A member of the Secret Service detail protecting Dr. Jill Biden wounded himself Friday morning when his weapon accidentally fired near Philadelphia International Airport, authorities confirmed.
The incident took place shortly after 8:30 a.m. while the agent was riding in an unmarked SUV in the airport area, according to Philadelphia Police Department Cpl. Jasmine Colón-Reilly.
The agent sustained a gunshot wound to his leg when his firearm went off unintentionally, a source with knowledge of the situation reported. Medical teams quickly arrived at the scene and transported the injured agent to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Secret Service officials confirmed the accident occurred but did not specifically name Dr. Biden in their official response. The agency emphasized that the incident did not affect the protected individual’s schedule or safety.
“There was no impact to the protectee’s movement and they were not present at the time of the incident,” the Secret Service stated.
The agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility has announced it will conduct a thorough investigation into how the accidental discharge occurred.
The Secret Service handles protection duties for current and former presidents, vice presidents, their family members, and visiting foreign dignitaries, while also serving as a federal investigative agency.
President Donald Trump made cryptic remarks about Cuba during a Friday address at a Miami investment conference, suggesting the island nation could be targeted for U.S. action following recent military operations in Venezuela and Iran.
Speaking to attendees, Trump declared that Cuba would be the next focus, though he remained vague about his administration’s specific intentions for the Caribbean country.
“I built this great military. I said, ‘You’ll never have to use it.’ But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next by the way,” Trump stated during his Friday remarks.
“But pretend I didn’t say that. Pretend I didn’t.”
The president has previously expressed his belief that Havana’s government is nearing collapse due to a devastating economic downturn. Trump’s administration has recently begun diplomatic discussions with certain Cuban officials, though the president has also suggested that military intervention remains a possibility.
Cuba’s leader Miguel Diaz-Canel has confirmed that his country is engaged in discussions with Washington aimed at preventing potential military conflict. The island nation’s economy has suffered severely from disrupted oil supplies, which are essential for powering electrical grids and transportation systems.
Before U.S. forces successfully removed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power in January, Venezuela had been Cuba’s primary oil supplier. However, the new Venezuelan administration has ceased these shipments under pressure from Washington.
In earlier March comments, Trump suggested Cuba might face a “friendly takeover,” before adding: “It may not be a friendly takeover.”
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s volleyball squad encountered defeat on the road, falling to Daemen University in straight sets during Northeast Conference action.
The Hawks were unable to secure a set victory in the 0-3 loss, marking their fifth conference contest of the season. Despite the final score indicating a sweep, the match featured competitive play with close set scores throughout the evening.
This road defeat adds to UMES’s conference record as they continue their Northeast Conference campaign. The Hawks will look to regroup following the setback against Daemen as they prepare for upcoming conference matchups.
The loss represents another challenge for the Hawks as they work to find their rhythm in conference play this season.
A major shake-up is coming to women’s professional basketball as the Connecticut Sun franchise has been sold to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta in a $300 million transaction, with plans to relocate the team to Houston by 2027.
An individual with knowledge of the transaction confirmed the details to The Associated Press on Friday, requesting anonymity since no official announcement has been made.
The sale and relocation must still receive approval from the WNBA Board of Governors. Connecticut will host the Sun for one final season before the franchise makes its move to Texas, where it will operate under the Comets banner.
The relocation will bring to a close the franchise’s 23-year chapter in New England, which began when the team relocated from Orlando in 2003.
Houston emerged as a serious contender for the franchise last year, ultimately increasing their offer to $250 million — matching the expansion fees paid by Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia for new teams.
The Sun had received a competing $325 million proposal from a group headed by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, which would have brought the team to Boston. However, the WNBA effectively prevented that transaction by stating that “relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.”
League officials further explained that other franchises had completed the expansion process and held priority over Boston.
During a press conference announcing three new expansion teams, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert indicated that Houston was next in line.
Friday’s development provides the franchise with certainty as they prepare for potential free agent signings next month.
The Houston Comets hold a special place in WNBA history as one of the league’s founding franchises, capturing the first four consecutive championships from 1997 through 2000. That franchise ceased operations following the 2008 season.
The most recent WNBA franchise relocation occurred in 2017 when the Las Vegas Aces moved from San Antonio.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A grand jury has indicted the pledge master of a Northern Arizona University fraternity on felony hazing charges connected to the alcohol poisoning death of an 18-year-old student during a January rush event.
Carter Eslick faces accusations that he compelled or required the excessive drinking that resulted in Colin Daniel Martinez’s death on January 31 at a residence off campus.
Police discovered Martinez unconscious at the house after witnesses attempted to revive him with CPR. He was pronounced dead at the location.
Medical examination results showed Martinez succumbed to alcohol poisoning, with his blood alcohol content measuring 0.425% — exceeding Arizona’s legal driving threshold by more than five times and reaching levels typically associated with death.
“The loss of a young person is always a tragedy,” stated Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker.
Josh Blumenrich, who serves as