at the Capitol. The Rules Committee has been grinding through a marathon session, passing its 18th hour, as the process chugs along. Another Republican, Tennessee Rep. John Rose, announced his opposition to the GOP bill. And Democrats, without the votes to stop Trump's package, are using all available tools and impassioned speeches to press their opposition and capitalize on the GOP disarray.
"We believe it's one big, ugly bill that's going to hurt the American people," said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York as he and his team testified before the committee.
"Hurt children, hurt families, hurt veterans, hurt seniors, cut health care, cut nutritional assistance, explode the debt," he said.
It's a make-or-break moment for the president and his party in Congress. They have invested much of their political capital during the crucial first few months of Trump's return to the White House on this legislation. If the House Republicans fall in line with the president, overcoming unified Democratic objections, the measure would next go to the Senate.
Trump had implored the lawmakers a day earlier at the Capitol to get it done, but the holdouts endured. It's not at all clear what, exactly, was agreed to — or not — during Wednesday's lengthy meeting at the White House. However, Johnson indicated afterward that Trump himself may be able to accomplish by executive actions some of the goals that Congress is unable to agree to in the legislative process.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting was productive and moved the ball in the right direction.
One big problem has been the tentative deal with GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states to boost deductions for local taxes to $40,000. But that costly provision, running into the hundreds of billions of dollars, alarmed the most conservative Republicans, worried it will add to the nation's $36 trillion debt.
For every faction of the slim House majority that Johnson appeases, he risks losing others.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said earlier he did not believe the package could pass in a House vote, but "there is a pathway forward that we can see."
A fresh analysis from the Congressional Budget Office said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would tally $1 trillion in reduced spending. The lowest-income households in the U.S. would see their resources drop, while the highest ones would see a boost, the CBO said.
At its core, the package is centered on extending the tax breaks approved during Trump's first term in 2017, while adding new ones he campaigned on during his 2024 campaign.
To make up for some of the lost revenue, the Republicans are focused on spending cuts to federal safety net programs and a massive rollback of green energy tax breaks from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act.
Additionally, the package tacks on $350 billion in new spending, with about $150 billion going to the Pentagon, including for the president's new " Golden Dome" defense shield, and the rest for Trump's mass deportation and border security agenda.
The package title carries Trump's own words, the " One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
As Trump promised voters, the package proposes there would be no taxes on tips for certain workers, including those in some service industries; automobile loan interest; or some overtime pay.
There would be an increase to the standard income tax deduction, to $32,000 for joint filers, and a boost to the child tax credit to $2,500. There would be an enhanced deduction, of $4,000, for older adults of certain income levels, to help defray taxes on Social Security income.
To cut spending, the package would impose new work requirements for many people who receive health care through Medicaid. Able-bodied adults without dependents would need to fulfill 80 hours a month on a job or in other community activities.
Similarly, those who receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, known as SNAP, would also face new work requirements.
Older Americans up to age 64, rather than 54, who are able-bodied and without dependents would need to work or engage in the community programs for 80 hours a month. Additionally, some parents of children older than 7 years old would need to fulfill the work requirements; under current law, the requirement comes after children are 18.
Republicans said they want to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal programs.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated 8.6 million fewer people would have health insurance with the various changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. It also said 3 million fewer people each month would have SNAP benefits.
Conservatives are insisting on quicker, steeper cuts to federal programs to offset the costs of the trillions of dollars in lost tax revenue. GOP leaders have sped up the start date of the Medicaid work requirements from 2029 to 2027.
At the same time, more moderate and centrist lawmakers are wary of the changes to Medicaid that could result in lost health care for their constituents. Others are worried the phaseout of the renewable energy tax breaks will impede businesses using them to invest in green energy projects in many states.
Plus, those lawmakers from New York, California and other high-tax states wanted a bigger state and local tax deduction, called SALT, for their voters back home.
Under the emerging SALT deal, the $10,000 deduction cap would quadruple to $40,000 with an income limit of $500,000, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private talks. The cap would phase down for incomes above that level.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, estimates that the House bill is shaping up to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade.
__
Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 14:48:45+00:00 | [
"Riek Machar",
"South Sudan",
"Donald Trump",
"Juba",
"Sudan",
"Antonio Guterres",
"United States government",
"War and unrest",
"Immigration",
"United States",
"James Monday Enoka",
"Politics",
"Salva Kiir Mayardit",
"South Sudan government",
"Martin Mawut Ochalla"
] | # A look at South Sudan, where the US is accused of quietly sending migrants
By Cara Anna
May 21st, 2025, 02:48 PM
---
The United States is being asked to explain why it appears to be deporting migrants from as far away as Vietnam and Cuba to South Sudan, a chaotic country that's once again in danger of collapsing into civil war.
A U.S. judge ordered Trump administration officials to appear at an emergency hearing Wednesday to answer questions. The administration said it had expelled eight immigrants convicted of violent crimes in the U.S. but refused to say where they would end up.
If South Sudan is the confirmed destination, that means people from Vietnam, Mexico and elsewhere are being sent to a nation they have no link to, thousands of miles from where they want to be. Vietnam's list of its embassies in Africa shows the closest one to South Sudan is in Tanzania, over 800 miles away.
South Sudan's police spokesperson, Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka, told The Associated Press that no migrants had arrived and if they did, they would be investigated and "redeported to their correct country" if not South Sudanese.
Some in the capital, Juba, worried their country would become a kind of dumping ground. "Those people who are deported, some of them are criminals, they have been involved in crimes. So once they are brought to South Sudan, that means that criminal activities will also increase," said Martin Mawut Ochalla, 28.
This would not be the first time the Trump administration has pressured South Sudan over deportees. Recently, the administration abruptly revoked the visas of all South Sudanese, saying their government failed to accept the return of its citizens "in a timely manner." South Sudan pushed back, saying the person in question was Congolese, but later said it would allow him to enter "in the spirit of maintaining friendly relations" with the U.S.
South Sudan's government has struggled since independence from Sudan in 2011 to deliver many of the basic services of a state. Years of conflict have left the country heavily reliant on aid that has been hit hard by another Trump administration decision — sweeping cuts in foreign assistance.
Here's a look at South Sudan, whose own people had been granted U.S. temporary protected status because of insecurity at home.
## A deadly divide
The euphoria of independence turned to civil war two years later, when rival factions backing President Salva Kiir and deputy Riek Machar opened fire on each other in South Sudan's capital, Juba, in 2013.
The two men's tensions have been so much at the heart of the country's insecurity that the late Pope Francis once took the extraordinary step of kneeling to kiss their feet in a plea for lasting peace.
Five years of civil war killed hundreds of thousands of people. A peace deal reached in 2018 has been fragile and not fully implemented, to the frustration of the U.S. and other international backers. South Sudan still hasn't held a long-delayed presidential election, and Kiir remains in power.
His rivalry with Machar is compounded by ethnic divisions. Machar has long regarded himself as destined for the presidency, citing a prophecy years ago by a seer from his ethnic group.
Earlier this year, the threat of war returned. Machar was arrested and allies in the government and military were detained following a major escalation that included airstrikes and an attack on a United Nations helicopter. Machar's opposition party announced South Sudan's peace deal was effectively over.
"Let's not mince words: What we are seeing is darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 civil wars, which killed 400,000 people," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned.
Some Western countries have closed their embassies there while others, including the U.S., have reduced embassy staff. The U.S. Embassy's travel warning said that "violent crime, such as carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, robberies, and kidnappings are common throughout South Sudan, including Juba."
## A country in disarray
The Trump administration's pressure on South Sudan to take in deportees, including foreign ones, is in sharp contrast to Washington's past warm embrace as its rebel leaders — including Kiir and Machar — fought for independence.
Now there is less support than ever for most of South Sudan's over 11 million people because of the cuts in U.S. aid.
Climate shocks including flooding have long caused mass displacement and closed schools. South Sudan's health and education systems were already among the weakest in the world. Aid organizations had offered essential help.
South Sudan's government has long relied on oil production, but little money from that is seen, in part because of official corruption. Conflict in neighboring Sudan has affected landlocked South Sudan's oil exports. Civil servants at times go months without being paid.
How South Sudan is equipped to handle migrants arriving abruptly from the U.S. is yet to be seen.
___
Associated Press journalist Florence Miettaux in Juba, South Sudan, contributed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 07:40:54+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Iran",
"Tehran",
"Iran government",
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad",
"Ali Khamenei",
"Joe Biden",
"Hassan Nasrallah",
"Ismail Haniyeh",
"Barack Obama",
"Yahya Sinwar",
"Qassem Soleimani",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Military and defense",
"Mohammad Reza Pahlavi",
"International agreements",
"Politics",
"Abbas Araghchi",
"Ruhollah Khomeini",
"Masoud Pezeshkian",
"War and unrest",
"Drones",
"Kamal Kharrazi",
"Steve Witkoff"
] | # Timeline of tensions between Iran and US over Tehran's nuclear program
By The Associated Press
May 22nd, 2025, 07:40 AM
---
Iran and the United States will hold a fifth round of talks in Rome on Friday over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The negotiations represent a milestone in the fraught relations between the two nations over Iran's program, which is enriching uranium close to weapons-grade levels. Officials are now focused on the details that could make or break any accord.
Here's a timeline of the tensions between the two countries over Iran's atomic program.
## Early days
1967 — Iran takes possession of its Tehran Research Reactor under America's "Atoms for Peace" program.
1979 — Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fatally ill, flees Iran as popular protests against him surge. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran and the Islamic Revolution sweeps him to power. Students seize the United States Embassy in Tehran, beginning the 444-day hostage crisis. Iran's nuclear program goes fallow under international pressure.
August 2002 — Western intelligence services and an Iranian opposition group reveal Iran's secret Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
June 2003 — Britain, France and Germany engage Iran in nuclear negotiations.
October 2003 — Iran suspends uranium enrichment.
February 2006 — Iran announces it will restart uranium enrichment following the election of hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Britain, France and Germany walk out of stalled negotiations.
June 2009 — Iran's disputed presidential election sees Ahmadinejad re-elected despite fraud allegations, sparking Green Movement protests and violent government crackdown.
October 2009 — Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. and Iran open a secret backchannel for messages in the sultanate of Oman.
July 2012 — U.S. and Iranian officials hold face-to-face secret talks in Oman.
July 14, 2015 — World powers and Iran announce a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limits Tehran's enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
## The nuclear deal collapses
May 2018 — Trump unilaterally withdraws the U.S. from the nuclear agreement, calling it the "worst deal ever." He says he'll get better terms in new negotiations to stop Iran's missile development and support for regional militias. Those talks don't happen in his first term.
May 8, 2019 — Iran announces it will begin backing away from the accord. A series of regional attacks on land and at sea blamed on Tehran follow.
Jan. 3, 2020 — A U.S. drone strike in Baghdad kills Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Tehran's proxy wars in the Middle East.
Jan. 8, 2020 — In retaliation for Soleimani's killing, Iran launches a barrage of missiles at military bases in Iraq that are home to thousands of American and Iraqi troops. More than 100 U.S. service members suffer traumatic brain injuries. As Iran braces for a counterattack, the Revolutionary Guard shoots down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after takeoff from Tehran's international airport, reportedly mistaking it for a U.S. cruise missile. All 176 people on board are killed.
July 2020 — A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on archenemy Israel.
April 6, 2021 — Iran and the U.S. under President Joe Biden begin indirect negotiations in Vienna over how to restore the nuclear deal. Those talks, and others between Tehran and European nations, fail to reach any agreement.
April 11, 2021 — A second attack within a year targets Iran's Natanz nuclear site, again likely carried out by Israel.
April 16, 2021 — Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60% — its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Feb. 24, 2022 – Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow ultimately will come to rely on Iranian bomb-carrying drones in the conflict, as well as missiles.
July 17, 2022 — An adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Kamal Kharrazi, says that Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb, but has not decided whether to build one. His remarks will be repeated by others in the coming years as tensions grow.
## Mideast wars rage
Oct. 7, 2023 — Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. This begins the most intense war ever between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. Regional tensions spike.
Nov. 19, 2023 — Yemen's Houthi rebels, long supported by Iran, seize the ship Galaxy Leader, beginning a monthslong campaign of attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor that the U.S. Navy describes as the most intense combat it has seen since World War II. The attacks mirror tactics earlier used by Iran.
April 14, 2024 — Iran launches an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, firing over 300 missiles and attack drones. Israel, working with a U.S.-led international coalition, intercepts much of the incoming fire.
April 19, 2024 — A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defense system by an airport in Isfahan, Iran.
July 31, 2024 – Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, is assassinated apparently by Israel during a visit to Tehran after the inauguration of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Sept. 27, 2024 — Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Oct. 1, 2024 — Iran launches its second direct attack on Israel, though a U.S.-led coalition and Israel shoot down most of the missiles.
Oct. 16, 2024 — Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.
Oct. 26, 2024 — Israel openly attacks Iran for the first time, striking air defense systems and sites associated with its missile program.
## Trump returns — and reaches out
Jan. 20, 2025 — Trump is inaugurated for his second term as president.
Feb. 7, 2025 – Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says proposed talks with the U.S. are "not intelligent, wise or honorable."
March 7, 2025 – Trump says he sent a letter to Khamenei seeking a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
March 15, 2025 — Trump launches intense airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen, the last members of Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" capable of daily attacks.
April 7, 2025 — Trump announces the U.S. and Iran will hold direct talks in Oman. Iran says they'll be indirect talks, but confirms the meeting.
April 12, 2025 — First round of talks between Iran and the U.S. take place in Oman, ending with a promise to hold more talks after U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi "briefly spoke" together.
April 19, 2025 — Second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran are held in Rome.
April 26, 2025 — Iran and the U.S. meet in Oman a third time, but the negotiations include talks at the expert level for the first time.
May 11, 2025 — Iran and the U.S. meet in Oman for a fourth round of negotiations ahead of Trump's trip to the Mideast.
May 23, 2025 — Iran and the U.S. to meet in Rome for a fifth round of talks. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 04:02:42+00:00 | [
"Racism",
"Los Angeles",
"Southern Poverty Law Center",
"Hate crimes",
"Aki Maehara",
"Politics",
"Alabama",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Montgomery"
] | # Southern Poverty Law Center to release its annual report on hate and extremism
By Terry Tang
May 22nd, 2025, 04:02 AM
---
The Southern Poverty Law Center is expected to release its annual report Thursday on white nationalist, neo-Nazi and anti-government extremist group activity in the United States.
The Hate & Extremism Report will identify the number of active hate groups in 2024 and how that compares with previous years. It will also look at anti-government group trends. The law center based in Montgomery, Alabama, tracks racism, xenophobia and far-right militias.
Last year's report found "record numbers" of white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ groups in 2023. The analysis highlighted how far-right groups tried to waylay democracy through disinformation, false conspiracy theories and threats to election workers. It also examined how supporters of Christian supremacy used similar topics to organize a movement toward authoritarianism.
The SPLC is a liberal advocacy organization that, besides monitoring hate groups, files lawsuits over justice issues and offers educational programs to counter prejudice. Frequently criticized by conservatives as biased, the nonprofit has faced lawsuits for its designation of some organizations as hate groups.
The report's release comes as a Los Angeles college professor makes his first public appearance since he was severely injured in a hit and run that he reported as a hate crime. He is scheduled to speak Thursday morning at the Chinese American Museum in downtown Los Angeles.
Aki Maehara, 71, was riding his electric bicycle in Montebello, 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles, on April 29 when he says he heard a driver yell a racial slur. Maehara says a car then struck him and the driver fled. He was hospitalized with a concussion, neck injury, cheek bone fracture and bruises and swelling up and down his body.
Maehara, who is Japanese American, teaches a course on the history of racism in the U.S. at East Los Angeles College.
The Montebello Police Department is investigating.
Photos of his injuries posted to a GoFundMe page have been shared multiple times on social media with users calling for hate crime charges. The crowdsourcing campaign has raised almost $77,000 for Maehara. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 03:28:05+00:00 | [
"Financial markets",
"United States government",
"Stocks and bonds",
"Diversity",
"equity and inclusion",
"National",
"United States",
"Bank of America Corp.",
"Financial services",
"Business",
"Doug Palladini",
"Jonathan Krinsky",
"Donald Trump"
] | # Wall Street tumbles under the weight of rising Treasury yields and US debt worries
By Stan Choe
May 21st, 2025, 03:28 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street slumped on Wednesday under the weight of pressure from the bond market, where Treasury yields climbed on worries about the U.S. government's spiraling debt and other concerns.
The S&P 500 fell 1.6% for a second straight drop after breaking a six-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 816 points, or 1.9%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 1.4%.
Stocks had been drifting only modestly lower early in the day, after Target and other retailers gave mixed forecasts for upcoming profits amid uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's trade war. The market then turned sharply lower after the U.S. government released the results for its latest auction of 20-year bonds.
The government regularly sells such bonds, which is how it borrows money to pay its bills. In this auction, the U.S. government had to pay a yield as high as 5.047% to attract enough buyers to lend it a total of $16 billion over 20 years.
That helped push up yields for all kinds of other Treasurys, including the more widely followed 10-year Treasury. Its yield climbed to 4.59% from 4.48% late Tuesday and from just 4.01% early last month. That's a notable move in the bond market.
"Bonds finally appear to be getting equities' attention," according to Jonathan Krinsky, chief market technician at BTIG, pointing in particular to the 30-year Treasury yield, which jumped back above 5% and approached its highest level since 2023.
Treasury yields have been on the rise in part because of concerns that tax cuts currently under consideration in Washington could pile trillions of more dollars onto the U.S. government's debt. Concerns are also still brewing about how much Trump's tariffs will push up on inflation in the United States.
The U.S. government's bonds aren't alone, and yields have been on the rise recently for developed economies around the world. That's partly because their governments are continuing to borrow more cash to pay their bills, while central banks like the Federal Reserve have cut back on their own holdings of government bonds.
When the U.S. government has to pay more interest to borrow money, that can cause interest rates to rise for U.S. households and businesses too, including for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. That in turn can slow the economy. Higher yields can also make investors less inclined to pay high prices for stocks and other kinds of investments.
Moody's Ratings became the last of the three major ratings agencies late last week to downgrade the U.S. government's credit rating on concerns that it may be heading toward an unsustainable amount of debt.
"We do not think that the downgrade matters by itself," Bank of America strategists wrote in a BofA Global Research report, "but it has served as a wake up call for those investors who had been ignoring the ongoing fiscal discussion."
On Wall Street, Target sank 5.2% after the retailer reported weaker profit and revenue than analysts expected for the start of the year.
The company said it felt some pain from boycotts by customers. It scaled back many diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives early this year following criticism by the White House and conservative activists, which drew its own backlash. Perhaps more worryingly for Wall Street, Target also cut its forecast for profit over the full year.
Carter's, which sells apparel for babies and young children, sank 12.6% after cutting its dividend.
CEO Doug Palladini said the company made the move in part because of investments it anticipates making in upcoming years, as well as the possibility that it "may incur significantly higher product costs as the result of the new proposed tariffs on products imported into the United States."
All told, the S&P 500 fell 95.85 points to 5,844.61. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 816.80 to 41,860.44, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 270.07 to 18,872.64.
A growing number of companies have recently said tariffs and uncertainty about the economy are making it difficult to guess what the upcoming year will bring. Others, including Walmart, have said they'll have to raise prices to offset Trump's tariffs.
U.S. stocks had recently recovered most of their steep losses from earlier in the year after Trump delayed or rolled back many of his stiff tariffs. Investors are hopeful that Trump will lower his tariffs more permanently after reaching trade deals with other countries.
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid mostly modest movements across Europe and Asia
London's FTSE 100 rose 0.1% after a report said inflation in the United Kingdom spiked to its highest level for more than a year in April. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6% after a report said Japan's exports have slowed due to tariffs
___
AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 18:39:21+00:00 | [
"Comedy",
"Camille Rutherford",
"Laura Piani",
"Books and literature",
"Movies",
"Film Reviews",
"Jane Austen",
"Lindsey Bahr",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Frederick Wiseman",
"Pablo Pauly",
"Charlie Anson",
"Entertainment"
] | # 'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life' review: Bilingual romance and writer's block
By Lindsey Bahr
May 20th, 2025, 06:39 PM
---
Agathe is celibate by choice. The 30-something hero of filmmaker Laura Piani's feature debut "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life," played by the luminous Camille Rutherford, hasn't so much been ruined by Austen as she has been made acutely aware of her own limitations in both romance and literature.
Neither she nor anyone else is good enough to make any big moves for. So, she sticks to the routine. She works at the legendary Parisian bookstore Shakespeare and Co., and bikes home, where she lives with her sister and young nephew. Sometimes she goes out to dinner. For what it's worth, Agathe also happens to epitomize French girl chic with her Breton stripes, red pout and effortlessly disheveled hair. There should be Instagram accounts devoted to her navy hooded parka.
Life isn't bad, it's just not moving forward. And whatever is going to get her out of this self-imposed rut is going to be something special — she's read too many great books to accept anything less.
Standards are great and all, but really, of course, it's Agathe who has to get out of her own way. And she does, one night, in a sake-induced daze in which she dreams up the first couple of chapters of a romance. Her best friend Félix (Pablo Pauly) gives her the push she needs and secretly submits the pages to a Jane Austen writers residency, where she's accepted and invited to spend a few weeks.
Before she gets on the ferry (a hurdle in and of itself), Félix, a known serial dater and "breadcrumber," kisses her. It's the kind of development, a platonic friendship turned complicated, that's enough to properly distract an already reluctant writer with an impostor complex. When she arrives, there's another handsome distraction awaiting her: Oliver (Charlie Anson), a British literature professor and Austen's "great great great great nephew" who thinks that the "Pride and Prejudice" author is overrated. Agathe doesn't know he also speaks French until after she's complained about his arrogance to her sister within his earshot.
It's a classic kind of setup, not exactly Mr. Darcy, but not not that either. Shared lodgings, even at a rather large, idyllic English estate, only ratchet up the will-they-won't-they tension as they see each other everywhere: walks in the woods, breakfast, after-dinner readings. And it's not without its slightly more cliche hijinks, like Agathe stripping down to nothing and opening a door to what she believes is the bathroom. It's not.
Piani has constructed a rare gem in "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life," which manages to be literary without being pretentious. Its title is cheekily hyperbolic but has some truth to it as well. Modern romances for Austen disciples are bound to disappoint but, in this environment, they can justify having a costumed ball. The event is a swoony, romantic affair where we get to see the love triangle play out in all its glorious awkwardness.
But while "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" certainly qualifies as a romantic comedy, the question of whom she ends up with is kind of beside the point. Don't worry, choices are made, but the way it plays out is both unexpected and gratifying — a clear-eyed portrait of why Agathe's singledom is not the problem. There's even a Frederick Wiseman cameo involved.
Ultimately, this is a movie about a woman taking a bet on herself for perhaps the first time ever. Her actualization is not going to come through a boyfriend, a job or a makeover, but by sitting down and finally putting pen to paper. It may not be a strict adaptation, but it has Jane Austen's soul.
"Jane Austen Wrecked My Life," a Sony Pictures Classics release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for "some sexual content, nudity, language." Running time: 94 minutes. Three stars out of four. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 19:49:35+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Miami",
"Venezuela",
"Evelyn Alexandra Batista",
"Nicolas Maduro",
"Hospitality and leisure industry",
"Immigration",
"Retail and wholesale",
"Tricia McLaughlin",
"Politics",
"Courts",
"Business",
"William Paredes",
"United States government",
"Agriculture",
"Rebecca Shi"
] | # US business owners are confused about Venezuelan employees with temporary status
By Gisela Salomon
May 20th, 2025, 07:49 PM
---
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — As a business owner in the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, Wilmer Escaray is stressed and in shock. He is unsure what steps he should take after the Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to strip legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants.
Escaray owns 15 restaurants and three markets, most of them in Doral, a city of 80,000 in the Miami area people known as "Little Venezuela" or "Doralzuela." At least 70% of Escaray's 150 employees and many of his customers are Venezuelan immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS.
The Supreme Court on Monday lifted a federal judge's ruling that had paused the administration's plans to end TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation. The Department of Homeland Security welcomed the ruling but has given no details on when TPS is ending and what employers and beneficiaries should do.
"The Trump Administration does not rest on its laurels. We will act in an expeditious manner," Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary, said Tuesday in a written response to questions about any expiration date for TPS after the court ruling and whether work permits were still valid.
Like many U.S. business owners with Venezuelan employees, Escaray does not know how long his employees will have legal authorization to work or whether he will be able to help them.
"The impact for the business will be really hard," said Escaray, a 37-year-old Venezuelan American who came to the U.S. to study in 2007 and opened his first restaurant six years later. "I don't know yet what I am going to do. I have to discuss with my team, with my family to see what will be the plan."
TPS allows people already in the U.S. to legally live and work here because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife. The Trump administration said immigrants were poorly vetted after the Biden administration dramatically expanded the designation.
Immigration attorney Evelyn Alexandra Batista said the Supreme Court did not specifically address TPS-based work permits, and some work authorizations remain in effect. She warned, though, that there is no guarantee that they will remain valid because the Supreme Court could change this.
"This means that employers and employees alike should be exploring all other alternative options as TPS was never meant to be permanent," said Batista, who has received hundreds of calls from TPS beneficiaries and companies looking for advice in the months since Trump returned to office and began his immigration crackdown.
Among the options they are exploring, she said, are visas for people with extraordinary abilities, for people who make investments and for agricultural workers.
Many TPS holders have requested asylum or other immigration benefits. It's not clear if people with pending requests will be allowed to stay in the U.S.
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday condemned the withdrawal of TPS for Venezuelan immigrants.
"TPS was a minimal protection they had. Now it's been taken away from them," Maduro said in a televised government event.
The American Business Immigration Coalition estimates that TPS holders add $31 billion to the U.S. economy through wages and spending power. There are no specific estimates of the impact of Venezuelans, although they make up the largest percentage of TPS beneficiaries.
They work in hospitality, construction, agriculture, health care, retail, and food services.
"This decision leaves business owners with limited options," said Rebecca Shi, CEO of the coalition.
The concerns go beyond Doral.
William Paredes arrived at the U.S. in 2014 and now owns a window tinting business that employs four other Venezuelans in Tampa, about 280 miles (450 kilometers) northwest of Miami. He does not know what is next and he has no plan.
"This is my and my family's economic support," Paredes, 42, said. "I'm leaving everything in God's hands because if I think about it, I get depressed. We're in limbo."
He and his wife and son, now 16, came to the U.S. on tourist visas and soon requested asylum. He lost his asylum case, but thought he was shield from deportation as a TPS holder. His 8-year-old daughter was born in the U.S. and is an American citizen.
Paredes was a police officer in his home country and left after receiving threats for working as a security guard for a mayor who opposed the ruling socialist party. He said he cannot go back.
"I'm too scared and just thinking that they might send me back to Venezuela gives me goose bumps," Paredes said.
Escaray, the restaurant owner, said he hopes to find a legal pathway so his Venezuelan employees can keep working for him. If not, he said, he might have to fire them.
"I want to keep them to work with us. But we have to respect the law."
___
Associated Press reporters Jorge Rueda in Caracas, Venezuela, and Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 10:48:40+00:00 | [
"Sandy Cay",
"Philippines",
"Philippines government",
"Manila",
"South China Sea",
"China government",
"China",
"Donald Trump",
"International agreements"
] | # Philippines condemns Chinese coast guard's use of water cannon on a research vessel
By Jim Gomez
May 22nd, 2025, 10:48 AM
---
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials on Thursday condemned the Chinese coast guard, which it said used a powerful water cannon to target one of two Philippine fishing boats conducting marine research in the disputed South China Sea.
The Bureau of Fisheries in Manila said the incident, which took place on Wednesday near one of three sandbars called Sandy Cay, caused damage to one of the fishing vessels and endangered its crew members.
The Chinese coast guard's "aggressive interference" happened as the two Philippine vessels were conducting "routine marine scientific research" in the barren white sandbars that lie between the Philippine-occupied Thitu island and a Chinese-built island base called Subi Reef, according to the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries in Manila.
Officials said a Filipino scientific team were in Sandy Cay to collect sand samples from the sandbars.
A larger Chinese coast guard ship "water cannoned and sideswiped" one of the vessels twice, "resulting in some damage to the latter's port bow and smokestack and putting at risk lives of its civilian personnel onboard," the Philippine officials said.
They said the incident "occurred within the territorial sea of the Philippines" off Thitu island, which Filipinos call Pagasa, Tagalog for hope.
China's coast guard blamed the Philippines for the collision, saying the vessels entered the waters illegally without China's permission and landed personnel on Sandy Cay, it said, using the Chinese name Tiexian Reef for the sandbars.
It said the vessels ignored warnings from the Chinese side and came dangerously close to the Chinese ship, which it said was conducting normal law enforcement operations.
The Chinese coast guard landed on the reef to check on the activity, a statement said. It did not mention the use of a water cannon.
"The Philippines' actions seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty ... and undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea," it said.
China has claimed that it has sovereignty rights over virtually the entire South China Sea and has vowed to defend its territories at all cost.
The territorial conflicts are also a delicate fault line in the regional rivalry between China and the United States, which lays no claims to the busy sea passage but has backed smaller states like the Philippines as they confront Beijing's growing aggression in the offshore region.
U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said the Chinese coast guard's "aggressive actions against a lawful civilian mission near Sandy Cay recklessly endangered lives and threaten regional stability."
"We stand with our Philippine allies in support of international law and a free and open Indo-Pacific," Carlson said in a post on X.
China and the Philippines have had confrontations over Sandy Cay, which is called Pag-asa Cays by Filipinos.
In January, the Chinese coast guard and a naval helicopter drove away a group of Philippines fisheries ships that were attempting to conduct a scientific survey around Sandy Cay.
Last month, a Chinese state-owned newspaper posted exclusive photos of coast guard officers on Sandy Cay, including one of them holding up a Chinese flag. Three days later, a joint Philippines coast guard, navy and maritime police team headed to the three sandbars and posed for a photo holding up their national flag.
Both the former Biden and current Trump administrations have warned that the U.S. is obligated to defend the Philippines under a Mutual Defense Treaty if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
China has warned the U.S. not to meddle in what it calls a purely Asian conflict.
The long-unresolved territorial disputes are expected to be high on the agenda when leaders and top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-country regional bloc, hold an annual summit starting this weekend in Malaysia.
ASEAN member states Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam are involved in the territorial disputes, along with China and Taiwan. China and the ASEAN have been negotiating a nonaggression "code of conduct" to prevent the conflicts from degenerating into a larger armed conflict and both sides hope they could conclude the talks next year.
___
Associated Press journalist Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 00:05:14+00:00 | [
"North Korea",
"Crime",
"United Nations",
"Kim Jong-un",
"Elizabeth Salmn",
"North Korea government",
"South Korea government",
"Human rights",
"Kim Song",
"Sean Chung",
"COVID-19 pandemic",
"Capital punishment"
] | # North Korean defectors tell UN of human rights abuses
By Edith M. Lederer
May 21st, 2025, 12:05 AM
---
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Eunju Kim, who escaped starvation in North Korea in 1999, was sent back from China and fled a second time, told the United Nations on Tuesday that the country's leader must be held accountable for gross human rights violations.
Gyuri Kang, whose family faced persecution for her grandmother's religious beliefs, fled the North during the COVID-19 pandemic. She told the General Assembly that three of her friends were executed — two for watching South Korean TV dramas.
At the high-level meeting of the 193-member world body, the two women, both now living in South Korea, described the plight of North Koreans who U.N. special investigator Elizabeth Salmón said have been living in "absolute isolation" since the pandemic began in early 2020.
Thousands of North Koreans have fled the country since the late 1990s, but the numbers have dwindled drastically in recent years.
Salmón said North Korea's closure of its borders worsened an already dire human rights situation, with new laws enacted since 2020 and stricter punishments, including the death penalty and public executions.
In another rights issue, she said, the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine has raised concerns about "the poor human rights conditions of its soldiers while in service, and the government's widespread exploitation of its own people."
The North's "extreme militarization" enables it to keep the population under surveillance and it exploits the work force through a state-controlled system that finances its expanding nuclear program and military ventures, Salmón said.
North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Kim Song called the allegations that his country violates human rights "a burlesque of intrigue and fabrication" and insisted that tens of millions of North Koreans enjoy human rights under the country's socialist system. He accused the West of being the bigger violator, through racial discrimination, human trafficking and sexual slavery.
But the two defectors and human rights defenders detailed numerous abuses.
Kim, who said her father died of starvation, told U.N. diplomats that after making it to China across the Tumen River the first time, she, her mother and sister were sold for the equivalent of less than $300 to a Chinese man. Three years later, they were arrested and sent back to the North. In 2002, they escaped again across the river.
Kang, who was banished to the countryside as a 5-year-old because of her grandmother's religious beliefs, said she became the owner of a 10-meter (33-foot) wooden fishing boat and escaped on it in October 2023 with her mother and aunt.
She said she was lucky to have access to information about the outside world and to have been given a USB with South Korean TV dramas, which she said she found "so refreshing and more credible than North Korea state propaganda," though she knew being caught could mean death.
"Three of my friends were executed, two of them in public for distributing South Korean dramas," Kang said. "One of them was only 19 years old. … It was as if they were guilty of heinous crimes."
She expressed hope that her speech would "awaken the North Korean people" and help them "to point in the direction of freedom."
Kim accused North Korea of sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine without them knowing where they were going and using them as cannon fodder to make money.
"This is a new and unacceptable form of human trafficking," she said.
Kim called for the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, to be investigated and held accountable by the International Criminal Court.
Addressing the world's nations, she said: "Silence is complicity. Stand firm against the regime's systematic atrocities."
Sean Chung, head of Han Voice, who spoke on behalf of a global coalition of 28 civil society organizations, called on China and all other countries to end forced repatriations to North Korea.
He called on U.N. member nations to urge the Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court, and to impose and enforce sanctions on "every official and entity credibly found to be responsible for North Korea's atrocity crimes." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 16:37:19+00:00 | [
"Mahmoud Khalil",
"Donald Trump",
"Louisiana",
"United States government",
"Colleges and universities",
"New York City",
"Prisons",
"United States",
"New York City Wire",
"Claire Shipman",
"Government policy",
"Legal proceedings",
"Palestinian territories government",
"Education costs",
"Activism",
"Religion",
"Palestinian territories",
"Politics",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"Education",
"Immigration"
] | # Over boos, Columbia University president notes Mahmoud Khalil's absence at graduation
By Jake Offenhartz
May 21st, 2025, 04:37 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — The head of Columbia University gave a commencement speech Wednesday acknowledging the absence of student activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was due to receive his diploma this week but is instead in a Louisiana jail facing deportation for his role in pro-Palestinian campus protests.
The brief address drew loud boos and chants of "free Palestine" from some graduating students. Acting president Claire Shipman also alluded to the crackdown on foreign students by the Trump administration that has roiled the Ivy League school in recent months.
"We firmly believe that our international students have the same rights to freedom of speech as everyone else and they should not be targeted by the government for exercising this right," Shipman said, adding: "I know many in our community are mourning the absence of our graduate Mahmoud Khalil."
Khalil, a graduate student in Columbia's international affairs program, has remained detained since March 8 when immigration agents took him into custody at his off-campus apartment in Manhattan. While in custody, he missed the birth of his first child. His repeated requests to hold the newborn have been rejected by the jail, his attorneys said Wednesday.
As Shipman spoke under rainy skies, some students walked out while others booed and jeered. The acting president, who took over in late March, received a similarly icy reception during a smaller graduation ceremony Tuesday.
Dozens of people protested across the street from the university's main gates on Wednesday, and at least one person in a blue Columbia graduation robe was detained by New York City police. The NYPD did not immediately have any additional information on arrests.
Some students and faculty have accused Columbia's leadership of capitulating to the Trump administration's demands at the expense of protecting foreign students.
Federal authorities have not accused Khalil of a crime, but have sought to deport him on the basis that his prominent role in protests against Israel's war in Gaza may have undermined U.S. foreign policy interests.
He is scheduled to appear Thursday before a Louisiana immigration judge, who previously ruled that he could be legally deported.
A federal judge ordered Wednesday that Khalil's wife be allowed to accompany his lawyers to a meeting at the detention center, over objections from the government, which argued that allowing her or the newborn to attend "would turn a legal visitation into a family one."
Khalil's attorneys had written that the jail's refusal to let him meet, and touch, his wife and child "is further evidence of the retaliatory motive behind Mr. Khalil's arrest and faraway detention."
Inquiries to the jail were not returned. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:30:21+00:00 | [
"Chris Brown",
"Manchester",
"London",
"Assault",
"Music",
"Entertainment",
"Hannah Nicholls",
"Tony Baumgartner",
"RB",
"Courts",
"Celebrity",
"Amsterdam",
"Grammy Awards",
"Abe Diaw"
] | # Chris Brown freed on $6.7 million bail in assault case, allowing him to start world tour
By Brian Melley
May 21st, 2025, 12:30 PM
---
LONDON (AP) — Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown was released on 5 million-pound ($6.7 million) bail Wednesday while facing allegations he beat and seriously injured a music producer with a bottle in a London nightclub in 2023.
The decision by a London judge to grant bail will allow Brown to launch a world tour next month that had been thrown into doubt last week when a district judge in Manchester ordered him into custody after he was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Judge Tony Baumgartner in Southwark Crown Court said that Brown could go on tour, including several stops in the U.K., but would have to pay the bail to guarantee his court appearance.
Brown, who was not in court for the hearing, was released in the late afternoon from a jail in Salford, outside Manchester, where he had been arrested at a hotel last week.
Brown was initially scheduled to return to court on June 13. Had he remained in custody, he would have missed the first two nights of his upcoming European tour, which starts next month.
Brown, 36, is accused of an unprovoked attack on producer Abe Diaw at a bar in the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in February 2023 while he was on his last tour.
Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls said last week in Manchester Magistrates' Court that Brown struck Diaw several times with a bottle and then punched and kicked him in an attack caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people.
American musician Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who performs under the name "Hoody Baby" and is a friend of Brown, was also charged in the assault.
Neither Brown nor Akinlolu have entered a plea yet. Both men were ordered to appear in court again on June 20.
Brown, who burst onto the music scene as a teen in 2005, won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for "F.A.M.E." and then earned his second in the same category for "11:11 (Deluxe)" earlier this year.
His hits include songs such as "Run It," "Kiss Kiss" and "Without You."
His tour is due to kick off June 8 in Amsterdam before starting North America shows in July. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:10:41+00:00 | [
"Myanmar",
"Aung San Suu Kyi",
"Thailand government",
"Military and defense",
"War and unrest",
"Russia government"
] | # Myanmar army says a transport helicopter has crashed in a combat zone due to malfunction
May 21st, 2025, 12:10 PM
---
BANGKOK (AP) — A helicopter belonging to Myanmar's military crashed in a combat zone in the country's north while returning from a mission to deliver supplies to army outposts, a state-run newspaper reported Wednesday.
The report from Myanma Alinn said the transport helicopter crashed in Kachin state was due to a technical fault. However, one of the armed ethnic minority groups fighting against the army has reportedly claimed responsibility for shooting it down.
The report said search and recovery efforts were underway.
It said the crash took place shortly after some army transport helicopters delivered what was described as administrative supplies for soldiers at frontline posts in Kachin's Bhamo township, about 280 kilometers (175 miles) northeast of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city.
The military government's version of the events was first broadcast on state television Tuesday night, hours after independent online news outlets reported that a powerful ethnic Kachin armed group and allied pro-democracy fighters had shot down one of three army helicopters.
The websites of Myanmar Now and the Kachin-based MyitKyina News Journal cited a spokesperson of the Kachin Independence Army saying its forces hit two helicopters, with one of them crashing in a forest in the town of Shwegu while the other made an emergency landing nearby.
Other Kachin outlets published photos and videos of the alleged helicopter's burnt and scattered wreckage, as well as a dead pilot.
Claims of shooting down aircraft are difficult to independently confirm, because of tight restrictions on the media and the remoteness of where much combat takes place.
Myanmar was plunged into nationwide armed conflict after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Border areas such as Kachin have sporadically been at war for decades, as the minorities living there have sought more autonomy.
The Kachin Independence Army is one of the stronger ethnic armed groups, capable of manufacturing some of their own weapons, and whose fighters are battle-hardened from years of resistance.
The Kachin group is on good terms with the armed militias of the pro-democracy movement, known as the People's Defense Force, that was formed to fight military rule after the 2021 army takeover. The two forces have fought side by side against the army not only in Kachin, but also in the nearby Sagaing region
Myanmar's military has lost at least five helicopters and three jet fighters since it seized power. Resistance forces have several times claimed to have downed military aircraft but their claims could not be confirmed.
Most combat aircraft in Myanmar's military come from China or Russia, which also supply other armaments. Many Western nations maintain an arms embargo and other sanctions against the ruling military. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 06:04:04+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Israel",
"War and unrest",
"Israel government",
"Fires",
"Hezbollah",
"Technology",
"Hamas",
"Politics",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars"
] | # Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense plan was inspired by Israel's multitiered defenses
By The Associated Press
May 21st, 2025, 06:04 AM
---
JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for a "Golden Dome" to protect the United States from long-range missiles was at least partly inspired by Israel's multitiered missile defenses.
Trump announced the $175 billion concept in the Oval Office on Tuesday, saying it would put U.S. weapons in space for the first time and be would be "fully operational" by the end of his term in early 2029, though a U.S. official familiar with the program said it could take longer.
Israel's multilayered defenses, often collectively referred to as the "Iron Dome," have played a key role in defending it from rocket and missile fire from Iran and allied militant groups in the conflict unleashed by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
The sophisticated system, developed over decades with considerable U.S. support, is capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn't 100% guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties.
Here's a closer look at Israel's multilayered air-defense system:
## The Arrow
This system developed with the U.S. is designed to intercept long-range missiles. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used to intercept long-range missiles launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and by Iran itself during two direct exchanges of fire last year.
## David's Sling
Also developed with the U.S., David's Sling is meant to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. It was deployed on multiple occasions throughout the war with Hezbollah, which ended with a ceasefire last year.
## Iron Dome
This system, developed by Israel with U.S. backing, specializes in shooting down short-range rockets. It has intercepted thousands of rockets since it was activated early last decade — including volleys launched by Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel says it has a success rate of over 90%.
## Iron Beam
Israel is developing a new system to intercept incoming threats with laser technology. Israel has said this system will be a game changer because it would be much cheaper to operate than existing systems. According to Israeli media reports, the cost of a single Iron Dome interception is about $50,000, while the other systems can run more than $2 million per missile. Iron Beam interceptions, by contrast, would cost a few dollars apiece, according to Israeli officials — but the system is not yet operational.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 22:30:28+00:00 | [
"Newark",
"Federal Aviation Administration",
"Sean Duffy",
"Aviation safety",
"New York City Wire",
"Power outages",
"Business",
"Chris Rocheleau"
] | # FAA extends flight limits at Newark airport into June because of controller shortage and tech issues
By Josh Funk
May 20th, 2025, 10:30 PM
---
The flight restrictions that have been in place at New Jersey's largest airport ever since air traffic controllers first lost their radar and radios briefly last month will remain in place into June, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday.
The interim rule will cap the number of arrivals and departures at Newark Liberty International Airport at 28 apiece per hour. That's in line with the limits imposed after about half a dozen controllers went on a 45-day trauma leave following the first outage on April 28.
In mid-June, the limit might be bumped up after a runway construction project largely wraps up, and the controllers on leave would be scheduled to return. After that, the FAA has said it might be able to increase the limit to 34 arrivals and 34 departures an hour, which would bring it closer to the 38 or 39 flights that typically took off and landed hourly before the problems.
The FAA has taken a number of steps to address the technical problems with a software update and new fiber optic lines that seemed to have helped keep the radar online even during subsequent disruptions. But a longer-term fix of building a new radar system at the Philadelphia facility that directs planes in and out of the airport will likely take months, and even after that, the aging infrastructure may remain vulnerable.
"Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System," acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said.
For now, the airlines that fly out of Newark will likely have to cut their schedules to match the limits. Once fewer flights are scheduled each day, there will likely be fewer cancellations, although operations at the airport have been much smoother this week with many fewer cancellations and delays.
Twice in the past month, the radar and communications systems that Philadelphia air traffic controllers who direct planes in and out of Newark rely on failed for a short time. That happened because the main line that carries the radar signal down from another FAA facility in New York failed, and the backup line didn't work immediately.
The controllers were unable to see or communicate with the planes around Newark Airport for as long as 90 seconds on April 28 and May 9.
The lines — some of which were old copper wires — failed a third time May 11, but the backup system worked and the radar stayed online. The FAA said a fourth outage Monday knocked out radio communications for two seconds, but the radar stayed online.
After the initial outage, the already shorthanded control center in Philadelphia lost five to seven controllers to trauma leave. That left the airport unable to handle all the scheduled flights, leading to hundreds of cancellations and delays.
The FAA quickly limited the number of flights in Newark to between 24 and 28 arrivals and the same number of departures every hour to ensure the remaining controllers could handle them safely. At times when controller staffing has been especially lean because of sick leave, the FAA has limited traffic even further.
Officials have said the problems affecting the Newark airport are a prime example of why the entire air traffic control system nationwide needs to be overhauled.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a multibillion-dollar plan to upgrade the nation's aging air traffic control system earlier this month. The House tentatively included $12.5 billion in the overarching bill that Republicans are trying to pass now, but officials have called that amount just a down payment on the overall plan. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 05:04:08+00:00 | [
"Mali",
"Bamako",
"U.S. Agency for International Development",
"Donald Trump",
"Language",
"AFRICA PULSE",
"Business",
"Foreign aid",
"Education",
"Politics",
"Amadi Ba",
"Education funding"
] | # In Mali, USAID funding cuts hit a local language learning program that empowered thousands
By Baba Ahmed
May 21st, 2025, 05:04 AM
---
MOUNTOUGOULA, Mali (AP) — For Aminata Doumbia, an 18-year-old Malian, the "Shifin ni Tagne" project was a path for her life dreams. A phrase meaning "our future" in the country's main local language, it refers to a yearslong program aimed at teaching around 20,000 young Malians to read and write in their local languages.
Backed by $25 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, over five years, the project has now shut down following the Trump administration's decision to cut 90% of the agency's foreign aid.
"The joy I felt when I was selected for this project has been replaced by sadness," said Doumbia in Mali's capital, Bamako.
She had hoped to take advantage of the empowerment program to train as a pastry chef.
"I don't have any hope of realizing my dream (again)," Doumbia said.
## Poverty and illiteracy
Doumbia is among thousands of people who now find themselves stranded in Mali, a country ravaged by high poverty and insecurity levels and where 70% of the population of at least 22 million people haven't had the opportunity to learn to read and write, according to Sylla Fatoumata Cissé, director of a government agency focusing on nonformal education and national languages in Mali.
The USAID funding cut also came at a time when Mali's other development partners in Europe have withdrawn their support in the aftermath of the 2021 coup, which brought the current junta leader, Assimi Goita, to power.
## A path to empowerment
For many, the literacy project was the only path to literacy and empowerment.
Once literate, program beneficiaries move on to the next stage, which involves the acquisition of vocational skills like hairdressing, carpentry, sewing, welding, and pastry-making, according to Modibo Sissoko, literacy supervisor at the Malian Association for Survival in the Sahel nonprofit involved in the "Shifin ni Tagne" project.
These skills enable the economically disadvantaged to create jobs for themselves, earn a living or support their families, Sissoko said.
## Local languages vs. French
"With the teaching of mother tongues, it's possible to move quickly towards mass literacy among the population," said Issiaka Ballo, a professor and researcher in native languages at Mali's University of Bamako.
On the other hand, "only 30% of the population has been educated in French," the common language in the country, he added.
USAID's involvement in Mali had made it the primary development partner of the government. The abrupt end of its assistance hit not only the literacy programs, but also others designed to increase adult education and expand the literacy project to public schools.
The Gaoussou Dabo School in the Malian capital, Bamako, is among 1,000 schools that benefited from mother-tongue education thanks to funding from USAID.
Teachers trained for the program last year continue to teach, but the monitoring and evaluation aspect of the program has been withdrawn.
The funding cut was "a big shock for us," said Amadi Ba, a counsellor at the Pedagogical Animation Center, which is in charge of the school in Bamako.
In a country where local language-education relies solely on funding from Mali's development partners with little to no help from the government, concerns exceed its immediate impact on the education of children.
In 2023, Mali's military government decided to make the country's native tongues the official languages in place of French, which then became the "working language." Official documents, including the constitution, the mining code and other texts, were then translated into the national languages.
The USAID cut will "certainly have a negative impact on the development of mother-tongue education, especially since it came in the middle of the school year," Cissé said.
"We haven't even had time to think about a mechanism to cushion the blow," she added.
## Training improves a farming business
While it lasted, the program was beneficial to many in various ways.
Oumou Traoré, a mother of two who grows onions and eggplants for a living, recalled how the training improved her farming business, particularly in pricing her goods in Bamako's Mountougoula district.
"Since I learned to calculate the weight of my onions and keep my accounts in my mother tongue, I've started selling my onions myself," said Traore, 29. "I now earn $95 instead of the $60 I used to get. This has encouraged me to grow other vegetables."
## A turn toward Russia
The 2021 coup resulted in the country turning to Russia as a key ally after severing ties with the West, including the U.S., which at some point was Mali's leading foreign aid donor.
While some experts have said the withdrawal of U.S. aid may open the door for rivals such as Russia, whose mercenaries have been accused of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in the country, some say USAID has left a hole too large to be filled by others.
"It will be difficult to find takers for the projects left behind by USAID," said Fatimata Touré, a development specialist and director of the Research, Study and Training Group civic group in Mali.
___
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 | 2025-05-21 03:58:47+00:00 | [
"California",
"John Thune",
"Joe Biden",
"Donald Trump",
"Pollution",
"United States Senate",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Transportation technology",
"Electric vehicles",
"Congress",
"Mike Stanton",
"Josh Lovelace",
"Matt Meyer",
"Politics",
"Phil Scott",
"Climate and environment",
"Business",
"Tim Johnson",
"Hybrid vehicles",
"United States government",
"Climate change",
"Voting rights",
"Climate"
] | # US Senate moves to block vehicle-emission rules in California
By Sophie Austin
May 21st, 2025, 03:58 AM
---
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Congress may stop California from implementing its first-in-the nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
A Senate vote expected as soon as this week could end the nation's most aggressive effort to transition toward electric vehicles as President Donald Trump's administration doubles down on fossil fuels.
California makes up roughly 11% of the U.S. car market, giving it significant power to shape purchasing trends. Vehicles are one of the largest sources of planet-warming emissions.
The Republican-controlled Congress is targeting three California waivers that set stricter emissions rules than the federal government. The House voted to block them several weeks ago, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said his chamber would take up a similar effort this week, even though the Senate Parliamentarian and the U.S. Government Accountability Office say California's policies are not subject to the review mechanism used by the House.
Thune said California's "are an improper expansion of a limited Clean Air Act authority and would endanger consumers, our economy, and our nation's energy supply."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state air regulators say what lawmakers are doing is illegal and they will likely sue if the measure advances.
Here's what to know:
## Why can California set its own standards?
The Environmental Protection Agency has let the state adopt stricter emissions standards for decades, and other states can sign on to those rules.
California has some of the nation's worst air pollution, and the waivers date back to efforts in the 1960s and 1970s to fight smog in Los Angeles.
Trump rescinded California's ability to enforce its standards during his first term, but President Joe Biden's administration restored it in 2022.
## What do the standards do?
Newsom, a Democrat, announced plans in 2020 to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. State air regulators formalized the rules in 2022, and the federal government allowed them to move forward last year.
The rule requires automakers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission cars, pickup trucks and SUVs over the next decade. Electric vehicles would have to make up 43% of new sales by 2027, 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. People would still be able to buy used gas-powered cars, plug-in hybrids or hydrogen-powered vehicles.
California passed another rule in 2020 to phase out the sale of medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles, including box trucks, semitrailers and large pickups. Depending on class, zero-emission trucks will have to make up 40% to 75% of sales by 2035. The Biden administration approved that policy in 2023.
The third regulation targeted by Congress would reduce smog-forming emissions from trucks. The rule revamped a testing program to ensure heavy-duty vehicles comply with emissions standards and set stricter standards to limit pollution from nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which pose public health risks.
New York, Colorado and New Mexico are among the states that announced plans to follow all three of the policies.
## What do the auto and trucking industries say?
Several automakers, including Honda, Ford and Volkswagen, signed deals with California to follow some of the state's tailpipe emission standards. But the companies have not committed to complying with the 2035 mandate on gas-powered cars if it gets blocked and did not respond to requests for comment on the Senate's upcoming vote.
The National Automobile Dealers Association urged the Senate to pass the measure.
"Banning gas and hybrid cars is a national issue that should be decided by Congress, not an unelected state agency," Mike Stanton, the group's president and CEO, wrote in a letter.
The Safe Roads Coalition, which represents towing and truck companies, said the medium- and heavy-duty truck rule is unfeasible and should be blocked.
"While transitioning combustion engines to electric is well-intended, unworkable regulations threaten roadside services for millions of American motorists," said Josh Lovelace, the group's national director.
## Can the grid handle more electric vehicles?
Thune, the Senate majority leader, said the nation's grid can't handle California's plans. It is a concern shared by other critics, who point to California's struggle several summers ago to maintain consistent power during a heat wave.
"Our already shaky electric grid would quickly face huge new burdens from a surge in electric vehicles," he said in a statement announcing the vote.
Newsom's administration argues the state is on its way to building out an electric grid and charging infrastructure that can support many more electric vehicles. Broadly, California has a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 2045.
But the state remains far short of what is eventually needed. California has about 84,000 public electric vehicle chargers in the state but needs 1.2 million by 2030 to support the EV transition, according to the California Energy Commission. The Trump administration directed states earlier this year to stop spending money approved under Biden to help build electric vehicle charges across the U.S. More than a dozen states are suing the federal government over the effort.
Newsom has also recently touted the state's growing battery storage capacity. Neither the commission nor the California Air Resources Board responded to questions about how much the state's electric grid must grow to support the power demand expected from the state's transition. But the state has said it needs at least four times more wind and solar power to meet 2045 energy demands and that the grid must grow at an "unprecedented rate."
Timothy Johnson, a professor of energy and the environment at Duke University, said most regions of the U.S. can generate enough power or add enough to meet EV charging demand, but local power lines and transformers could be overloaded.
## How are other states responding?
Eleven other states, plus Washington, D.C., have adopted California's plan to phase out new gas-powered cars, according to the air board. Several more have adopted the state's previous zero-emission vehicle standards.
But some of those states are already backing away.
Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott last week paused enforcement of electric vehicle sales targets that follow California's, saying the pace wasn't realistic. In Delaware, Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer has said he wants to rescind the state's EV mandate. Other states still appear to be moving ahead.
___
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly and Alexa St. John in Washington; Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed.
___
Austin 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. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 11:07:45+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Joe Biden",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Taxes",
"Legislation",
"Education costs",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Jobs and careers",
"Congress",
"Business",
"Politics",
"Asylum",
"Personal finance",
"Mexico",
"Border security",
"Government programs"
] | # Trump's big tax bill has passed the House. Here's what's inside it
By Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro
May 22nd, 2025, 11:07 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans early Thursday took a major step forward on President Donald Trump's agenda, approving a legislative package that combines tax breaks, spending cuts, border security funding and other priorities.
House committees labored for months on the bill, which underwent late changes to win over holdouts in the Republican conference. It exceeds 1,000 pages and is titled the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a nod to Trump himself.
Republicans made one last round of revisions before the bill reached the House floor, boosting the state and local tax deduction to win over centrists and speeding up the work requirements in Medicaid to win over those who didn't believe the bill did enough to curb spending.
Here's a look at what's in the legislative package, which is expected to undergo more changes when it goes to the Senate.
## Tax cuts for individuals and businesses
Republicans look to make permanent the individual income and estate 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.
The bill includes a temporary boost in the standard deduction — a $1,000 increase for individuals, bringing it to $16,000 for individual filers, and a $2,000 boost for joint filers, bringing it to $32,000. The deduction reduces the amount of income that is actually subject to income tax.
There is also a temporary $500 increase in the child tax credit, bringing it to $2,500 for 2025 through 2028. It then returns to $2,000 and will increase to account for inflation.
The estate tax exemption rises to $15 million and is adjusted for inflation going forward.
One of the thorniest issues in negotiations had been how much to raise the state and local tax deduction, now capped at $10,000. That's been a priority of New York lawmakers. The bill increases the "SALT" cap to $40,000 for incomes up to $500,000, with the cap phasing downward for those with higher incomes. Also, the cap and income threshold will increase 1% annually over 10 years.
Several of the provisions Trump promised in the campaign would be temporary, lasting roughly through his 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.
Among the various business tax provisions, small businesses, including partnerships and S corporations, will be able to subtract 23% of their qualified business income from their taxes. The deduction has been 20%
Businesses will temporarily be allowed to fully expense domestic research and development costs in the year they occur and the cost of machinery, equipment and other qualifying assets. This encourages businesses to invest in ways that enhances their productivity.
## Parents and older Americans face work requirements for food assistance
House Republicans would reduce spending on food aid, what is known as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, by about $267 billion over 10 years.
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.
## And new work requirements for Medicaid
A focal point of the package is nearly $700 billion in reduced spending in the Medicaid program, according to CBO.
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 requirements would begin on Dec. 31, 2026. 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.
A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade.
## 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.
## 'Trump' kids $1,000 savings accounts
The bill originally called for "MAGA" accounts, shorthand for Trump's signature line, "Make America Great Again." But in a last-minute revision, the bill changed the name to "Trump" accounts.
For parents or guardians who open new "Trump" 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.
___
Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 03:39:04+00:00 | [
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"Crime",
"Sarah Milgrim",
"Donald Trump",
"Elias Rodriguez",
"Israel government",
"District of Columbia",
"Shootings",
"Israel",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Law enforcement",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"DC Wire",
"Gun violence",
"Jeanine Pirro",
"Yaron Lischinsky",
"Ted Deutch",
"Beatrice Gurwitz",
"Yechiel Leiter",
"Race and ethnicity",
"War and unrest",
"Chicago",
"Pamela Smith",
"Gaza Strip",
"Katie Kalisher",
"Daniel Bongino"
] | # 2 Israeli embassy staff members killed in shooting outside Jewish museum in DC
By Maya Sweedler
May 22nd, 2025, 03:39 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, "Free, free Palestine" after he was arrested, police said.
The stunning attack on Wednesday evening prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally and as antisemitic acts are on the rise.
The two people killed, identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
Lischinsky told others at an event he attended before he was killed that he was looking forward to returning to Israel to celebrate an upcoming Jewish holiday, said Ted Deutch, the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, which had put on the reception.
The couple were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect, who had been seen pacing outside the museum, approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference.
The gunman, identified by police as Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, then walked into the museum, was detained by event security and began chanting, "Free, free Palestine," Smith said.
"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" President Donald Trump posted on social media early Thursday. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA."
## Israel's reaction
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's office said Thursday he was shocked.
"We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel," he said in a statement.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, led by former judge Jeanine Pirro, will prosecute the case.
It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. A telephone number listed in public records rang unanswered.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote in a post on social media that "early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence."
## Israel's campaign in Gaza
The influential pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera aired on a loop what appeared to be mobile phone footage of the gunman, wearing a suit jacket and slacks, being pulled away after the shooting, his hands behind his back.
The war, ignited by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of some 250 hostages, has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced most of its population.
In the time since, Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape.
## 'In cold blood'
The shooting followed the AJC's annual Young Diplomats reception at the museum.
"Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us," said Deutch, the AJC's chief executive. "Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy."
He described Milgrim, from Overland Park, Kansas, as "warm and compassionate, committed to peace building and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations." He said Lischinsky was a staff member of the embassy's political department who at the event told others that he was eager to return to Israel to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot with his family.
Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots, and a man came inside looking distressed. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh, the Palestinian headscarf, and repeatedly yelled, "Free Palestine,'" Kalin said.
"This event was about humanitarian aid," Kalin said. "How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood."
Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum was one of the local nonprofits in Washington awarded funding from a $500,000 grant program to increase its security. The museum's leaders were concerned because it is a Jewish organization and due to its new LGBTQ exhibit, according to NBC4 Washington.
"We recognize that there are threats associated with this as well," Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz told the TV station. "And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories."
In response to the shooting, the museum said in a statement it is "deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence."
Israeli diplomats have a history of being targeted by violence, both by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants over the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict that grew out of the founding of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians seek Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital — lands Israel captured in the 1967 war. However, the peace process between the sides has been stalled for years.
___
The story has been updated to correct the suspect's age to 31 from 30, based on updated information from law enforcement.
___
Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Hallie Golden, Jon Gambrell, Stefanie Dazio and Natalie Melzer contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 04:00:33+00:00 | [
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"George Kaplan",
"Crime",
"Manhattan",
"Human trafficking",
"New York City Wire",
"Cassie",
"Legal proceedings",
"Scott Mescudi",
"New York",
"Kid Cudi",
"Arts and entertainment",
"Sexual misconduct",
"Entertainment"
] | # Rapper Kid Cudi is set to testify at the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial
By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
May 22nd, 2025, 04:00 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Kid Cudi is set to testify Thursday at the New York sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs after one of the music mogul's former aides finishes telling the jury about what he witnessed while working for the Bad Boy Records founder.
The trial resumed with the testimony of Combs' former personal assistant George Kaplan, with Cudi expected to take witness stand immediately afterward.
Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, isn't expected to testify for long, a prosecutor said. The Grammy Award-winning rapper, who is celebrated for his alternative, emotional hip-hop that weaves genres together, arrived at the courthouse in a black SUV and was escorted inside by U.S. marshals and Homeland Security officers.
Combs' longtime girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, testified last week that Combs threatened to blow up Cudi's car and hurt him after he learned she was dating Cudi.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges lodged against him after he was arrested in September at a Manhattan hotel. He denies allegations that he used threats and his powerful position in the hip-hop world to abuse women and others, and force Cassie to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances called freak-offs with other men that she said left her too drained to pursue her singing career.
The federal investigation of Combs began in November 2023, a day after Cassie sued him in Manhattan federal court alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. The lawsuit was settled by Combs for $20 million the next day.
In four days of testimony last week, Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, said Combs subjected her to abuse through most of the nearly 11 years she was with him from 2007 through 2018.
She said she developed a relationship with Cudi in late 2011 that she ended within weeks after Combs learned about it when he looked at her phone during a freak-off — one of hundreds she said she endured over the years.
Kaplan, Combs' personal assistant from 2013 to 2015, testified Thursday that he saw Combs be violent with Cassie only once, on a 2015 trip to Las Vegas aboard Combs' private jet. He said he heard glass breaking behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Combs standing with a whiskey glass in his hand.
"There was tremendous commotion and a scuffle, and then after the glass crashed, Cassie screamed: 'Isn't anybody seeing this?" Kaplan testified, adding that neither he nor any of the security workers or Bad Boy staff on the plane responded to her call for help.
Kaplan said he didn't intervene because he didn't want to lose his dream job. He said he decided to quit after that attack and a later incident in which he saw Cassie sitting in a bedroom with a black eye before Combs sent him to pick up anti-inflammatory medicine at a store to treat the injury.
Kaplan also said he saw Combs become violent with another girlfriend, whom he referred to only as Gina, when the rapper threw green apples at her at his Florida home.
Kaplan told jurors that his tenure with Combs has "proven to be one of the most complicated pieces of my life."
"I'm a young man and this is a God among men talking to me," he said.
Despite seeing Combs abuse Cassie, he said he still thinks fondly of many aspects of their work together.
Kaplan testified in response to a government subpoena and only after the judge gave him immunity from any potential criminal liability he might face as a result of his testimony.
___
Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 19:59:26+00:00 | [
"Karoline Leavitt",
"Melania Trump",
"Donald Trump",
"Mexico",
"District of Columbia",
"DC Wire",
"Legislation",
"Politics"
] | # Trump eats a 'good amount' of candy, White House press secretary tells kid reporters
By Darlene Superville
May 20th, 2025, 07:59 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has a sweet tooth and his favorites are pink Starbursts and Tootsie Rolls.
So said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, at a briefing Tuesday for the children of reporters who cover the White House. It was part of a day of activities the White House organized as it observed the annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day event.
The Republican president and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, also held separate events of their own.
One child asked Leavitt about Trump's daily candy consumption. She characterized his intake as a "good amount" and added that "he likes pink Starburst and Tootsie Rolls."
A few questions touched on administration policy, such as the state of the U.S.-Mexico border and what Trump is willing to do about climate change.
But even more questions were about his favorite foods and they led Leavitt to share that Trump also likes to eat a "big, beautiful steak," ice cream sundaes with chocolate sauce and some toppings, and hamburgers and fries from McDonald's.
She appeared to be stumped by a few of the inquiries, including about the president's favorite soccer player and his favorite child. Trump has five adult children.
"That is a very controversial question and I'm not going to answer it," Leavitt said after the laughter subsided. "I know he loves all of his children very much, and they're all great kids."
Earlier Tuesday, the first lady joined a few dozen children whose parents work in the Executive Office of the President in decorating wooden American flags.
She used a glue stick to attach two silver glittery stars to her red, white and blue flag after she took her seat at one of two tables in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden on the South Lawn. The first lady admired the children's work and told several that their creations were "beautiful."
The president visited Capitol Hill early Tuesday to rally House Republican lawmakers around a tax cuts and spending bill he wants Congress to pass. He'd been scheduled to have a public event with children on the South Lawn after he returned, but the White House later decided against press coverage.
An aide later shared on social media a clip of the president doing his dance in front of some children outside the south entrance to the Executive Mansion. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 20:18:35+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Adam Schiff",
"Sheldon Whitehouse",
"Joe Biden",
"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency",
"Lung disease",
"United States House of Representatives",
"Lung cancer",
"Government budgets",
"Congress",
"Climate and environment",
"Government and politics",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Cancer",
"Politics",
"Climate"
] | # Budget cuts at Trump EPA become flashpoint at a heated Congressional hearing
By Matthew Daly
May 21st, 2025, 08:18 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency clashed with Democratic senators Wednesday, accusing one of being an "aspiring fiction writer" and saying another does not "care about wasting money.'' Democrats countered that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's tenure will likely mean more Americans contracting lung cancer and other illnesses.
The heated exchanges, at a Senate hearing to discuss President Donald Trump's proposal to slash the agency's budget in half, showed the sharp partisan differences over Zeldin's deregulatory approach. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman, has said his tenure will turbocharge the American economy while ensuring clean air and water. Democrats say he is endangering the lives of millions of Americans and abandoning the agency's dual mission to protect the environment and human health.
Zeldin, who took office in January, has proposed a flood of changes that would sharply reduce the agency's workforce, terminate billions of dollars in grants approved by the Biden administration and roll back dozens of environmental rules including landmark regulations on climate change and pollution from coal-fired power plants.
## Sharp words, back and forth
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told Zeldin that a plan to cut EPA spending by 55% means that, to Zeldin and Trump, "more than half of the environmental efforts of the EPA ... to make sure Americans have clean air and clean water are just a waste." If approved by Congress, the budget cuts "will mean there's more diesel and more other particulate matter in the air" and that "water that Americans drink is going to have more chemicals," Schiff said.
"Your legacy will be more lung cancer," he told Zeldin. "It'll be more bladder cancer. It'll be more leukemia and pancreatic cancer ... more rare cancers of innumerable varieties.''
Replied Zeldin: "I understand that you are an aspiring fiction writer. I see why."
Schiff said the real fiction was Zeldin's apparent belief that he can cut the EPA's budget in half "and it won't affect people's health, or their water or their air." Schiff said the Republican administrator was "totally beholden to the oil industry," adding: "You could give a rat's ass about how much cancer your agency causes."
Zeldin engaged in a similar rhetorical match with Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Whitehouse said Zeldin and others at EPA have made "baseless accusations of fraud" about grants awarded under Democratic President Joe Biden, removed "career officials who stood up for the rule of law" and deployed FBI agents "to harass career civil servants.''
## Questions over whether Zeldin reviewed canceled grants
Whitehouse also challenged Zeldin's contention that he had personally reviewed 781 Biden-era grants totaling nearly $2 billion that the Trump administration later canceled. The grants were intended to address chronic pollution in minority communities and jump-start clean energy programs across the country, but Zeldin said they were plagued by conflicts of interest and unqualified recipients.
"You don't care about wasting money, but the Trump administration does, Senator," Zeldin said.
When Whitehouse pressed to see Zeldin's schedule to prove he personally reviewed the grants before canceling them, Zeldin said he's worked on the issue "almost every single day" since taking office.
"We are cracking down on every waste, every aspect of abuse,'' Zeldin said, adding that Whitehouse seemed unable to grasp that more than one person could review EPA's grant program.
"I am insisting on the facts,'' Whitehouse said.
American taxpayers "put President Trump in office because of people like you," Zeldin replied. "They have Republicans in charge of the House and Senate because of people like you. You don't want me to go through the list of all the evidence of waste and abuse."
Whitehouse replied that Zeldin should explain why Justice Department lawyers, speaking under oath on behalf of the agency, have "said that everything you just said is not true. That's what I want."
A lawyer for the EPA told a federal appeals court this week that the agency was "not accusing anybody of fraud" in a separate dispute over its termination of $20 billion in grants under a so-called green bank program to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects nationwide. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 18:24:50+00:00 | [
"Sam Altman",
"OpenAI Inc",
"Apple",
"Inc.",
"Artificial intelligence",
"Steve Jobs",
"Mobile phones",
"Consumer electronics manufacturing",
"San Francisco",
"Delaware",
"Associated Press",
"Gartner",
"Meta Platforms",
"Peter Welinder",
"Technology",
"Alphabet",
"Business",
"Allen Ginsberg",
"Jony Ive OpenAI ChatGPT"
] | # OpenAI recruits legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive to work on AI hardware in $6.5B deal
By Matt O'Brien and Michael Liedtke
May 21st, 2025, 06:24 PM
---
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI has recruited Jony Ive, the designer behind Apple's iPhone, to lead a new hardware project for the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT.
OpenAI said it is acquiring io Products, a product and engineering company co-founded by Ive, in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion.
Ive became renowned for a meticulous design aesthetic that shaped the cultural zeitgeist during a 27-year career at Apple, which he left in 2019. He did his most influential work after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs returned to run the company in 1997, where the two forged a partnership that would hatch a succession of game-changing products like the iPhone.
The new OpenAI deal now thrusts Ive at the vanguard of AI — a technology driving the biggest industry shift since the iPhone's arrival.
The company hasn't said exactly what product they will be making but expect "physical AI embodiments" that bring generative AI chatbot technology out of computer screens into another form, such as through a car, humanoid robot or the AI-powered glasses being developed by competitors Google and Meta, said Gartner analyst Chirag Dekate, adding that it is too early to know for sure.
OpenAI said its CEO Sam Altman had been "quietly" collaborating since 2023 with Ive and his design firm, LoveFrom.
In a joint letter posted on OpenAI's website Wednesday, Ive and Altman said it "became clear that our ambitions to develop, engineer and manufacture a new family of products demanded an entirely new company."
That's when Ive co-founded io, which was incorporated in Delaware in September 2023 and registered in California in April 2024, according to state records. OpenAI said it already owns a 23% stake in io from a prior collaborative agreement signed late last year. It says it will now pay $5 billion in equity for the acquisition.
OpenAI said Ive will not become an OpenAI employee and LoveFrom will remain independent but "will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io." Both OpenAI and Ive's design firm are based in San Francisco.
Leading the new io division for OpenAI will be longtime executive Peter Welinder, who led robotics research in the startup's early years and more recently has been vice president of its "new product explorations" team that delves into hardware, robotics and other early stage research.
Altman, 40, can only hope his still-blossoming partnership with the 58-year-old designer, works out as well as the mind-meld between Jobs and Ive.
When he started his own firm, Ive derived the LoveFrom name from Jobs' observation that one way to hail humanity is by "making something with a great deal of care and love."
Ive also chose to base LoveForm in a historic part of San Francisco, located just near bars and cafes that were once frequented by such Beat Generation luminaries as "On The Road" author Jack Kerouac and "Howl" author Allen Ginsberg.
OpenAI is headquartered about two miles away. Founded nearly a decade ago as a nonprofit research laboratory dedicated to safely building better-than-human AI for humanity's benefit, it remains controlled by a nonprofit board of directors even as Altman, its co-founder, has increasingly pushed it toward commercializing ChatGPT and its other inventions. It's not clear if Altman's collaboration with Ive began before or after Altman's short-lived ouster in November 2023, months after io's Delaware incorporation but before the new business was set up in San Francisco.
Altman earlier this month said OpenAI was abandoning plans to drop its nonprofit governance structure but is pursuing a plan to make changes that would make it easier to access capital and pursue mergers and acquisitions "and other normal things companies would do."
——-
O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
———
The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP's text archives. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 15:17:41+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Christopher Cooper",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"Amy Gleason",
"Courts",
"Elon Musk",
"District of Columbia",
"United States government",
"Government budgets",
"United States",
"U.S. Supreme Court",
"Legal proceedings",
"Freedom of information",
"Government programs",
"Politics"
] | # Trump asks Supreme Court to block orders requiring DOGE turn over documents
By Mark Sherman
May 21st, 2025, 03:17 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to block court orders requiring Elon Musk 's Department of Government Efficiency to turn over documents about its operations to a government watchdog group.
The Justice Department's latest emergency appeal to the high court concerns whether DOGE, which has been central to President Donald Trump's push to remake the government, is a federal agency that is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The administration argues DOGE is merely a presidential advisory body that is exempt from requests for documents under FOIA.
The administration wants the justices to freeze orders that would force DOGE to turn over documents to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and have acting DOGE administrator Amy Gleason answer questions under oath within the next three weeks. CREW sued in February, claiming that DOGE "wields shockingly broad power" with no transparency about its actions.
In March, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper found that DOGE's role is likely more than just advisory, noting its claims in helping to shutter USAID and cut billions of dollars in government contracts. "Canceling any government contract would seem to require substantial authority — and canceling them on this scale certainly does," Cooper wrote. DOGE "likely has at least some independent authority to identify and terminate federal employees, federal programs, and federal contracts."
A panel of the federal appeals court in Washington initially put Cooper's order on hold, but a different panel later reinstated the order. Cooper has since set deadlines for the administration to comply by June 13.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer urged the justices to act quickly, calling Cooper's orders "extraordinarily overbroad and intrusive."
The case is the latest in a string of emergency appeals has taken to the Supreme Court after lower courts have blocked parts of Trump's agenda. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 20:58:11+00:00 | [
"South Sudan",
"Donald Trump",
"Sudan",
"Texas",
"Brian E. Murphy",
"Joe Biden",
"Immigration",
"United States government",
"United States",
"Gender",
"Politics",
"Nicholas Haysom",
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security",
"Courts",
"South Sudan government",
"Kristi Noem",
"James Monday Enoka"
] | # US officials must keep control of migrants sent to South Sudan, federal judge rules
By Lindsay Whitehurst
May 20th, 2025, 08:58 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that U.S. officials must retain custody and control of migrants apparently removed to South Sudan in case he orders their removals were unlawful.
U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts issued the ruling late Tuesday after an emergency hearing, after attorneys for immigrants said the Trump administration appears to have begun deporting people from Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan — despite a court order restricting removals to other countries.
Murphy said the government must "maintain custody and control of class members currently being removed to South Sudan or to any other third country, to ensure the practical feasibility of return if the Court finds that such removals were unlawful."
While Murphy left the details to the government's discretion, he said he expects the migrants "will be treated humanely."
Attorneys for the migrants told the judge that immigration authorities may have sent up to a dozen people from several countries to Africa, which they argue violates a court order saying people must get a "meaningful opportunity" to argue that sending them to a country outside their homeland would threaten their safety.
The apparent removal of one man from Myanmar was confirmed in an email from an immigration official in Texas, according to court documents. He was informed only in English, a language he does not speak well, and his attorneys learned of the plan hours before his deportation flight, they said.
A woman also reported that her husband from Vietnam and up to 10 other people were flown to Africa Tuesday morning, attorneys from the National Immigration Litigation Alliance wrote.
The attorneys asked Murphy for an emergency court order to prevent the deportations. Murphy, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, previously found that any plans to deport people to Libya without notice would "clearly" violate his ruling, which also applies to people who have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.
Murphy said in his Tuesday order that U.S. officials must appear in court Wednesday to identify the migrants impacted, address when and how they learned they would be removed to a third country, and what opportunity they were given to raise a fear-based claim. He also ruled that the government must provide information about the whereabouts of the migrants apparently already removed.
The Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
South Sudan's police spokesperson Major General James Monday Enoka told The Associated Press Wednesday that no migrants had arrived in the country and that if they arrive, they would be investigated and again "re-deported to their correct country" if found not to be South Sudanese.
Some countries do not accept deportations from the United States, which has led the Trump administration to strike agreements with other countries, including Panama, to house them. The Trump administration has sent Venezuelans to a notorious prison in El Salvador under an 18th-century wartime law hotly contested in the courts.
South Sudan has suffered repeated waves of violence since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011 amid hopes it could use its large oil reserves to bring prosperity to a region long battered by poverty. Just weeks ago, the country's top U.N. official warned that fighting between forces loyal to the president and a vice president threatened to spiral again into full-scale civil war.
The situation is "darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, which took over 400,000 lives," Nicholas Haysom, head of the almost 20,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission.
The U.S. State Department's annual report on South Sudan, published in April 2024, says "significant human rights issues" include arbitrary killings, disappearances, torture or inhumane treatment by security forces and extensive violence based on gender and sexual identity.
The U.S. Homeland Security Department has given Temporary Protected Status to a small number of South Sudanese already living in the United States since the country was founded in 2011, shielding them from deportation because conditions were deemed unsafe for return. Secretary Kristi Noem recently extended those protections to November to allow for a more thorough review.
South Sudan's diplomatic relations with the U.S grew tense in April when a deportation row led to the revocation of visas and a ban on South Sudanese nationals.
The U.S is one of the biggest donors to South Sudan's humanitarian aid programs with the total funding in 2024 standing at over $640 million, according to the U.S embassy in South Sudan.
___
Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana, Tim Sullivan and Elliot Spagat contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 18:30:25+00:00 | [
"Syria",
"Donald Trump",
"Europe",
"Bashar Assad",
"Ahmad al-Sharaa",
"Sanctions and embargoes",
"European Union",
"Eurocopa 2024",
"Kaja Kallas",
"War and unrest",
"Politics",
"Poverty"
] | # The EU says it will lift sanctions on Syria but leave those on the former Assad regime
By Sam Mcneil
May 20th, 2025, 06:30 PM
---
BARCELONA (AP) — The European Union will lift sanctions on Syria's economy but keep those in place targeting the former Assad regime, the EU's top diplomat announced Tuesday.
Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke after chairing a meeting of foreign ministers from the 27-member bloc. She said the decision was designed to avert poverty and radicalism in the country after more than a decade of civil war sent millions fleeing, including to Europe.
The sanctions are "conditional" and could be resumed if the new government of Ahmad al-Sharaa doesn't keep the peace, Kallas said.
"Saving lives must be our top priority on Syria," she said.
The announcement came a week after U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with al-Sharaa and his announcement that the U.S. would ease sanctions on Syria. Lifting sanctions could bring much-needed investment to Syria, which needs tens of billions of dollars to restore its battered infrastructure.
An insurgency late last year unseated former Syrian President Bashar Assad and ended the civil war that decimated much of the country's infrastructure. The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians live in poverty and state-supplied electricity comes as little as two hours every day.
Earlier in the day, Kallas acknowledged concerns about sectarian conflict but said "we don't have a choice" but to lift sanctions and bolster the Syrian economy: "We actually either give them possibility to stabilize the country or we don't do that and we have something like what we have in Afghanistan."
Kallas added: "There can be no peace without the path to economic recovery, and we all need a stable Syria."
She did not provide details or timing on the lifting of sanctions. But a European Council statement said it would keep "sanctions based on security grounds, including arms and technology that might be used for internal repression. In addition, the EU will introduce additional targeted restrictive measures against human rights violators and those fueling instability in Syria."
Syrians had celebrated in streets across the country after Trump's announcement, and Arab leaders in neighboring nations that host millions of refugees who fled Syria's war praised it. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 03:48:07+00:00 | [
"Migrant workers",
"Labor",
"Bangladesh",
"Malaysia",
"Anwar Ibrahim",
"Jobs and careers",
"Compensation and benefits",
"Malaysia government",
"Associated Press",
"South Asia",
"Sheikh Hasina",
"Bangladesh government",
"Terry Collingsworth",
"Business",
"Steven Sim Chee Keong",
"Panasonic Holdings Corp.",
"Kabir Hossain",
"Sony Group Corp.",
"Climate and environment",
"Asif Nazrul",
"Andy Hall",
"Climate"
] | # Migrant workers in Malaysia seek unpaid wages from a supplier to Japanese companies
By Aniruddha Ghosal
May 21st, 2025, 03:48 AM
---
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia are demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after their former employer, a plastic parts supplier to big Japanese companies, closed down.
The workers at Kawaguchi Manufacturing's factory in Port Klang, Malaysia's largest port city, were left stranded when the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before shutting down late last year. The workers have filed complaints in Malaysia and back home in Bangladesh.
Such disputes have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia, drawing scrutiny on a small but powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.
Asif Nazrul, an adviser to Bangladesh's expatriate welfare ministry, met with Malaysia's Home Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong in Kuala Lumpur last week. Officials were due to meet again Wednesday in Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital.
The interim government that took over in Bangladesh after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed a higher priority on the plight of migrant workers who often get trapped in debt after paying exorbitant recruitment fees to work in dismal conditions for little pay.
Labor advocates say the situation is worsening as more people from across South Asia, sometimes losing their livelihoods due to climate change, seek work in Southeast Asia.
Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have accelerated that trend as factories move from China to places in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere.
## Workers allege abuse
The workers have received just 251,000 ringgit ($58,101) of the more than 3 million ringgit ($694,444) in back wages that a Malaysian labor tribunal ordered Kawaguchi to pay. Many have found new jobs but still have heavy debts after borrowing money to pay hefty recruitment fees.
The workers allege they were sometimes required to work without breaks for 24-hour shifts and on holidays with no paid overtime, making plastic casings for televisions and air conditioners. They say Kawaguchi confiscated their passports, provided inadequate housing and delayed their visa renewals.
The factory shut down in December, soon after Sony Group and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi's main customers, halted their orders in response to the allegations against their supplier.
After the factory closed, the workers say Malaysian officials forcibly sent many of them to another city some 360 kilometers (220 miles) away to toil in new factory jobs without giving them any information. They were kept in filthy shipping containers converted into dormitories. Another 80 workers were told to work in palm oil plantations — but refused.
Most made their way back to Port Klang to seek work and chip away at the debts that have been accumulating. It took nearly three months for them to get permission from the Malaysian government to switch jobs.
The Associated Press got no response to multiple requests to Kawaguchi for comment. Malaysia's labor department also didn't respond to requests for comment.
Md Kabir Hossain's case is typical. The 19-year-old said he borrowed more than $4,000 to get to Malaysia from his hometown Rangpur in Bangladesh in November 2023, after his family's textile shop began to fail. The family's sole wage earner, he defaulted on one of his loans and wasn't able to send money back home, as his family struggled to keep their shop going.
"I am constantly worried about what will happen to my family," he said.
Another worker, Parvez Azam said he didn't know how much longer he could keep going. "If this goes on, we'll die here," he said.
## Wider trends across developing Asia
Factories in Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations, or construction that local workers won't perform for the wages offered.
The cost of recruitment and migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia is among the most expensive in the world, according to the International Labor Organization's office in Bangladesh.
The official recruitment fee is about $650 per worker. But all the workers at Kawaguchi said they paid nearly $5,000. The loans they took to pay such sums has pushed them into debt bondage as they labor to pay off ever mounting debts.
In 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia should end use of recruitment agents, describing the system as "modern slavery." But a 2024 study of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia found that more than 70% had spent at least half of their wages to pay off recruitment debts. Most have at least two loans and many said they were misled about their wages.
Nearly everyone who migrates overseas from Bangladesh, one of the countries most affected by climate change, has suffered at least one form of modern slavery, like withholding of wages or physical violence, according to a study by the London-based think tank International Institute for Environment and Development.
Mohamad Mohosin, 38, said he moved to Malaysia when his crops failed because of extreme weather. After going months without being paid his debt has spiraled, forcing his large family in Bangladesh to borrow still more money. "My family is in trouble," he said.
Among migrant workers, Bangladeshis often end up in the riskiest jobs, such as plantation work where they can catch mosquito-borne diseases, or physically demanding factory or construction roles, where the likelihood of accidents is higher, said Shariful Islam Hasan of BRAC.
"Despite the high risk and the high migration cost, salaries are too low," he said.
## Seeking help from Japan
Panasonic, Sony and Daikin, three of Kawaguchi's former main customers among about a dozen, agreed to cover an estimated $1.3 million of the recruitment costs paid by the workers. It's unclear how much each company is contributing.
"This doesn't cover all the workers' costs, including interest rates of up to 30% they must pay on their loans," said Andy Hall, a British labor activist who has been helping the workers. Many have also defaulted on their debts after going months without wages.
"They're absolutely desperate and they're at very high risk of falling into even worse situations," Hall said.
Daikin settled with the workers, agreeing to pay them more, although it says it accounted for only 1% to 2% of Kawaguchi's orders. The air conditioner manufacturer told AP it was working with human rights groups to resolve any remaining issues.
Panasonic said it was "proportionally reimbursing the recruitment fees" paid by workers and had asked Kawaguchi to correct labor violations. It said it tried to support Kawaguchi but had to disengage from the company due to its financial woes and anticipated production problems.
Sony told AP its code of conduct prohibits abusive labor practices in its supply chain. After investigating, it demanded corrective measures. "When our demands were not satisfied, we terminated our relationship with this supplier," it said.
The workers are seeking more help and lawyer Terry Collingsworth of U.S.-based International Rights Advocates, who is representing them, said that they were in discussions with Sony and Panasonic.
"We are not asking you to admit liability. We are asking you to comply with your public commitment to remediate when one of your suppliers violates the human rights of its workers," said a Jan. 16 letter from Collingsworth to Sony and Panasonic.
___
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 | 2025-05-21 21:41:30+00:00 | [
"Marco Rubio",
"Syria",
"Donald Trump",
"Europe",
"Sanctions and embargoes",
"Bashar Assad",
"United Nations",
"European Union",
"Syria government",
"United States government",
"United States",
"United Nations Security Council",
"Ahmad al-Sharaa",
"Politics",
"Palestinian territories government",
"John Kelley",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Ramesh Rajasingham",
"United States Congress"
] | # UN warns of renewed conflict in Syria but offers hope with sanctions lifting
By Edith M. Lederer
May 21st, 2025, 09:41 PM
---
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. official for Syria warned Wednesday of the "real dangers of renewed conflict and deeper confrontation" in the war-battered country but also hoped for a better life for its people following decisions by the U.S. and European Union to lift sanctions.
Geir Pedersen noted the fragilities in the multiethnic country and "the urgent need to address the growing polarization." He pointed to violence against the Druze minority in late April following the killings in Alawite-minority areas in March.
"The challenges facing Syria are enormous, and the real dangers of renewed conflict and deeper fragmentation have not yet been overcome," he told the U.N. Security Council.
But Pedersen said the Syrian people are cautiously optimistic that President Donald Trump's announcement last week that the U.S. will lift sanctions and a similar EU announcement Tuesday will "give them a better chance than before to succeed against great odds."
Speaking by video from Damascus, Pedersen called sanctions relief, including by the United Kingdom last month, as well as financial and energy support from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey "historic developments."
"They hold major potential to improve living conditions across the country and to support the Syrian political transition," the U.N. special envoy said. "And they give the Syrian people a chance to grapple with the legacy of misrule, conflict, abuses and poverty from which they are trying to emerge."
Former Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive late last year after a 13-year war, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family. The new Syrian government, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has said Syria's heritage of coexistence must be preserved at all costs, but the country faces massive challenges.
Today, 90% of Syrians live in poverty, with 16.5 million needing protection and humanitarian assistance, including nearly 3 million facing acute food insecurity, Ramesh Rajasingham, the U.N. humanitarian division's chief coordinator, told the council.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that Syria is potentially "on the verge of collapse," warning that would lead to civil war and the country again becoming "a playground" for the Islamic State group and other militants.
Pedersen told the Security Council that IS has been escalating attacks in areas of Syria in recent weeks, with signs of more coordinated operations using improvised explosive devices and medium-range weapons.
Rubio said there's no guarantee that "things are going to work out" by lifting sanctions and working with al-Sharaa's transitional government, but if the U.S. didn't try, "it's guaranteed not to work out." He said Trump's announcement of sanctions relief has led regional and Arab partner nations to help stabilize the country.
"No one should pretend this is going to be easy, because it's not," Rubio said. But if Syria could be stabilized, it would mean broader stability in the region, including Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, he said.
"It is a historic opportunity we hope comes to fruition," Rubio said. "We're going to do everything we can to make it succeed."
John Kelley, political coordinator at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, told the council that "U.S. government agencies are now working to execute the president's direction on Syria's sanctions."
"We look forward to issuing the necessary authorizations that will be critical to bringing new investment into Syria to help rebuild Syria's economy and put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous and stable future," he said. "The United States also has taken the first steps toward restoring normal diplomatic relations with Syria."
Syria's transitional government is urged to take "bold steps" toward Trump administration expectations, Kelley said, including making peace with Israel, quickly removing foreign militant fighters from the Syrian military, ensuring foreign extremists such as Palestinian militias can't operate from Syria, and cooperating in preventing the resurgence of the Islamic State group.
Syria's deputy U.N. ambassador, Riyad Khaddour, praised Trump's "courageous decision" to lift sanctions as well as his meeting with al-Sharaa. Khaddour also touted actions by the European Union, U.K., Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates "to support Syria as it moves forward with confidence and hope."
"The new Syria" is seeking to become "a state of peace and partnership, not a battleground for conflicts or a platform for foreign ambitions," he said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 12:18:14+00:00 | [
"Kamala Harris",
"Donald Trump",
"California",
"Joe Biden",
"Adam Schiff",
"Black experience",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Xavier Becerra",
"Mitt Romney",
"Barack Obama",
"Barbara Lee",
"Roger Salazar",
"Antonio Villaraigosa",
"Steve Garvey",
"Kevin Madden",
"Politics",
"Adam Green",
"Eric Jaye",
"John F. Kennedy",
"Elections",
"Katie Porter",
"Bill Burton",
"Voting",
"Richard Nixon"
] | # Why Harris will — or won't — run for California governor
By Michael R. Blood
May 22nd, 2025, 12:18 PM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Many of Kamala Harris' supporters and detractors alike think she'd have better odds running for California governor rather than president a third time.
There are several reasons for Harris to make a bid to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. She would immediately become the early front-runner instead of entering a presidential primary with a dozen or more serious contenders. No other candidate in California could match her résumé of having served as San Francisco district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president.
Beyond being expected to make a decision by the end of summer, Harris said little about her future. She told a crowd in Orange County in April: "I'll see you out there. I'm not going anywhere."
Newsom has predicted that Harris would top the field in a contested primary but added, "if she runs."
To run for governor, "you have to have a burning 'Why?' " Newsom said on the "Next Up with Mark Halperin" podcast.
"And if you can't enunciate that, the answer is 'No,'" Newsom added. "Why the hell would you want this job?"
Here are some reasons why she might want it — and why she might not. Her office did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
## Pro: She can skip a fractious 2028 primary
Harris would have to convince national Democrats that she's the face of the party's future, despite losing to President Donald Trump last fall. She's also tied to former President Joe Biden, whom Democrats are increasingly criticizing as new books drive further discussion about his age and physical and mental readiness during his time in office.
The 2028 presidential contest is expected to attract a large field, likely to include Newsom. Any candidate will have to unify a fractious Democratic Party with low approval ratings and struggling to slow Trump's agenda in Washington.
Democratic consultant Bill Burton, who was national press secretary for former President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, said Harris would enter a presidential primary with a proven fundraising network, strong recognition with voters and the experience of operating in a Trump-fueled media environment.
But the looming question for Democrats is likely to be, "Who is the best person to stand up to the MAGA movement and exhibit a strength that is going to need to be really formidable?" Burton said.
Could Harris make that case? Some think her time has passed.
"She's had her chance," Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
"Voters want authentic outsiders who will shake up our broken political system and challenge an economic status quo rigged for billionaires against working people," Green added. "That's why Kamala Harris lost, and it's why Democrats must turn elsewhere for leadership."
## Pro: California governor might be a safer bet
Harris calls herself a proud daughter of California, and after serving as vice president and in the Senate, she doesn't need to chase another title. That said, California is one of the world's largest economies by itself, and its governor becomes, by default, a national figure.
She would most likely run as a proven hand with the experience to lead California's tussles with Trump — the state is known as the epicenter of the so-called Trump resistance — while dealing with its many problems, among them homelessness and a punishing cost of living.
In her San Francisco speech last month, she said the nation was witnessing a "wholesale abandonment" of American ideals under Trump.
The contest to replace Newsom in California is crowded, with leading candidates including former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra.
It's expected that at least some of her rival Democrats would bow out rather than compete against her, including Porter, who in 2012 was appointed by then-attorney general Harris to be the state's independent bank monitor in a multibillion-dollar nationwide mortgage settlement.
Democratic consultant Roger Salazar, who was a delegate in the party's 2024 presidential convention, said Harris would stand better odds in a race for governor in her home state.
With multiple election wins in California, "there is just more certainty," Salazar said. "I think she's got a leg up right now, but this race hasn't solidified" with the primary more than a year away.
## Con: Will voters welcome her back?
How will voters view her? As a favorite daughter of California returning home? Or a two-time presidential also-ran looking for a soft landing?
Republican consultant Kevin Madden, who was a senior adviser to Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012, was dubious about her chances in either race. It's unusual for a candidate to capture the presidency after two losses — Biden was one example.
As for governor, "the California electorate is about as ideal as it gets for Harris, but nothing about her current electoral record indicates that primary or general election candidates should be scared off," Madden added.
## Con: She won't necessarily run against a Republican in November
Unlike many other states, California doesn't automatically advance a Democrat and a Republican to the November election.
The state's open primary system has tormented many candidates — critics call it the "jungle primary." All candidates appear on a single ballot, regardless of party, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
The system can lead to strategic gambles. Last year's U.S. Senate race included three prominent Democrats — U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Porter and Barbara Lee. Schiff ran TV ads in the primary that spotlighted Republican Steve Garvey, presumably a weaker contender in the general election than either of his Democratic rivals. Garvey ended up advancing to November, where he was soundly defeated by Schiff, who now holds the seat.
But Harris could come out of the June 2, 2026, primary facing a Democrat who ends up criticizing her in much the same way she'd have faced in a 2028 bid.
San Francisco-based Democratic consultant Eric Jaye recalled another Californian who, after losing a presidential race, sought to rebound in his home state: Richard Nixon. After being narrowly defeated in the 1960 election by then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, Nixon lost the 1962 race for California governor. (Of course, Nixon ended up winning the White House six years later.)
While Harris is a favorite with Democrats, a slice of the electorate has deeply negative views of her, Jaye noted. That doesn't leave her with many voters to gain, and the Democratic primary vote could be divided among multiple candidates.
"I don't think it's in any way guaranteed that she would win," Jaye said. "She's a highly polarizing figure."
## Con: Does she want to go to Sacramento?
Harris would be coming home to a long list of problems.
The homeless crisis is playing out daily on the streets of Los Angeles and other big cities. Newsom this month said the state is facing a $12 billion deficit and he wants to freeze enrollment in a state-funded health care program for immigrants living in California without legal status. There is a home insurance crisis and a continuing threat from destructive wildfires.
And as the last election made clear, Republicans will attempt to saddle her — fairly or not — with her home state's reputation for confiscatory taxes, gas prices and utility bills, seven-figure home prices and liberal social policies. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 20:30:03+00:00 | [
"San Diego",
"Financial Wellness",
"Lifestyle",
"The Charles Schwab Corp.",
"Charles Schwab",
"DoorDash",
"Inc.",
"United States government",
"Adam Rust",
"Justine Farrell",
"Federal Reserve System",
"Personal finance",
"PayPal Holdings",
"U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau",
"Business",
"Domestic",
"Sezzle",
"LendingTree",
"Associated Press"
] | # Shoppers are falling behind on 'buy now, pay later' payments
By Cora Lewis
May 21st, 2025, 08:30 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — More Klarna customers are having trouble repaying their "buy now, pay later" loans, the short-term lender said this week. The disclosure corresponded with reports by lending platforms Bankrate and LendingTree, which cited an increasing share of all "buy now, pay later" users saying they had fallen behind on payments.
The late or missed installments are a sign of faltering financial health among a segment of the US population, some analysts say, as the nation's total consumer debt rises to a record $18.2 trillion and the Trump administration moves to collect on federal student loans.
Shoppers who opt to finance purchases through BNPL services tend to be younger than the average consumer, and a study from the Federal Reserve last year said Black and Hispanic women were especially likely to use the plans, which customers of all income levels are increasingly adopting.
"While BNPL provides credit to financially vulnerable consumers, these same consumers may be overextending themselves," the authors of the Federal Reserve study wrote. "This concern is consistent with previous research that has shown consumers spend more when BNPL is offered when checking out and that BNPL use leads to an increase in overdraft fees and credit card interest payments and fees."
As Klarna grows its user base and revenue, the Swedish company said its first-quarter consumer credit losses rose 17% compared to the January-March period of last year, to $136 million.
A company spokesperson said in a statement that the increase largely reflected the higher number of loans Klarna made year over year. The percentage of its loans at a global level that went unpaid in the first quarter grew from 0.51% in 2024 to 0.54% this year, and the company sees "no sign of a weakened U.S. consumer," he said.
## More consumers are using 'buy now, pay later' plans
Buy now, pay later plans generally let consumers split payments for purchases into four or fewer installments, often with a down payment at checkout. The loans are typically marketed as zero-interest, and most require no credit check or a soft credit check.
BNPL providers promote the plans as a safer alternative to traditional credit cards when interest rates are high. The popularity of the deferred payment plans, and the expanding ways customers can use them, have also sparked public attention.
When Klarna announced a partnership with DoorDash in March, the news led to online comments about Americans taking out loans to buy takeout food. Similar skepticism emerged when Billboard revealed that more than half of Coachella attendees used installment plans to finance their tickets to the music festival.
An April report from LendingTree said about four in ten users of buy now, pay later plans said they had made late payments in the past year, up from one in three last year. According to a May report from Bankrate, about one in four users of the loans chose them because they were easier to get than traditional credit cards.
The six largest BNPL providers — Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal, Sezzle, and Zip — originated about 277.3 million loans for $33.8 billion in merchandise in 2022, or an amount equal to about 1% of credit card spending that year, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
## An industry that is coming under less regulatory scrutiny
The federal agency said this month it did not intend to enforce a Biden-era regulation that was designed to put more boundaries around the fintech lenders.
The rule treated buy now, pay later loans like traditional credit cards under the Truth In Lending Act, requiring disclosures, refund processing, a formal dispute process and other protections.
The regulation, which took effect last year, also prevented borrowers from being forced into automatic payments or charged with multiple fees for the same missed payment.
The Trump administration said its non-enforcement decision came "in the interest of focusing resources on supporting hard-working American taxpayers" and that it would "instead keep its enforcement and supervision resources focused on pressing threats to consumers, particularly servicemen and veterans."
Consumer advocates maintain that without federal oversight, customers seeking refunds or in search of clear information about BNPL fee structures and interest rates will have less legal recourse.
## There are risks to taking out installment loans
Industry watchers point to consumers taking out loans they can't afford to pay back as a top risk of BNPL use. Without credit bureaus keeping track of the new form of credit, there are fewer safeguards and less oversight.
Justine Farrell, chair of the marketing department at the University of San Diego's Knauss School of Business, said that when consumers aren't able to make loan payments on time, it worsens the economic stress they're already experiencing.
"Consumers' financial positions feel more spread thin than they have in a long time," said Farrell, who studies consumer behavior and BNPL services. "The cost of food is continuing to go up, on top of rent and other goods ... so consumers are taking advantage of the ability to pay for items later."
The Consumer Federation of America and other watchdog organizations have expressed concern about the rollback of BNPL regulation as the use of the loans continues to rise.
"By taking a head-in-the-sand approach to the new universe of fintech loans, the new CFPB is once again favoring Big Tech at the expense of everyday people," said Adam Rust, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America.
___
The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 04:01:06+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"G7 Summit",
"Scott Bessent",
"Jerome Powell",
"Canada",
"Economic policy",
"Europe",
"Italy",
"United Kingdom",
"Vladimir Putin",
"Federal Reserve System",
"World Bank",
"United States government",
"Politics",
"European Union",
"Steven Kamin",
"International Monetary Fund",
"Group of 7",
"Francois Philippe Champagne",
"Business",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy"
] | # Trump's tariffs will test unity among allies at G7 finance ministers' summit
By Christopher Rugaber
May 21st, 2025, 04:01 AM
---
BANFF, Alberta (AP) — Leading financial officials from the world's richest countries are gathering in a Canadian mountain resort this week for what may prove a contentious meeting in the wake of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.
The annual meetings of the Group of 7 finance ministers, known as the G7, are typically congenial and in previous years have produced joint commitments to combat inflation and counter the COVID pandemic. There may be less agreement this year as Trump's tariffs threaten to slow growth in many of the gathered nations, including host Canada, which Trump has also suggested become a potential 51st state.
"I expect it will be somewhat of a testy conversation among the G7 officials," said Eswar Prasad, an economist at Cornell University and former top official at the International Monetary Fund. "This is a very difficult period for the relationships among the G7 countries."
The Trump administration has reached an initial trade deal with one G7 member, the United Kingdom, and is engaged in talks with Japan and the European Union. But Canada still faces 25% duties on many of its exports to the United States, including autos, and the other three G7 members — France, Germany, and Italy — all face a baseline tariff of 10% on all their exports as part of the European Union.
It will be the first formal meeting of the G7 attended by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who participated in a brief G7 gathering last month on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will also attend along with central bank governors from the other G7 nations.
"The message from colleagues is pretty clear is that a free and fair and a rules-based multilateral trading system, is a system in which we all win," Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada's minister of finance, said Tuesday.
While many finance ministers gathered in Banff this week will likely seek one-on-one meetings with Bessent, it's unlikely any trade deals will be reached, according to a person briefed on preparations for the meeting who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not have authorization to speak about it publicly.
Instead, the finance officials will seek to smooth the way toward any agreements before a meeting of the heads of state of the G7 countries in June in nearby Kananaskis, Canada.
Bessent may be able to bring a more conciliatory tone to the meetings, Prasad said, as he is often seen as a relatively moderating influence on tariffs in the Trump White House.
And there will likely be some areas of agreement, particularly around the Trump administration's goal to address what it calls "global imbalances" in world trade, a reference to the United States' large annual trade deficits, which reflects that it imports more than it exports. The White House sees China as the key driver of such imbalances. China has a large trade surplus.
"Intentional policy choices by other countries have hollowed out America's manufacturing sector and undermined our critical supply chains, putting our national and economic security at risk," Bessent said in a speech last month during the IMF and World Bank meetings.
The status of the U.S. dollar may also come up, at least in informal conversations. The dollar dropped in value unexpectedly last month after Trump unveiled his widespread tariffs, while the interest rate on Treasury bonds rose, a sign international investors may have been dumping American assets as confidence in the country's governance and economy eroded.
"In the hallways, they're going to talk about nothing but tariffs and the dollar," said Steven Kamin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former senior economist at the Federal Reserve.
At last year's meeting of G7 finance officials in Stresa, Italy, they agreed on a joint statement that said the members have a "strong commitment to a free, fair, and rules-based" trading system. It's not yet clear whether they will be able to agree on such a statement this year.
Another question hanging over the meetings will be whether the G7 can come to agreement on a new round of sanctions on Russia. The European Union and U.K. announced sanctions on Russian oil Tuesday, targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" of unregistered oil tankers that are shipping its oil and allowing it to fund its war with Ukraine.
Proposals to lower a price cap on Russian oil, set as part of earlier rounds of international sanctions, down from its current level of $60 may also be discussed in meetings Wednesday.
Yet the Trump administration, while it has called for greater sanctions on Russian oil, hasn't yet signed on to the new restrictions. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, and said the two countries would soon begin ceasefire talks, though no details were available.
Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will also attend the G7 meetings this week, though Ukraine is not a member.
Daleep Singh, chief global economist at PGIM Fixed Income and a former deputy national security adviser in the Biden administration, said the issue of Russian oil sanctions will be a key test of what unity remains in the G7.
"If you're looking for something to engender a just and lasting peace, oil sanctions are the place to look," he said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:16:59+00:00 | [
"Ford Motor Co.",
"Cars",
"Honda Motor Co.",
"Ltd.",
"Strikes",
"Production facilities",
"Government policy",
"Toyota Motor Corp.",
"General Motors Co.",
"Business",
"Economic policy",
"Tesla",
"Inc.",
"Lifestyle",
"International trade",
"Bayerische Motoren Werke AG",
"Josh Jacquot",
"Auto industry"
] | # Edmunds: How to get the best auto deals this Memorial Day weekend
By Josh Jacquot
May 21st, 2025, 12:16 PM
---
Memorial Day weekend has long been one of the busiest times of year for car dealerships. Many car shoppers decide to pull the trigger on that long-considered purchase because of the major sales promotions and the symbolic start of summer. But things are a little different this year.
Because of tariffs on offshore-built vehicles and components, confusion is setting in. Shoppers are rightly wondering: Will prices go up? Are the deals real? Should I buy now or wait?
Here's some good news. With a little strategy and timing, you can score a great deal this Memorial Day weekend and avoid potential price hikes in the months ahead. Here are five tips from the experts at Edmunds that will help you decide and get the best deal.
## Prioritize U.S.-assembled vehicles
Start close to home if you're looking to insulate yourself from the effects of tariffs. The tariffs most affect vehicles that are not assembled in the United States. While many of these vehicles use components from abroad, the final assembly taking place in the U.S. means they're not subject to the 25% import tariff.
How do you know which vehicles are assembled in the U.S? To start, you could consider vehicles from domestic automakers such as Ford, General Motors and Tesla. But you need to be careful: Not every domestic brand vehicle is assembled in the U.S. At the same time, many foreign automakers, such as BMW, Honda and Toyota, build some of their vehicles here.
You'll want to check the window sticker of a vehicle you're interested in. It will show where final assembly occurred as well as the percentage of U.S. and foreign parts. Keep in mind that even though a car is assembled in the U.S., it won't escape tariffs on its foreign-made parts.
## Seek out pre-tariff inventory
Many dealerships still have vehicles in stock that were imported or assembled before the April 2 effective date. Most dealers carry about 60 days of inventory, which means at least some of the cars on lots this Memorial Day weekend haven't been affected by the new pricing yet.
So how do you find them? Simple: You ask.
Dealerships have inventory management systems that show exactly when each vehicle arrived. If you're eyeing a specific model, request to see vehicles that landed before early April. This approach won't work forever — by midsummer, that inventory will dwindle — but for now, it's one of the smartest ways to shop.
## Explore Memorial Day incentives and promotions
Major holidays mean major promotions, and this Memorial Day is no exception. For example, Ford is offering employee pricing to all customers through July 7 — an aggressive discount that essentially strips away dealer markups. That can mean thousands in savings on popular models like the F-150 or Explorer.
Other automakers are following suit. Expect to see 0% APR offers, cash-back bonuses, lease specials, and extended warranties advertised heavily this weekend.
But here's the trick: These offers can vary significantly by region and dealer, so comparison shop online first. Automakers' websites often have tools to search incentives by ZIP code.
## Consider buying used
Used cars are not subject to tariffs. So if you want to avoid tariff-induced sticker shock, the used market might be your safest bet. The supply of used vehicles has been rising steadily post-pandemic. That means better selection, more competitive pricing, and a greater chance of finding a lightly used vehicle with low mileage.
Look for certified pre-owned models that come with factory warranties — they often strike a good balance between peace of mind and cost savings. And with interest rates still high, the lower principal of a used vehicle can significantly reduce your monthly payment if you finance.
## Be flexible and move quickly
Finally, with the industry in flux, flexibility is your friend. That might mean settling for your second-choice color, choosing a different trim level, or opting for an in-stock configuration instead of ordering a custom build. In return, you'll get the benefit of a better price.
And if you've been on the fence about buying? Don't wait too long. Automakers and analysts agree: Prices are likely to rise later this summer if the tariffs continue.
## Edmunds says
Between factory incentives, pre-tariff inventory, U.S.-built options and a growing used car market, there are plenty of ways to save this Memorial Day. Just be prepared and be informed.
____
This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Josh Jacquot is a contributor at Edmunds. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 15:01:40+00:00 | [
"Tornadoes",
"Kentucky",
"Weather",
"Storms",
"Kansas",
"Natural disasters",
"Gulf of Mexico",
"Tom DiLiberto",
"Howard Bluestein",
"Louis Uccellini",
"Harold Brooks",
"Karen Kosiba",
"Erica Grow Cei",
"Rich Thompson",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"Jana Houser",
"Climate and environment"
] | # A leaner National Weather Service is confronting a busy tornado season
By Seth Borenstein
May 20th, 2025, 03:01 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — As nasty tornadoes popped up from Kansas to Kentucky, a depleted National Weather Service was in scramble mode.
The agency's office in Jackson, Kentucky, had begun closing nightly as deep cuts by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency began hitting. But the weather service kept staffers on overtime Friday night to stay on top of the deadly storms, which killed nearly 20 people in the Jackson office's forecast area.
It's a scenario likely to be repeated as the U.S. is on track to see more tornadoes this year than in 2024, which was the second-busiest tornado year on record. Forecasters said there was at least a 10% risk of tornadoes Tuesday for 10.6 million people in parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Weather service veterans expressed concern about the agency's ability to keep up in the face of the cuts.
Rich Thompson, lead operations forecaster at the NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said the job is getting done. But he acknowledged that staffing cuts have "made it harder on us."
"It has made it hard on the local offices just to make sure that we have all of our important duties covered. But, I mean, most of the people take those important duties seriously, so we're going to do what it takes to cover it," Thompson said. "I hope we're not in the same staffing situation long term. ... It would be hard to sustain this for months or years."
NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei said the Jackson office "remained fully staffed through the duration of the event using surge staffing" and had support from neighboring offices.
## A leaner weather service is seeing more extreme weather
The Storm Prediction Center had tallied 883 local tornado reports this year as of Monday, which was 35% higher than average for this time of year.
Many former weather service employees, especially those fired by the Trump administration, remain connected to the agency's inner workings. They describe an agency that's somehow getting forecasts and warnings out in time, but is also near the breaking point.
"They'll continue to answer the bell as long as they can, but you can only ask people to work 80 hours or 120 hours a week, you know for so long," said Elbert "Joe" Friday, a former weather service director. "They may be so bleary-eyed, they can't identify what's going on on the radar."
Tom DiLiberto, a weather service meteorologist and spokesman who was fired in earlier rounds of the job cuts, said the situation is like a boat with leaks "and you have a certain amount of pieces of duct tape and you keep moving duct tape to different holes. At some point, you can't."
As of March, some of the weather service offices issuing tornado warnings Friday and Sunday were above the 20% vacancy levels that outside experts have said is a critical threshold. Those include Jackson, with a 25% vacancy rate, Louisville, Kentucky, with a 29% vacancy rate, and Wichita, Kansas, with a 32% vacancy rate, according to data compiled by weather service employees and obtained by the AP.
Technologies used to predict tornadoes have significantly improved, but radar can't replace a well-rested staff that has to figure out how nasty or long-lasting storms will be and how to get information to the public, said Karen Kosiba, managing director of the Flexible Array of Mesonets and Radars (FARM) facility, a network of weather equipment used for research.
"There really are not enough people to handle everything," said University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Howard Bluestein, who chased six tornadoes Sunday. "If the station is understaffed, that could affect the quality of forecasts."
## Cuts hit in different ways
Former weather service Director Louis Uccellini said budget cuts have drastically reduced the number of weather balloon launches, which provide critical information for forecasts. And weather service workers aren't being allowed to travel to help train local disaster officials for what to do when they get dangerous weather warnings, he said.
Though the number of tornadoes is nearly at a record pace, Thompson and other experts said the tornado outbreak of the last few days is mostly normal for this time of year.
For tornadoes to form, the atmosphere needs a collision of warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and storm systems chugging through via the jet stream, the river of air that brings weather fronts from west to east, said Thompson, Bluestein and Harold Brooks of the weather service's National Severe Storm Laboratory.
"The moisture that we're getting from the Gulf of Mexico is a lot more than we used to get," said Bluestein. "That makes the likelihood that we're getting a stronger storm higher and that's pretty unusual."
Temperatures in the Gulf are a couple of degrees warmer than usual for this time of year, according to the weather service.
The connection between climate change and tornadoes is not as well understood as the links between other types of extreme weather such as heavy rainfall and heat waves, experts say.
"Under the climate change scenario, we're kind of supercharging the atmosphere on some days and then actually reducing the favorability on others," said Ohio State University atmospheric sciences professor Jana Houser.
Scientists are also seeing more tornadoes in January, February, March and other times when it used to be too cold for twisters to form, especially in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, she said.
More people are also living in harm's way, Brooks said. That's why Uccellini and others see increasing risks to people and property.
"When you have this kind of threat and you're understaffed at some point, something's going to slip through the cracks," Uccellini said. "I can't tell you when it's going to happen."
___
Associated Press reporter Isabella O'Malley contributed from Philadelphia.
___
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 | 2025-05-21 11:34:16+00:00 | [
"Marijuana",
"Thailand",
"Thailand government",
"Crime",
"Politics"
] | # Thailand vows to tighten control on cannabis after smuggling cases involving tourists soar
May 21st, 2025, 11:34 AM
---
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai officials on Wednesday said they planned to tighten regulations on cannabis sales after cases of tourists attempting to smuggle the drug out of the country soared in recent months.
Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis in 2022, which has boosted Thailand's tourism and farming and spawned thousands of shops. But it's facing public backlash over allegations that under-regulation has made the drug available to children and caused addiction.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party has promised to criminalize the drugs again, but faced strong resistance from its partner in the coalition government which supported the decriminalization.
Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said at a press conference that officials are aiming to roll out new regulations in coming weeks that will tighten control on the sale of cannabis, including requiring shops to sell cannabis only to customers who have a prescription.
He emphasized that it is against Thai law to bring cannabis out of the country without permission from the authorities.
Airport officials said they have tightened inspections to detect smuggling attempts, adding that most people found with cannabis in their luggage are foreigners, especially Indian and British nationals.
Last week two young British women were arrested in Georgia and Sri Lanka for alleged attempts to smuggle cannabis after they flew there from Thailand, according to the British media.
Britain's government said a joint operation with Thailand in February resulted in over 2 tons of cannabis seized from air passengers. It said that since July last year, over 50 British nationals had been arrested in Thailand for attempting to smuggle cannabis.
It also said there was a dramatic increase in the amount of cannabis sent to the U.K. from Thailand by post since the decriminalization in 2022.
In March immigration authorities and police said 22 suitcases filled with a total of 375 kilograms of cannabis were seized, and 13 foreigners, most of them British, were arrested at the international airport on the Samui Island.
Thai officials said the suspects were hired to travel to Thailand as tourists then traveled to Samui, a popular tourist destination, where they would wait at the arranged accommodation to receive the suitcases with cannabis. They would then be instructed to travel from Samui to Singapore, and then from Singapore back to the U.K., where they would be paid 2,000 pounds ($2,682) upon completing the job. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 12:36:45+00:00 | [
"Cho Tun Aung",
"Myanmar",
"Shootings",
"Rebellions and uprisings",
"Military and defense",
"Gun violence",
"Aung San Suu Kyi",
"Thailand government"
] | # An urban guerrilla group in Myanmar claims responsibility for assassinating a retired army officer
By Grant Peck
May 22nd, 2025, 12:36 PM
---
BANGKOK (AP) — A retired high-ranking officer in Myanmar's military was shot dead by a self-proclaimed urban guerrilla group on Thursday near his home in the country's biggest city, marking the latest assassination attributed to militants opposed to army rule.
The former army officer, Cho Tun Aung, was shot by a man at around 9 a.m. while he was standing in front of his home in Yangon's Mayangon township, a member of the local administration said.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release information.
A militant group calling itself the Golden Valley Warriors claimed responsibility for the attack on Cho Tun Aung, who also had previously served as Myanmar's ambassador to Cambodia.
The Golden Valley Warriors said in a statement released on their Facebook page that Cho Tun Aung, whose rank it gave as major general, was serving as a lecturer who gave lessons about internal security and counterterrorism, as well as international relations, to military officers at the National Defense College in the capital, Napyitaw.
The group also said that Cho Tun Aung was a member of Myanmar's War Veterans Organization, which has been organizing units of army-affiliated militias to help fight against pro-democracy fighters and ethnic minority guerrillas.
The group said that he was targeted because he was giving lessons that contributed to the military's daily inhumane atrocities in Myanmar's civil war. Myanmar was plunged into nationwide armed conflict after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
Cho Tun Aung is the latest victim of a series of assassinations since the takeover, targeting especially high-ranking active or retired military officers. Senior civil servants and local officials have also been attacked, in addition to business cronies of the military and people believed to be informers or collaborators with the army.
A few months after the army took power, Thein Aung, the chief finance officer of Myanmar's military-linked Mytel Telecommunications Co., and a retired major from the army, was fatally shot by three men in front of his home in Yangon, but no clear claims of responsibility were made.
In September 2022, Brig. Gen. Ohn Thwin, who had also served as Myanmar's ambassador to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa, was shot dead at his Yangon home.
Militants have carried out acts of sabotage as well as targeted killings. However, the countryside, rather than major cities, has carried the brunt of destructive fighting. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 12:58:48+00:00 | [
"Gerry Connolly",
"Virginia",
"Donald Trump",
"Louis DeJoy",
"Hakeem Jeffries",
"Notable Deaths",
"Elon Musk",
"Politics",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Government programs",
"Arthur Miller",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"United States government",
"Olivia Diaz"
] | # Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman and fixture of Virginia politics, dies at 75
By Olivia Diaz
May 21st, 2025, 12:58 PM
---
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75.
Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years.
He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress. His death leaves House Republicans with a 220-212 majority.
The spirited and at times bullheaded Fairfax Democrat became known for his voluble nature and willingness to engage in spirited debates. In one hearing, he accused Republicans of engaging in a witch hunt against the IRS, asking a witness if they ever read Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."
"I am heartbroken over the loss of my dear friend," said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. "To me, he exemplified the very best of public service." He said Connolly "met every challenge with tenacity and purpose, including his final battle with cancer, which he faced with courage, grace, and quiet dignity."
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Connolly was a "hardworking, humble and honorable public servant" who used his perch on the Oversight Committee "to push back against the unprecedented attacks on the federal workers in his district and across the country."
A fixture of Virginia politics for three decades, Connolly was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1995. On the county board, he steered the transition of northern Virginia's Tysons Corner from a traffic-heavy mall area to a downtown business hub.
In 2003, Connolly was elected board chairman, and he continued pushing for transportation investment that had been debated among officials for decades. Connolly sought billions in state and federal dollars to develop the regional rail system's Silver Line connecting the national capital region to Tysons Corner.
Connolly's dream was realized with the Silver Line's opening in 2014, and eight years later, the rail line was extended an extra 11 miles (18 kilometers) to reach Dulles International Airport.
As the extension opened in 2022, Connolly said: "Doing big things is difficult — the world is filled with naysayers."
Connolly's local government experience launched his congressional career. He was elected in 2008 after flipping an open Republican-held seat by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly said he would use his position to ensure the federal bureaucracy is "a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve."
"If we insist the government must work for all of our citizens again, we cannot fail," Connolly said.
Connolly got his first taste of Congress while working as a staffer for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the 1980s. Decades later, Connolly became a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He also served as a member of the House Oversight Committee and led Democrats on subcommittees on government innovation and information technology.
Connolly cosponsored the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, which requires federal agencies to allow a portion of their employees to telework at least one day a week. In 2014, he cosponsored another bill that reformed federal IT management and has since saved the government billions of dollars, according to the Government Accountability Office.
He also closely followed the financial burden of the slowing U.S. Postal Service, becoming a prominent voice accusing President Donald Trump and former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of seeking to winnow the postal service to suppress mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election.
Connolly reached a new milestone late last year as he was chosen ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. He defeated Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the position. The victory came shortly after Connolly announced late last year that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
As ranking member, Connolly called on inspectors general to investigate the Department of Government Efficiency. He and other Democrats also introduced a pair of resolutions demanding the Trump administration turn over documents and information about billionaire adviser Elon Musk's potential conflicts of interest and the firings of federal workers.
He said in late April that after "grueling treatments," he learned that the cancer had returned and that he decided to step down from his post on the committee and would not seek reelection.
"With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we've accomplished together over 30 years," he said.
___
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. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 22:31:59+00:00 | [
"Elon Musk",
"Donald Trump",
"Department of Government Efficiency",
"District of Columbia",
"George Moose",
"Government budgets",
"Courts",
"Politics",
"Labor",
"George Foote",
"Anna Kelly"
] | # Institute of Peace regains control of headquarters after DOGE takeover
By Gary Fields
May 21st, 2025, 10:31 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Institute of Peace retook control of its headquarters Wednesday, two days after a federal judge said the firing of its board and employees by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency was illegal.
The institute's acting president, George Moose, entered the organization's headquarters with private security and the institute's outside attorney for the first time since being escorted off the premises during the DOGE takeover. Moose and most of the institute's board were fired in March, part of the mass slashing of the federal workforce spearheaded by Musk.
The institute and many of its board members filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration soon after, seeking to prevent their removal and stop DOGE from taking over its operations. U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell's opinion on Monday reversed DOGE's actions.
Speaking after a short examination of the headquarters, Moose said all appeared to be in order.
"We just did a quick walk-through — externally, visibly, things look to be in pretty good shape," he said. "I didn't see anything, any destruction, if you will, no damage that I can see that is visible."
Moose, a former ambassador and career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, said a team of employees from human resources, technology and finance would be in the building Thursday getting the nonprofit ready to welcome back its workforce. He expected to bring back all the staff who want to return.
In an email Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not comment on workers returning to the building, but signaled that the administration may challenge the decision.
"President Trump is right to reduce failed, useless entities like USIP to their statutory minimum, and the rogue judge's attempt to impede on the separation of powers will not be the last say on the matter," she said.
The administration filed a motion of appeal Wednesday evening and requested a stay of the judge's ruling while that appeal is considered, arguing in part that Howell "erred" in concluding that the institution's functions were not executive functions.
Agencies across the federal government have been slashed or dismantled by Musk's DOGE team. Wednesday's low-key scene at the institute's headquarters marked a rare moment when a DOGE-targeted agency or organization has been able to begin reestablishing itself.
The judge's ruling said the Trump administration did not have authority to unilaterally dismantle the institute, which was established by Congress in 1984 as an independent organization that would promote peace and seek to end conflicts around the world. It was operating in more than two dozen conflict zones at the time Musk's team took it over and shut it down.
The saga began when Trump issued an executive order in February that targeted the institute and three other agencies for closure in an effort to deliver on campaign promises to shrink the size of the government. The first attempt by DOGE to take over the headquarters led to a standoff. Members of Musk's DOGE group returned days later with the FBI and District of Columbia Metropolitan Police to help them gain entry.
DOGE installed new leadership, ordered a mass firing of nearly all the staff through their private emails, and handed over the institute's headquarters to the General Services Administration.
The institute, concerned about liability and security of the building in the aftermath of the judge's ruling, reached out to the government attorneys earlier this week and again on Wednesday. George Foote, the institute's outside attorney, said the exchange was very smooth and orderly.
Moose said the goal now is to get back to the work the institute was created to do 40 years ago and "projects, ideas that are, we believe, of interest to the American people."
___ |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 03:45:46+00:00 | [
"Boat and ship accidents",
"Seattle",
"Manhattan",
"U.S. Navy",
"Minnesota",
"New York City",
"New York City Wire",
"Hedwig Ehrlich",
"Dominique Jean Louis",
"Richard Haw",
"Paul Ehrlich"
] | # Ships have been hitting the Brooklyn Bridge for nearly 150 years
By Cedar Attanasio
May 21st, 2025, 03:45 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — A Mexican navy tall ship's fatal collision with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday highlighted a hazard that has worried seafarers for nearly 150 years.
Even before construction on the bridge was finished in the late 19th century, the topmast of a passing U.S. Navy ship hit the span's wires — and vessels continued to clip the iconic New York City structure for many years.
But historians say Saturday's crash appears to be the first boat collision with the bridge to take the lives of crew members. Two Mexican naval cadets died and more were injured after the training ship Cuauhtémoc's masts crashed into the bridge as dozens of sailors stood harnessed high up in rigging as part of a public display.
"That's the first and possibly only time where there's been a fatality onboard of a ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge," said Dominique Jean-Louis, chief historian at the Center for Brooklyn History, part of the Brooklyn Public Library.
Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River, connecting its eponymous borough's downtown to Manhattan. The highest point of the bridge's underside is listed at 135 feet (41.1 meters) on average above the water, but it fluctuates with the tides.
During construction, a warehouse owner sued state officials — first to stop the bridge and then for compensation — arguing that some ships still had topmasts that exceeded the height. The case made it all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which dismissed the lawsuit, determining that the bridge did not unduly restrict ship navigation.
Before that decision, however, at least one ship had already tangled with the still-under-construction crossing.
According to an 1878 report in the New York Daily Tribune, the U.S. Navy wooden steam training ship USS Minnesota was headed toward the high point of the bridge after planning ahead and lowering its topmast. But at the last minute, it had to change course to avoid an oncoming ship, sending it to an area with lower clearance and striking the bridge's wires. Nobody was reported injured.
By the time the bridge was complete, steam ships were transporting the lion's share of goods, and high-masted ships were waning in importance, said Richard Haw, professor of interdisciplinary studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the author of two books about the Brooklyn Bridge.
"They go from sail ships to steam ships," Haw said. "You don't need a huge clearance."
Yet mast strikes continued, including at least two reported in the 1920s — one of which was with the U.S. Navy's flagship USS Seattle, which had "a little wooden pole that was a little too high," Jean-Louis said.
In 1941, the SS Nyassa was bringing hundreds of refugees to New York City when the captain miscalculated the tide and part of its mast was bent into a right angle by the bridge's underspan, according to a New York Times article at the time that described a "crunching sound." Among the refugees on board was Hedwig Ehrlich, widow of the Nobel Prize-winning Jewish German scientist Paul Ehrlich, as she headed to live with daughters in San Francisco.
As the 20th century went on, ships got taller and wider. And they still required mast-like appendages for observation and communication.
A shipyard just north of the bridge, now known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, churned out larger and larger ships during and after World War II, including aircraft carriers that could barely fit beneath the bridge.
One photo from 1961 shows the USS Constellation aircraft carrier leaving the navy yard and passing underneath the Brooklyn Bridge with a mast that folded down onto the ship's deck, specially designed to get out into the harbor.
In the past two decades, at least three minor strikes have been reported against the bridge's underside or base, including a crane being pulled via barge in 2012, which tore into temporary scaffolding mounted underneath the bridge. A similar crane accident damaged peripheral bridge maintenance equipment in July of 2023, according to a Coast Guard incident report.
None of the modern accident reports document serious injuries.
But off the water, the bridge has been a site of tragedy long before Saturday's crash. More than 20 people were killed and countless crippled while building it, including workers injured by decompression sickness, a little-understood affect of working in underwater in boxes sunk to the riverbed. Twelve people died in a panic-driven stampede among crowds visiting the bridge shortly after it opened to the public in 1883. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 22:30:30+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Pete Hegseth",
"Gender",
"Military and defense",
"U.S. Department of Defense",
"Diversity",
"equity and inclusion",
"Annapolis",
"Maryland",
"Racism",
"Government programs",
"Politics",
"Race and ethnicity",
"United States government",
"Maya Angelou",
"U.S. Air Force",
"Timothy Dill",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] | # Most books pulled from Naval Academy library are back on the shelves in latest DEI turn
By Lolita C. Baldor
May 21st, 2025, 10:30 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — All but a few of the nearly 400 books that the U.S. Naval Academy removed from its library because they dealt with anti-racism and gender issues are back on the shelves after the newest Pentagon-ordered review — the latest turn in a dizzying effort to rid the military of materials related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Based on the new review, about 20 books from the academy's library are being pulled aside to be checked, but that number includes some that weren't identified or removed in last month's initial purge of 381 books, defense officials told The Associated Press.
A few dozen books at the Air Force libraries — including at the Air Force Academy — also have been pulled out for review, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is still ongoing.
The back-and-forth on book removals reflects a persistent problem in the early months of the Trump administration, as initial orders and demands for an array of policy changes have been forced to be reworked, fine-tuned and reissued because they were vague, badly defined or problematic.
The reviews and changes at military libraries and to websites, social media accounts and more are part of the Trump administration's far-reaching efforts to purge so-called DEI content from federal agencies.
The Pentagon earlier this month issued a detailed directive to all military leaders and commands to pull and review all library books addressing diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by Wednesday. The order contained more specific search words than earlier guidance and verbal orders from Defense Department leaders, and officials said it resulted in dramatically fewer banned books than initially thought.
The Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it reviewed the library collections at all of its educational institutions to ensure compliance with the directives, noting that materials have been "identified and sequestered." The Army and Air Force also have reviewed their collections.
All of the services' libraries had to provide their new lists of books to Pentagon leaders. Now additional guidance will be given on how to cull those lists, if needed, and determine what should be permanently removed. The review also will "determine an appropriate ultimate disposition" for those materials, according to a Defense Department memo.
The May 9 memo — signed by Timothy Dill, who is performing the duties of the deputy defense undersecretary for personnel — did not say what will happen to the books or whether they will be stored away or destroyed.
The libraries at the military academies and those at other schools and commands had to remove educational materials "promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology" because they are incompatible with the Defense Department's core mission, the memo said.
A temporary Academic Libraries Committee set up by the department is overseeing the process, and it provided a list of search terms to use to determine which books to pull and review.
Those search terms included: affirmative action, anti-racism, critical race theory, discrimination, diversity, gender dysphoria, gender identity and transition, transgender and white privilege.
The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, removed 381 books from its library in early April after being told by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office to get rid of those that promote DEI.
The purge led to the removal of books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, civil rights and racism, and Maya Angelou's famous autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."
Others included "Memorializing the Holocaust," which deals with Holocaust memorials; "Half American," about African Americans in World War II; "A Respectable Woman," about the public roles of African American women in 19th century New York; and "Pursuing Trayvon Martin," about the 2012 shooting of a Black 17-year-old in Florida that raised questions about racial profiling.
The Navy on Wednesday could not confirm which books have been returned to the library or if Angelou's book or the others will remain pulled from shelves.
About two weeks after the Naval Academy purge was ordered, the Army and Air Force libraries were told to go through their stacks to find and remove books related to DEI.
Throughout the process, leaders of the military services sought more detailed guidance on which books had to go because the initial order to the Naval Academy was verbal and vague. Dill's memo provided that additional guidance.
Similarly, directives to reenlist troops forced out for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and to remove transgender service members from the military have had to be clarified over time.
Defense leaders have had to provide additional guidance and wording to address questions from the services on how to legally and accurately implement the orders. And in several cases, orders had to be refined and reissued. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 11:57:06+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Middle East",
"Iran",
"Tehran",
"Ali Khamenei",
"Steve Witkoff",
"Iran government",
"Marco Rubio",
"Italy government",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Abbas Araghchi",
"Politics",
"Islam",
"Esmail Baghaei",
"United States government"
] | # Iran insists it won't stop enriching uranium despite US demand
By Amir Vahdat
May 21st, 2025, 11:57 AM
---
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's top diplomat insisted Wednesday that Tehran will never stop enriching uranium, reinforcing the Islamic Republic's hard line ahead of a new round of indirect talks with the United States over its fast-advancing nuclear program.
Iran's foreign ministry later confirmed it has agreed to take part in the next round of talks Friday in Rome.
The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi come after multiple rounds of talks between the two nations, including at an expert level over the details of a possible deal. American officials including President Donald Trump, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintain that Iran must give up enrichment — something it didn't do in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
"I have said it before, and I repeat it again: uranium enrichment in Iran will continue — with or without an agreement," Araghchi said, according to state television.
Araghchi added that Iran was "currently reviewing whether to participate in the next round and when to take part" in talks with the U.S. Negotiators previously met in Muscat, Oman, and Rome but Trump's trip to the Mideast last week delayed any new meeting.
Later Wednesday, Oman's foreign minister announced that the fifth round of indirect talks will be Friday in Rome. The minister made the comment on social media. Oman has long served as a mediator, facilitating quiet diplomacy amid tensions over Iran's nuclear program and regional security.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, in a post on X later confirmed that Tehran has agreed to take part in the new round of talks. Washington has not confirmed the meeting or announced whether it will attend.
"We have never abandoned diplomacy. We will always be present at the negotiating table, and the main reason for our presence is to defend the rights of the Iranian people," Araghchi said. "We stand against excessive demands and rhetoric at the table."
Araghchi's remarks came a day after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he didn't expect the negotiations to produce a deal.
"I don't think nuclear talks with the U.S. will bring results. I don't know," Khamenei said.
The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on half a century of enmity.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran's program if a deal isn't reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Israel has threatened to strike Iran's nuclear facilities on its own if it feels threatened, further worsening tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers capped Tehran's enrichment level at 3.67% and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds). That level is enough for nuclear power plants, but far below weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Since the nuclear deal collapsed in 2018 with Trump's unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program and enriched uranium to up to 60% purity — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. There have also been a series of attacks at sea and on land in recent years, stemming from the tensions even before the Israel-Hamas war began.
___
Associated Press writers Gabe Levin and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 14:41:20+00:00 | [
"United Kingdom",
"France",
"Immigration",
"English Channel",
"Politics"
] | # Child among 2 migrants who died attempting to cross English Channel to Britain in small boat
May 21st, 2025, 02:41 PM
---
PARIS (AP) — A woman and a child died on an attempted illicit overnight sea crossing Wednesday from France to Britain.
It brings the number of deaths this week on the risky migration route to at least three, French maritime authorities said. At least 14 people have died so far this year.
French rescue services found the woman and child unconscious aboard a small boat carrying nearly 80 migrants off the Pas de Calais coast of northern France, maritime authorities said in a statement.
A French Navy vessel took aboard 10 other people who asked to be rescued from the boat, it said.
The rest of those aboard the boat then continued into British waters, while the French naval vessel transported those who had been rescued to the French port of Calais, it said.
Earlier this week, one person died and another was reported missing at sea after a boat overloaded with migrants broke apart during another attempted overnight crossing of the English Channel.
The missing person's body has not been found, French maritime authorities said.
More than 12,500 people have crossed the English Channel on small boats so far in 2025, according to U.K. government figures. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 04:02:29+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Mike Johnson",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Hakeem Jeffries",
"Pete Aguilar",
"Thomas Massie",
"Government programs",
"Legislation",
"United States House of Representatives",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Taxes",
"Congress",
"New York City Wire",
"Voting rights",
"Andrew Harris",
"Ralph Norman",
"Voting",
"Border security",
"Business",
"Renewable energy",
"Government and politics",
"Erin Houchin",
"Politics"
] | # House Republicans pass Trump's big bill after all-night session
By Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Leah Askarinam
May 22nd, 2025, 04:02 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package, with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the skeptics and unifying his ranks to muscle President Donald Trump's priority bill to approval Thursday.
With last-minute concessions and stark warnings from Trump, the Republican holdouts largely dropped their opposition to salvage the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that's central to the GOP agenda. The House launched debate before midnight and by dawn the vote was called, 215-214, with Democrats staunchly opposed. It next goes to the Senate, with long negotiations ahead.
"To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again," said Johnson, R-La.
The outcome caps an intense time on Capitol Hill, with days of private negotiations and public committee hearings, many happening back-to-back, around-the-clock. Republicans insisted their sprawling 1,000-page-plus package was what voters sent them to Congress — and Trump to the White House — to accomplish. They believe it will be "rocket fuel," as one put it during debate, for the uneasy U.S. economy.
Trump himself demanded action, visiting House Republicans at Tuesday's conference meeting and hosting GOP leaders and the holdouts for a lengthy session Wednesday at the White House. Before the vote, the administration warned in a pointed statement that failure "would be the ultimate betrayal."
After the legislation's passage, Trump posted on social media: "Thank you to every Republican who voted YES on this Historic Bill! Now, it's time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work."
The Senate hopes to wrap up its version by the Fourth of July holiday.
Central to the package is the GOP's commitment to extending some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks they engineered during Trump's first term in 2017, while temporarily adding new ones he campaigned on during his 2024 campaign, including no taxes on tips, overtime pay, car loan interest and others.
To make up for some of the lost tax revenue, the Republicans focused on changes to Medicaid and the food stamps program, largely by imposing work requirements on many of those receiving benefits. There's also a massive rollback of green energy tax breaks from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act.
Additionally, the package tacks on $350 billion in new spending, with about $150 billion going to the Pentagon, including for the president's new " Golden Dome" defense shield, and the rest for Trump's mass deportation and border security agenda.
All told, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates 8.6 million fewer people would have health care coverage and 3 million less people a month would have SNAP food stamps benefits with the proposed changes.
The CBO said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would tally $1 trillion in reduced spending. The lowest-income households in the U.S. would see their resources drop, while the highest ones would see a boost, it said.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York read letters from Americans describing the way the program cuts would hurt them. "This is one big ugly bill," he said.
As the minority, without the votes to stop Trump's package, Democrats instead offered up impassioned speeches and procedural moves to stall its advance. As soon as the House floor reopened for debate, the Democrats forced a vote to adjourn. It failed.
In "the dark of night they want to pass this GOP tax scam," said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
Other Democrats called it a "big, bad bill" or a "big, broken promise."
Pulling the package together before his Memorial Day deadline has been an enormous political lift for Johnson, with few votes to spare from his slim GOP majority whose rank-and-file Republicans have conflicting priorities of their own.
Conservatives, particularly from the House Freedom Caucus, held out for steeper spending cuts to defray costs piling onto the nation's $36 trillion debt.
At the same time, more moderate and centrist GOP lawmakers were wary of the changes to Medicaid that could result in lost health care for their constituents. And some worried the phaseout of the renewable energy tax breaks will impede businesses using them to invest in green energy projects in many states.
One big problem had been the costly deal with GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states to quadruple the $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, called SALT, to $40,000 for incomes up to $500,000, which was included in the final product.
For every faction Johnson tried to satisfy, another would roar in opposition.
Late in the night, GOP leaders unveiled a 42-page amendment with a number of revisions.
The changes included speedier implementation of the Medicaid work requirements, which will begin in December 2026, rather than January 2029, and a faster roll back of the production tax credits for clean electricity projects, both sought by the conservatives.
Also tucked into the final version were some unexpected additions — including a $12 billion fund for the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse states that help federal officials with deportations and border security.
And in a nod to Trump's influence, the Republicans renamed a proposed new children's savings program after the president, changing it from MAGA accounts — money account for growth and advancement — to simply "Trump" accounts.
Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said Americans shouldn't believe the dire predictions from Democrats about the impact of the bill. "We can unlock the 'Golden Age' of America," she said, echoing the president's own words.
By early morning hours, the chief holdouts appeared to be falling in line. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said they "got some improvements."
But two Republicans voted against the package, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a deficit watcher who had been publicly criticized by Trump, remained unmoved. "This bill is a debt bomb ticking," he warned.
And Rep. Andy Harris, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus who wanted more time, voted present. Some others did not vote.
Final analysis of the overall package's costs and economic impacts are still being assessed.
Along with extending existing tax breaks, it would increase the standard income tax deduction, to $32,000 for joint filers, and boost the child tax credit to $2,500. There would be an enhanced deduction, of $4,000, for older adults of certain income levels, to help defray taxes on Social Security income.
To cut spending, those seeking Medicaid health care, who are able-bodied adults without dependents, would need to fulfill 80 hours a month on a job or in other community activities.
Similarly, to receive food stamps through SNAP, those up to age 64, rather than 54, who are able-bodied and without dependents, would need to meet the 80 hours a month work or community engagement requirements. Additionally, some parents of children older than 7 years old would need to fulfill the work requirements.
Republicans said they want to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal programs.
___
Associated Press writers Matt Brown and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 03:46:05+00:00 | [
"District of Columbia",
"Florida",
"Schools",
"Jim Pillen",
"Mike Dunleavy",
"Ron DeSantis",
"Jeb Bush",
"Education",
"Jennifer Leeper",
"Technology",
"Scott Hilton",
"Politics",
"Nathan Hoffman",
"Kelly Armstrong",
"Children"
] | # Cellphones in schools are now banned or regulated by laws in more than half of US states
By Jeff Amy
May 21st, 2025, 03:46 AM
---
ATLANTA (AP) — Florida was the first state to pass a law regulating the use of cellphones in schools in 2023. Just two years later, more than half of all states have laws in place, with more likely to act soon.
Bills have sprinted through legislatures this year in states as varied as New York and Oklahoma, reflecting a broad consensus that phones are bad for kids.
Connecticut state Rep. Jennifer Leeper, a Democrat and co-chair of the General Assembly's Education Committee, on May 13 called phones "a cancer on our kids" that are "driving isolation, loneliness, decreasing attention and having major impacts both on social-emotional well-being but also learning."
Republicans express similar sentiments.
"This is a not just an academic bill," Republican Rep. Scott Hilton said after Georgia's bill, which only bans phones in grades K-8, passed in March. "This is a mental health bill. It's a public safety bill."
So far, 26 states have passed laws, with eight other states and the District of Columbia implementing rules or making recommendations to local districts. Of the states, 17 have acted this year. Just Tuesday, Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen signed a law banning phones throughout the school day. Earlier Tuesday, Alaska lawmakers required schools to regulate cellphones when they overrode an education package Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy had vetoed for unrelated reasons.
More action is coming as bills await a governor's signature or veto in Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and New Hampshire.
## Increasing focus on banning phones throughout the school day
When Florida first acted, lawmakers ordered schools to ban phones during instructional time while allowing them between classes or at lunch. But now there's another bill awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis' action that goes further. It would ban phones for the entire school day for elementary and middle schools.
Ten states and the District of Columbia have enacted school day bans, most for students in grades K-12, and they now outnumber the seven states with instructional time bans.
North Dakota Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong called the ban throughout the school day that he signed into law "a huge win."
"Teachers wanted it. Parents wanted it. Principals wanted it. School boards wanted it," Armstrong said.
Armstrong recently visited a grade school with such a ban in place. He said he saw kids engaging with each other and laughing at tables during lunch.
The "bell-to-bell" bans have been promoted in part by ExcelinEd, the education think tank founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The group's political affiliate has been active in lobbying for bans.
Nathan Hoffman, ExcelinEd's senior director of state policy and advocacy, said barring phones throughout the day heads off problems outside of class, like when students set up or record fights in halls.
"That's often when you get some of your biggest behavioral issues, whether they go viral or not," Hoffman said.
## Other states want school districts to set their own rules
But other states, particularly where there are strong traditions of local school control, are mandating only that school districts adopt some kind of cellphone policy, believing districts will take the hint and sharply restrict phone access. In Maine, where some lawmakers originally proposed a school day ban, lawmakers are now considering a rewritten bill that would only require a policy.
And there have been a few states where lawmakers failed to act at all. Maybe the most dramatic was in Wyoming, where senators voted down a bill in January, with some opponents saying teachers or parents should set the rules.
Where policymakers have moved ahead, there's a growing consensus around exceptions. Most states are letting students use electronic devices to monitor medical needs and meet the terms of their special education plans. Some are allowing exceptions for translation devices if English isn't a student's first language or when a teacher wants students to use devices for classwork.
There are some unusual exceptions, too. South Carolina's original policy allowed an exception for students who are volunteer firefighters. West Virginia's new law allows smartwatches as long as they are not being used for communication.
## Some parents and students oppose the rules
But by far the most high-profile exception has been allowing cellphone use in case of emergencies. One of the most common parent objections to a ban is that they would not be able to contact their child in a crisis like a school shooting.
"It was only through text messages that parents knew what was happening," said Tinya Brown, whose daughter is a freshman at Apalachee High School, northeast of Atlanta, where a shooting killed two students and two teachers in September. She spoke against Georgia's law at a news conference in March.
Some laws call for schools to find other ways for parents to communicate with their children at schools, but most lawmakers say they support giving students access to their cellphones, at least after the immediate danger has passed, during an emergency.
In some states, students have testified in favor of regulations, but it's also clear that many students, especially in high schools, are chafing under the rules. Kaytlin Villescas, a sophomore at Prairieville High School, in the suburbs of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is one student who took up the fight against bans, starting a petition and telling WBRZ-TV in August that Louisiana's law requiring a school day ban is misguided. She argued that schools should instead teach responsible use.
"It is our proposition that rather than banning cellphone use entirely, schools should impart guidelines on responsible use, thereby building a culture of respect and self-regulation," Villescas wrote in an online petition.
## Most states provide no funding to carry out laws
A few states have provided money for districts to buy lockable phone storage pouches or other storage solutions. New York, for example, plans to spend $13.5 million. But states have typically provided no cash. New Hampshire lawmakers stripped a proposed $1 million from their bill.
"Providing some specific money for this would kind of ease some of those implementation challenges," Hoffman said. "That said, most states have not."
___
Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; and Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 09:11:38+00:00 | [
"Mongolia",
"Protests and demonstrations",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"International agreements",
"Politics"
] | # Protests against prime minister in Mongolia could lead to government shake-up
May 22nd, 2025, 09:11 AM
---
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Mongolia's 10-month-old coalition government appeared to be breaking up as protests calling on the prime minister to resign entered their ninth day.
The leaders of the three governing parties were meeting Thursday to review their coalition agreement, one day after the largest one — the Mongolian People's Party — decided to eject the second largest from the coalition.
The People's Party accused the Democratic Party of breaching the agreement after some of its younger lawmakers backed calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai.
Democratic Party leader Gantumur Luvsannyam, who is the deputy prime minister, said that the views of those legislators were not the party's position.
"I never signed anything saying I would gag my members. I know my party's temperament," he said.
The fate of the prime minister was unclear ahead of a parliament session on Friday. Oyun-Erdene has held the post for four years and survived previous calls to step down.
The ongoing protests were sparked by reports of lavish spending by the prime minister's son. For the mostly young protesters, the reports brought to a head long-simmering complaints about government corruption involving officials and their families.
Ariunbileg Oyunbilegt, a 45-year-old mother of three, said she had been at the demonstrations from the start, largely out of "disgust" at the displays of wealth among the well connected, particularly the prime minister's son.
"The promises by the prime minister to fight corruption are false and empty," she said.
Another protester, Purevnamgil Batsaikhan, said he was also motivated by the graft among the ruling class, and felt the political system was due for changes to prevent malfeasance.
"The prime minister has been in office for six years, but nothing has changed," said Purevnamgil, 26, adding that protesters were mainly young and not affiliated with any political party.
Thursday's protest appeared to go off without violence, with many participants expressing their views on an open microphone.
Mongolia is a landlocked resource-rich nation of 3.5 million — half of whom live in the capital — that is squeezed between China and Russia. A communist state during the Cold War, it transformed into a democracy after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The protesters say the country's mineral riches have benefited business interests and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty.
The coalition government was formed after an election setback for the People's Party's last June that reduced its majority to 68 seats in the 126-member parliament. The Democratic Party holds 42 seats and the third coalition member, the HUN party, has eight. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 20:12:56+00:00 | [
"Comedy",
"Television",
"Ted Danson",
"Woody Harrelson",
"Rhea Perlman",
"Stephen Colbert",
"Kelsey Grammer",
"Norm Peterson",
"Chicago",
"Boston",
"Celebrity deaths",
"New York City Wire",
"Notable Deaths",
"John Ratzenberger",
"Jenny McCarthy",
"Larry the Cable Guy",
"George Wendt",
"David Mamet",
"Bernadette Birkett",
"Brandon Tartikoff",
"Entertainment",
"Shelley Long",
"Kirstie Alley",
"Jonathan Grotenstein"
] | # 'Cheers' star George Wendt dies
By Mark Kennedy
May 20th, 2025, 08:12 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy "Cheers" and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in "Art," "Hairspray" and "Elf," has died. He was 76.
Wendt's family said he died early Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep while at home, according to the publicity firm The Agency Group.
"George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," the family said in a statement. "He will be missed forever." The family has requested privacy during this time.
Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on "Cheers" that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89.
The series was centered on lovable losers in a Boston bar and starred Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. It would spin off another megahit in "Frasier" and was nominated for an astounding 117 Emmy Awards, winning 28 of them.
Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago's renowned Second City improv troupe before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for "Cheers."
"My agent said, 'It's a small role, honey. It's one line. Actually, it's one word.' The word was 'beer.' I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of 'the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.' So I went in, and they said, 'It's too small a role. Why don't you read this other one?' And it was a guy who never left the bar," Wendt told GQ in an oral history of "Cheers."
## 'Cheers' and a barstool
"Cheers" premiered on Sept. 30, 1982, and spent the first season with low ratings. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff championed the show, and it was nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series in its first season. Some 80 million people would tune in to watch its series finale 11 years later.
Wendt became a fan favorite in and outside the bar — his entrances were cheered with a warm "Norm!" — and his wisecracks always landed. "How's a beer sound, Norm?" he would be asked by the bartender. "I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in," he'd respond.
While the beer the cast drank on set was nonalcoholic, Wendt and other "Cheers" cast members have admitted they were tipsy on May 20, 1993, when they watched the show's final episode then appeared together on "The Tonight Show" in a live broadcast from the Bull and Finch Pub in Boston, the bar that inspired the series.
″We had been drinking heavily for two hours but nobody thought to feed us," Wendt told the Beaver County Times of Pennsylvania in 2009. "We were nowhere near as cute as we thought we were."
Perlman, who regularly served Wendt on "Cheers," in a statement called him "the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him.
"As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn't hurt. What a guy! I'll miss him more than words can say."
After "Cheers," Wendt starred in his own short-lived sitcom "The George Wendt Show" — "too bad he had to step out of Norm and down so far from that corner stool for his debut stanza," sniffed Variety — and had guest spots on TV shows like "The Ghost Whisperer," "Harry's Law" and "Portlandia." He was part of a brotherhood of Chicago Everymen who gathered over sausage and beers and adored "Da Bears" on "Saturday Night Live." In 2023, he competed on "The Masked Singer."
## Second career on stage
But he found steady work onstage: Wendt slipped on Edna Turnblad's housecoat in Broadway's "Hairspray" beginning in 2007, and was in the Tony Award-winning play "Art" in New York and London.
He starred in the national tour of "12 Angry Men" and appeared in a production of David Mamet's "Lakeboat." He also starred in regional productions of "Death of a Salesman," "The Odd Couple," "Never Too Late" and "Funnyman."
"A, it's by far the most fun, but B, I seem to have been kicked out of television," Wendt told the Kansas City Star in 2011. "I overstayed my welcome. But theater suits me."
Wendt had an affinity for playing Santa Claus, donning the famous red outfit in the stage musical "Elf" on Broadway in 2017, the TV movie "Santa Baby" with Jenny McCarthy in 2006 and in the doggie Disney video "Santa Buddies" in 2009. He also played Father Christmas for TV specials by Larry the Cable Guy and Stephen Colbert.
"I think it just proves that if you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in," the actor joked to the AP in his Broadway dressing room.
Born in Chicago, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Catholic boarding school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and then Notre Dame, where he rarely went to class and was kicked out. He transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated, after majoring in economics.
He found a home at Second City in both the touring company and the mainstage.
"I think comedy is my long suit, for sure. My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish," he told the AP. "If you're trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn't always work. There are certain performers who almost specialize in doing that, and they do it really well. But that's not my approach."
## Cheers for beer
He had a lifelong association with beer. He had his first taste as an 8-year-old and got drunk at 16, at the World's Fair in New York.
His beer knowledge was poured into the book ″Drinking With George: A Barstool Professional's Guide to Beer," co-written with Jonathan Grotenstein. One line: "Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn't like. I feel the same about beer."
Part autobiography, part beer drinker's guide, the book had Wendt's conversational tone and lists, such as "Five Good Bar Bets," ″77 Toasts from Around the World" and "(More Than) 100 Ways to Say That You're Drunk," which alphabetically lists 126 synonyms from "annihilated" through "zozzled."
He is survived by his wife, Second City alum Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm's never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on "Cheers"; his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew.
"From his early days with The Second City to his iconic role as Norm on 'Cheers,' George Wendt's work showcased how comedy can create indelible characters that feel like family. Over the course of 11 seasons, he brought warmth and humor to one of television's most beloved roles," National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 19:02:36+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"District of Columbia",
"Fairs and festivals",
"Maryland",
"Anne McClain",
"Bradley Fighting Vehicles",
"Steve Warren",
"Politics",
"Texas"
] | # What to expect at the Army parade on Trump's birthday
By Tara Copp
May 21st, 2025, 07:02 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army on Wednesday started loading up some of the tanks that will take to the streets of the nation's capital during the 250th anniversary celebration of the service next month, which will feature hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers.
The event has grown extensively in scope and size since Army planners started working on a festival two years ago to mark the day and have now added a military parade — which President Donald Trump had unsuccessfully tried to do during his first term.
The Army's anniversary celebration is set for June 14, which also happens to be Trump's birthday.
It will include concerts, fireworks, NFL players, fitness competitions and displays all over the National Mall for daylong festivities. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend and that putting on the celebration will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million.
Here's what to expect during the all-day festival and 6 p.m. parade:
## The tanks and armored vehicles
The Army was putting 28 M1 Abrams main battle tanks onto rail cars at Fort Cavazos in Texas on Wednesday. The tanks weigh more than 60 tons apiece and will take about nine or 10 days to travel by rail to Maryland, where they will be loaded onto trucks to be driven into Washington, D.C. and offloaded at a staging area near the Lincoln Memorial.
On the day of the parade, those tanks as well as 28 tracked Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 wheeled Stryker combat vehicles, four tracked M-109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers and other towed artillery will maneuver to the start of the parade route just off the National Mall. They will travel toward the White House, driving over thick metal plating to protect the streets at some parade points where the vehicles make a sharp turn.
The Army said it's also planning some additional asphalt work and putting new rubber padding on the tanks' metal tracks to try to minimize street damage.
## The influx of soldiers
More than 6,700 soldiers will travel from bases around the country to participate in the parade and festival and spend June 11-15 housed in two nearby federal buildings, sleeping on cots and having packaged military meals ready-to-eat, or MREs, for breakfast and lunch.
They will get a hot meal for dinner and a $69 per diem to buy additional food as they want, Army spokesman Steve Warren said.
They will be forming units that represent each of the nation's major conflicts, starting with the Revolutionary War. For each conflict, 60 soldiers will wear period uniforms supplied by an event company representing that war and be followed by 400 soldiers from their same base in present-day uniforms.
Not all of the soldiers participating will be in the parade — or even on the ground. For instance, Col. Anne McClain, an Army astronaut currently serving on the International Space Station, will participate.
At the end of the parade, the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump over the White House, landing near Trump to present him with a folded flag, and 250 new recruits or reenlisting service members will be sworn in to the Army by Trump.
## The aircraft and helicopters buzzing overhead
More than 50 helicopters and aircraft representing different wars will fly over the city — pairing up with the units on the ground as they pass the president.
For example, as units marching in World War II uniforms pass Trump, a P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft and a B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft are expected to fly overhead.
As units representing more recent conflicts pass, Army H-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters will appear in the sky.
The helicopters are flying at a time when sharing D.C.'s airspace is still a sensitive issue after a January collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed 67.
Warren said the Army has worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration on routes, and the helicopters will take off from Andrews Air Force Base to fly toward the Capitol.
It's likely D.C.'s airspace may be temporarily closed to airline traffic as the sky parade occurs, the Army said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 10:48:14+00:00 | [
"Pope Leo XIV",
"Giorgia Meloni",
"Vladimir Putin",
"Donald Trump",
"Vatican City",
"Gaza",
"Italy",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"Gaza Strip",
"Italy government",
"Religion",
"Catholic Church",
"Foreign aid"
] | # Pope Leo XIV calls for aid to reach Gaza and an end to hostilities in his first general audience
By Nicole Winfield
May 21st, 2025, 10:48 AM
---
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the "heartbreaking" toll on its people, as he presided over his first general audience in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican said that around 40,000 people were on hand for the audience, which came just days after an estimated 200,000 people attended the inaugural Mass on Sunday for history's first American pope.
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, began the audience with a tour through the piazza in the popemobile and stopped to bless several babies. In addressing specific greetings to different groups of pilgrims, Leo spoke in his native English, his fluent Spanish as well as the traditional Italian of the papacy.
"I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entrance of dignified humanitarian aid to Gaza and to put an end to the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is being paid by children, the elderly and sick people," he said.
The general audience on Wednesdays is a weekly appointment that popes have kept for decades to allow ordinary faithful to have a face-to-face encounter with the pontiff. It features the pope delivering a brief reflection on a theme or Scripture passage, with summaries provided by others in different languages and the pope directing specific messages to particular faith groups.
The encounter, which lasts more than an hour, usually ends with a brief topical appeal by the pope about a current issue or upcoming event. Leo began it with his now-frequent mantra "Peace be with you."
To that end, Leo on Tuesday reaffirmed the Vatican's willingness to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine during a phone call with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the Italian leader's office said.
Meloni made the call after speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump and other European leaders, who asked her to verify the Holy See's offer.
"Finding in the Holy Father the confirmation of the willingness to welcome the next talks between the parties, the premier expressed profound gratitude for Pope Leo XIV's willingness and his incessant commitment in favor of peace," Meloni's office said in a statement late Tuesday.
Trump had referred to the Vatican's longstanding offer to host talks in reporting on his phone call Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While low-level talks could take place in Rome, Italy would be hard-pressed to allow Putin to fly into Rome for any higher-level negotiation. Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, of which Italy is a founding member and therefore obliged to execute its warrants.
___
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 | 2025-05-21 19:57:17+00:00 | [
"Government regulations",
"Donald Trump",
"Louisiana",
"Abortion",
"Bill Cassidy",
"Joe Biden",
"David Joseph",
"Pregnancy and childbirth",
"United States government",
"United States",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Liz Murrill",
"Andrea Lucas",
"Business",
"Politics",
"Brittany Panuccio"
] | # Judge vacates federal rules requiring employers to provide accommodations for abortions
By Alexandra Olson and Claire Savage
May 21st, 2025, 07:57 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday struck down regulations requiring most U.S. employers to provide workers with time off and other accommodations for abortions.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge David Joseph of the Western District of Louisiana was a victory for conservative lawmakers and religious groups who decried the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's decision to include abortion among pregnancy-related conditions in regulations on how to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed in December 2022.
The EEOC's decision swiftly prompted several lawsuits and eroded what had been strong bipartisan support for the law designed to strengthen the rights of pregnant workers.
Joseph, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, ruled that the EEOC exceeded its authority by including abortion in its regulations. His ruling came in two consolidated lawsuits brought by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Mississippi, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic University and two Catholic dioceses.
Joseph sided with the plaintiffs' argument that if Congress had intended for abortion to be covered by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, "it would have spoken clearly when enacting the statute, particularly given the enormous social, religious, and political importance of the abortion issue in our nation at this time."
Mississippi and Louisiana have near-total bans on abortion, except to save the life of the pregnant person or in cases of a rape that has been reported to law enforcement in Mississippi, and when there is a substantial risk of death or impairment to the patient in continuing the pregnancy and in cases where the fetus has a fatal abnormality in Louisiana.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act passed with widespread bipartisan support after a decade-long campaign by women's right advocates, who hailed it as a win for low-wage pregnant workers who have routinely been denied accommodations for everything from time off for medical appointments to the ability to sit or stand on the job.
The federal law applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
While the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 prohibits employers from firing pregnant workers, the law did little to guarantee that women would receive accommodations they might need at work. As a result, many women were forced to keep working under unsafe conditions, or were forced to take unpaid leave by employers who refused to accommodate their needs.
But many Republican lawmakers, including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who co-sponsored the bill, were furious when the EEOC stated that the law covered abortions. The EEOC's commissioners approved the rules in a 3-2 vote along party lines, with both Republican commissioners voting against it.
Joseph vacated the provision of the EEOC regulations that included abortion as a "related medical condition" of pregnancy and childbirth. However, the rest of the regulations still stand.
"Victory! A federal court has granted Louisiana's request to strike down an EEOC rule requiring employers to accommodate employees' purely elective abortions. This is a win for Louisiana and for life!" Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.
A Better Balance, the advocacy group that spearheaded a decade-long campaign for passage of the law, condemned the ruling.
"This court's decision to deny workers reasonable accommodations for abortion-related needs is part of a broader attack on women's rights and reproductive freedom," A Better Balance President Inimai Chettiar said in a statement.
Wednesday's ruling comes as the Trump administration has moved to impose tumultuous changes at the EEOC that will almost certainly lead the agency to eventually rewrite the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act regulations.
Trump fired two of the EEOC's democratic commissioners before their terms ended, paving the way for him to establish a Republican majority and make major policy changes on how to interpret and enforce the nation's workplace civil rights laws.
For now, Trump's move left EEOC without the quorum needed to make key decisions, including rescinding or revising regulations. Trump tapped an assistant U.S. attorney in Florida, Brittany Panuccio, to fill one of the vacancies. If she confirmed by the Senate, the EEOC will regain its quorum.
Acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, who voted against the regulations because of the abortion provision, has said she will work to change them.
Similar lawsuits challenging the abortion provision are underway, including one filed by 17 states, led by Tennessee and Arkansas. In February, an appeals court ruled that lawsuit could proceed, overturning a lower court's decision to dismiss the complaint.
Under former President Joe Biden, the Justice Department had defended the EEOC against those lawsuits but it is unclear whether it will continue to do so under the Trump administration. The Justice Department did not reply to request for comment on Wednesday's ruling.
Chettiar said the Trump administration is unlikely to appeal the ruling, adding to its significance.
"The impact of this is huge," Chettiar said in an interview with The Associated Press, calling the decision "symbolic and a big signal of where the right is when it comes to the rights of women."
However, the Trump administration has continued defend the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act itself in a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas that seeks to overturn the law in its entirety.
_______
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 | 2025-05-20 17:07:52+00:00 | [
"Shootings",
"Donald Trump",
"District of Columbia",
"Zachary Jordan Alam",
"Law enforcement",
"2021 United States Capitol riot",
"Burglary",
"Law and order",
"DC Wire",
"Capitol siege",
"Gun violence",
"Dannie Sutton",
"Politics",
"Matthew Huttle",
"Steven Metcalf"
] | # US Capitol rioter who smashed Speaker's Lobby door charged with burglary in Virginia
By Ben Finley
May 20th, 2025, 05:07 PM
---
A Virginia man has been charged with felony burglary after being pardoned for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, which included smashing the door panel that rioter Ashli Babbitt tried to breach before police shot her.
Zachary Jordan Alam, 33, of Centreville, was arrested May 9 in a neighborhood outside of Richmond, Henrico County police said in a statement.
Officers had responded to a call of breaking and entering, where the homeowner said an unknown man came in through a back door, police said.
"The man took several items before he was observed by people in the home and was asked to leave," police said. "Officers located the man in a nearby neighborhood and arrested him."
The attorney listed in court documents for Alam, Dannie Sutton, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A preliminary hearing for the burglary case is scheduled for late June in Henrico County court.
Alam isn't the first Capitol rioter to be accused of breaking the law after getting pardoned by President Donald Trump. An Indiana man, Matthew Huttle, was fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop six days after receiving his pardon.
Huttle struggled with the deputy after learning that he was under arrest for being a habitual traffic offender. A county prosecutor in Indiana later ruled out charges against the deputy.
On his first day back in office in January, Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers.
They included Alam, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in November. The federal judge who handed down the punishment described Alam as one of the most violent and aggressive rioters.
"Those are not the actions of a patriot," U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich said at Alam's sentencing. "To say otherwise is delusional."
Alam attended then-President Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally near the White House before joining the mob that attacked the Capitol. He helped other rioters scale barriers outside the Capitol before entering the building through a broken window.
On his journey through the Capitol, Alam screamed obscenities at police, tried to kick in a hallway door and threw a red velvet rope at officers from a balcony. He joined other rioters in trying to breach doors leading to the House chamber, but the entrances were barricaded with furniture and guarded by police.
Pushing past officers, Alam punched and shattered three window panes on the doors of the Speaker's Lobby. Another rioter handed him a helmet, which he used to smash the door and glass panes.
Other rioters yelled that police officers behind the door had drawn their guns, but Alam continued to smash the last glass pane. Babbitt, who was unarmed, tried to climb through the broken window and was fatally shot.
The Capitol police officer who shot Babbitt was cleared of any wrongdoing. That hasn't stopped many Capitol riot apologists and Trump from portraying the Air Force veteran as a martyr.
The Trump administration has agreed to pay just under $5 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit that Babbitt's family filed over her shooting, a person with knowledge of the settlement told The Associated Press on Monday.
Alam had asked for a pardon at his sentencing hearing, telling the judge he believed in his heart that he was doing the right thing.
"Sometimes you have to break the rules to do what's right," he said.
Alam graduated from the University of Virginia before dropping out of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. His defense attorney for the Capitol riot trial, Steven Metcalf, described Alam as a troubled loner who "just wanted to fit in somewhere because he has been rejected by everyone else in his life."
In a letter to the court, Alam's mother said his father disowned him after he didn't become a doctor and worked various jobs, including unloading trucks and bussing tables.
"Zachary had turned to alcohol and drug use and associated with people who were negative influences; he began committing misdemeanor crimes to survive," she wrote.
——
Associated Press reporter Michael Kunzelman in Washington contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 11:44:38+00:00 | [
"Cannes Film Festival",
"Elle Fanning",
"Movies",
"Juliette Binoche",
"Entertainment",
"Joachim Trier",
"Renate Reinsve",
"Kleber Mendonca Filho"
] | # Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' sends Cannes swooning
By Jake Coyle
May 22nd, 2025, 11:44 AM
---
CANNES, France (AP) — It took nearly until the end of the festival, but the Cannes Film Festival has its first outright sensation.
Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value" premiered Wednesday night to the kind of rapturous response that Cannes is fabled for. The film, starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning, marked Trier's follow-up to his lauded 2021 film "The Worst Person in the World."
There's stagecraft that goes into Cannes' famous standing ovations, which makes the timed applause reports an often inaccurate reflection of how movies are received at the festival. But the thunderous ovation for "Sentimental Value," at 15 minutes, was the most rousing of any film in Cannes by a large margin.
"What's that Buñuel quote? 'I make films for my friends?'" Trier said, addressing the crowd. "I feel you're all my friends tonight."
Trier's remark, while Fanning wiped away tears, was a poignant reference to "Sentimental Value."
Reinsve, who starred in "The Worst Person in the World," plays the actor daughter of a well-regarded filmmaker, Gustav (Skarsgård), who has put moviemaking before parenting most of their lives. When he writes a script for her, she immediately refuses. Gustav instead casts a young Hollywood star (Fanning).
Much of the film is set around their old family home in Oslo, in which Gustav wants to make his film. As "Sentimental Value" proceeds, it gently unveils questions of family and home that have as much to do with artmaking as for fathers and daughters.
After Charli xcx concluded her Coachella set with a screen declaring, among others, a "Joachim Trier Summer," Fanning sported a shirt with that phrase Thursday in Cannes. But Trier may have coined a new slogan for shirts, himself: "Tenderness is the new punk."
Trier explained to reporters how he and co-writer Eskil Vogt came from a punk background and were initially hesitant to make "sobby movies."
"But we realized through the films we've made that we've grown older and the world is a tough place, and maybe we need to be vulnerable and show characters that are vulnerable," said the Norwegian director. "So we kind of came to the conclusion that tenderness is the new punk. For me, it is. It's what I need right now — I need to believe that we can see the other, that there is a sense of reconciliation, that polarization and machismo isn't the only way forward."
The debut of "Sentimental Value" immediately made Trier's film a contender, if not the clear favorite, for Cannes' top award, the Palme d'Or. Should "Sentimental Value" win on Saturday, when Cannes draws to a close, it would extend the indie distributor Neon's unprecedented streak of Palme d'Or wins. Neon has backed the last five Palme d'Or winners in Cannes, including last year's Oscar-winning "Anora." This year, it also acquired another film that could be in the mix, Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho's "The Secret Agent."
Should "Sentimental Value" win over the jury headed by Juliette Binoche, it would be the first Norwegian film to win the Palme d'Or.
___
For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 23:23:46+00:00 | [
"Houston",
"Texas",
"Greg Abbott",
"Voting",
"Fraud",
"Ken Paxton",
"Jared Woodfill",
"Steven Hotze",
"Indictments",
"Crime",
"Conservatism",
"Activism",
"Juan A. Lozano",
"Terry Yates",
"Assault",
"Politics",
"Mark Aguirre",
"Sean Teare"
] | # Charges dropped against conservative activist in Texas over false voter fraud claim
By Juan A. Lozano
May 20th, 2025, 11:23 PM
---
HOUSTON (AP) — Texas prosecutors on Tuesday dropped charges against a prominent conservative activist in Houston related to allegations he had been part of what authorities have called a baseless voter fraud conspiracy theory in which a man was run off the road and held at gunpoint over claims he was holding fraudulent voter ballots.
Dr. Steven Hotze, 74, had been facing four charges related to allegedly helping plan an assault against an air conditioner repairman in October 2020.
Prosecutors alleged the repairman was run off the road and held at gunpoint by Mark Aguirre, a former Houston police officer. Aguirre had worked for a firm hired by Liberty Center for God and Country, a nonprofit organization that Hotze runs, to pursue a voter fraud investigation.
Aguirre had claimed the repairman was the mastermind of the voter fraud scheme and that the man's truck had been filled with fraudulent ballots when Aguirre ran his SUV into it, according to authorities.
Police who responded to the incident searched the repairman's truck and found only air conditioning parts and tools, prosecutors said.
Hotze was charged with four counts — aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, engaging in organized crime and unlawful restraint.
On Tuesday, the Harris County District Attorney's Office dropped all four counts against Hotze and three of the five counts against Aguirre, who is still facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint.
"This deeply troubling case shows how toxic conspiracy theories can fuel real-world violence that endangers people in our community," Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said in a statement. "We look forward to vigorously prosecuting the remaining charges in this case that stand up to legal scrutiny."
Jared Woodfill, Hotze's attorney, said he was surprised but pleased by the dismissal of the charges.
"It's been a long four-year journey for Dr. Hotze. It cost him a lot of money. Obviously, they tried to destroy his reputation through the negative publicity. But in the end, justice was served and everything's been dismissed," Woodfill said.
Terry Yates, an attorney for Aguirre, did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.
A conservative power broker, Hotze has a long history of filing election-related lawsuits, including unsuccessfully suing to stop the extension of early voting in Texas during the 2022 election. He also sued officials in Harris County to limit in-person and absentee voting, making allegations without evidence that Democrats were engaged in "ballot harvesting" by gathering votes from individuals who are homeless or elderly.
Woodfill said Hotze continues to believe that voter fraud is taking place in Harris County, the state's most populous county and where Houston is located.
"I think everybody will tell you there's voter fraud. Just the question is how much," Woodfill said.
Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters.
Elections in Harris County, a Democratic stronghold, have been heavily scrutinized in recent years by GOP lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott, after problems with ballot and worker shortages, long lines and ballots that were not counted the day of the election.
In 2023, Abbott signed a bill that removed Harris County's elections administrator and transferred the responsibility to other local officials.
Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced indictments against six people in a rural county southwest of San Antonio as part of a widening elections investigation.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-20 22:20:11+00:00 | [
"Alabama",
"Kay Ivey",
"Bill Lewis",
"Courts",
"Jay Mitchell",
"John England",
"Oscar Adams",
"Politics",
"Donald Trump",
"Black experience"
] | # Ivey appoints first Black Republican on Alabama Supreme Court
By Kim Chandler
May 20th, 2025, 10:20 PM
---
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday appointed state appellate Judge Bill Lewis to the Alabama Supreme Court. He will be the first Black Republican to serve on the court.
Lewis replaces Justice Jay Mitchell, who resigned Monday. Lewis most recently served on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. Ivey appointed him to the position last year. He was previously the presiding circuit judge in the 19th Judicial Circuit in Elmore County.
"Judge Bill Lewis continues demonstrating justice and fairness under the law, as well as a willingness to serve the people of Alabama," Ivey said in a statement. "His decades of experience will serve the Supreme Court of Alabama well, and I am confident he is the best choice."
Lewis is the fourth Black justice to serve on the state's highest court and the first Black Republican.
The three previous Black justices — Oscar Adams, Ralph Cook and John England — were all Democrats.
Alabama's appellate judges run in statewide partisan elections, just like the governor, attorney general and other top officials. The court, like other statewide offices, has become dominated by Republicans. The state Supreme Court has been all-Republican for over a decade and has been comprised entirely of white justices since 2001.
A group of Black voters in 2016 filed a federal lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the state's method of selecting judges, saying the statewide elections have resulted in all-white courts in a state where one in four residents is Black.
Ivey will appoint Lewis' replacement to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.
In his resignation letter to Ivey, Mitchell, also a Republican, said he wants to play a more active role in politics and will make an announcement about his future in the coming days.
"President Trump is moving boldly to restore the United States Constitution — and we must ensure that his agenda takes root not only in Washington, but also in the states," Mitchell wrote.
Mitchell is best known for writing an opinion regarding frozen embryos that said couples could sue for wrongful death of a minor child after their frozen embryos were accidentally destroyed. The ruling temporarily upended IVF services in the state as clinics became concerned about civil liability. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 08:08:06+00:00 | [
"Romania government",
"Bucharest",
"Moldova",
"Romania",
"George Simion",
"Courts",
"Voting rights",
"Global elections",
"Run-off elections",
"Elections",
"Politics",
"Donald Trump",
"Voting"
] | # Romanian court validates presidential election, rejecting defeated candidate's challenge to results
By Stephen Mcgrath
May 22nd, 2025, 08:08 AM
---
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court on Thursday validated the results of Romania's presidential election rerun, shortly after rejecting a request to annul the results by the hard-right candidate who decisively lost the race to his pro-European Union opponent.
After deliberations on Thursday, Romania's Constitutional Court unanimously rejected the annulment request, filed on Tuesday by George Simion, in which he alleged that foreign interference and coordinated manipulation affected the vote.
The Court then validated the results and held a short ceremony attended by the elected President Nicusor Dan, the Bucharest mayor who won the tense runoff, beating Simion with 53.6% of the vote, a margin of more than 829,000 votes.
"I want to thank the Romanian people who turned out in great numbers for the May elections and, in doing so, gave legitimacy to the new president," 55-year-old Dan, a mathematician and former civic activist, said at the court during the ceremony.
"A new chapter is beginning in Romania's recent and contemporary history. I want to assure Romanian citizens that I understand the responsibility of the mandate they have entrusted to me," he said. "There will be many challenges, and I hope that we will successfully overcome all of them."
Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, had conceded defeat after losing in the runoff to Dan, but later contested the results. The court said its decision on Thursday is final.
In his request to annul the election, Simion claimed he had "irrefutable evidence" that France, Moldova and "other actors" meddled in the ballot, but did not present any evidence. He also alleged that "deceased people" had participated in the vote, and that he requested it be canceled on the same grounds as the court's decision last year.
After the court rejected his annulment request, Simion said in a post on Facebook that the Court "has continued the coup!"
"We have no choice but to fight!," his post read. "I call on you to stand with me, today and in the coming weeks!"
## Election rerun held after previous vote annulled
Sunday's tense vote was held months after the same court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu led the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.
The Court's unprecedented decision last year to cancel the election plunged EU and NATO member Romania into its worst political crisis in decades, compounded by a string of crises such as the war in neighboring Ukraine and a significant budget deficit.
Dan is expected to be officially sworn in next week, after which he must also contend with deep societal divisions laid bare by the vote, revealing a country where endemic corruption, inequality and an erosion of trust in traditional institutions and parties have fueled a broad rejection of the political establishment.
"Romanian society has shown wisdom, and I am convinced that in the period ahead, it will continue to push for the positive change that Romania needs," Dan added Thursday. "I will fight for the strengthening of state institutions ... I will also fight for the country's economic prosperity, I will be a partner to the business environment, and I will be a guarantor of civil liberties."
Dan will also face the challenge of nominating a prime minister who can garner the support necessary to form a government — a tall order in a country where strong anti-establishment sentiment led to the emergence of figures like Georgescu and Simion.
Simion capitalized on the furor over last year's annulment and, after coming fourth in the canceled race, allied with Georgescu, who was banned in March from running in the election redo. In the first-round vote on May 4 in the rerun, Simion won a landslide in a field of 11 candidates to enter the runoff.
## Allegations of election fraud in rerun
Hours after voting opened on Friday for Romanians abroad, Simion accused the government of neighboring Moldova of election fraud, which both Moldovan and Romanian authorities rejected.
In comment to The Associated Press on Sunday, he reiterated claims that people were being illegally transported to voting stations in Moldova, allegedly affecting 80,000 votes.
More than half a million Moldovans hold Romanian citizenship, and about 158,000 people voted at polling stations set up in Moldova in the second round. Many more dual citizens would also have cast ballots in other countries.
As a member of the EU and one of the easternmost members of the NATO military alliance, Romania plays a pivotal role in Western security infrastructure — especially since Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.
Many observers saw Sunday's vote as crucial to maintaining Romania's place within the network of Western alliances — especially amid fears that the Trump administration is reconsidering its security commitments to the United States' European partners. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-22 01:04:24+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Cyril Ramaphosa",
"South Africa",
"Nelson Mandela",
"United States government",
"International",
"United States",
"Group of 20",
"JD Vance",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Politics"
] | # South African president says Trump meeting wasn't so dramatic
By Gerald Imray
May 22nd, 2025, 01:04 AM
---
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The sentiment in South Africa ahead of its leader's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday was one of fear and trepidation.
"Into the mouth of Trump hell" was how one newspaper headline described his mission.
South Africans worried that President Cyril Ramaphosa was exposing himself to the kind of public thrashing that Trump and Vice President JD Vance meted out on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of the world's media three months ago.
But after being confronted by Trump with baseless allegations that there are widespread killings of white farmers in South Africa — and made to watch a video of a fringe South African politician repeating a chant referring to the killing of white farmers — Ramaphosa seemed to think the Oval Office meeting wasn't that dramatic.
"You wanted to see drama and something big happening," Ramaphosa said to reporters afterwards. "I'm sorry that we disappointed you somewhat."
Ramaphosa is renowned in his home country as a calm, measured politician who is hardly ever emotional.
He made his name, though, in some of the toughest, highest-profile political negotiations his country has ever faced. Ramaphosa was the African National Congress party's chief negotiator during the talks in the early 1990s that ended the apartheid system of white minority rule that had forced racial segregation on South Africans for nearly a half-century.
After apartheid, he was seen by some as the logical successor to Nelson Mandela as South African president. He missed out but returned to politics more than a decade later and became president in 2018.
Ramaphosa sought out the meeting with Trump in an attempt to correct what he said were mischaracterizations of South Africa by the U.S. — and to negotiate critical new trade deals.
Many South Africans didn't want him to go to the headquarters of an administration that has made serious and false allegations against their country, including that Ramaphosa's government is allowing white farmers to be routinely killed in what Trump has repeatedly called a "genocide."
"I honestly don't understand why Ramaphosa is actually in the United States when Trump has made it very clear how he feels about South Africa," said college student Dumisani Mnisi in Johannesburg.
Ramaphosa's spokesperson said that the video, the newspaper clippings of farm murders that Trump produced, and the overall confrontation in the Oval Office made for "an orchestrated show for the cameras," and the real business was the closed-door meeting afterwards.
Ramaphosa said he was pleased after that meeting and listed what he counted as successes to take home from Washington.
He said he thought he had persuaded Trump to attend the Group of 20 summit in South Africa in November after the Trump administration said it would boycott. South Africa will hand over the rotating presidency of the G20 to the U.S. next year. Ramaphosa said he believed he had started to change Trump's mind over South Africa, although he conceded that would probably be "a process."
Ramaphosa said talks had started on several areas of trade and cooperation.
And he also said the South African delegation had received souvenirs to mark their visit to the White House, and he and Trump had swapped gifts. They gave each other a book.
"So that was good," Ramaphosa said.
___
More AP news on the Trump administration: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-21 18:33:18+00:00 | [
"Venezuela",
"Guyana",
"Nicolas Maduro",
"Venezuela government",
"Global elections",
"Elections",
"Nicole Theriot",
"Military and defense",
"Omar Khan",
"Politics",
"Robert Persaud",
"Voting"
] | # Guyana issues warning ahead of Venezuelan election over disputed region
By Bert Wilkinson
May 21st, 2025, 06:33 PM
---
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana's defense chief warned on Wednesday that any residents who participate in upcoming elections organized by neighboring Venezuela over a disputed region will be charged with treason and other felony crimes.
"If anyone participates or takes any similar action, it will amount to support for a passive coup," Brig. Gen. Omar Khan told The Associated Press. "Anything along those lines will speak to a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The May 25 election organized by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is the latest step in a push to annex the Essequibo region, which Venezuela has long claimed as its own.
Venezuelans living in Guyana who become involved in Sunday's elections could also face arrest and deportation, Khan added.
Nearly 100,000 people of direct or indirect Venezuelan ancestry currently live in Guyana, according to Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud.
"Shouldn't this reality give all Guyanese a cause to be alert? People's vigilance is equivalent to people's power and defense," Persaud said in a recent social media post.
The Essequibo region represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits, with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily.
On Sunday, Venezuelans will head to the polls to elect governors and lawmakers, as well as officials who would supposedly administer the Essequibo region.
In 2023, Maduro threatened to annex the region by force after holding a referendum asking voters if Essequibo should be turned into a Venezuelan state.
The dispute over the region began more than a century ago, when an international tribunal in 1899 drew the border between the South American neighbors.
In 2018, Guyana went to the International Court of Justice and asked judges to uphold the 1899 ruling. Meanwhile, Venezuela has dismissed the border drawn more than a century ago, noting Guyana was still a British colony. It has argued that a 1966 agreement to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the original arbitration.
The case is still pending in court while tensions between the two countries keep rising despite an emergency summit held in late 2023 to diffuse the situation.
Last week, Guyana's government reported three separate attacks from the Venezuelan side on Guyanese soldiers patrolling a border river. Earlier this year, six Guyanese soldiers were injured in a separate attack, some of them seriously.
U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot has dismissed Maduro's threats as "just bluster aimed at shoring up domestic support."
"Everyone should see the sham for what it is. It's saber-rattling from the Maduro regime, nothing more," she said at a public forum Tuesday, stressing that the U.S. stands with Guyana. |
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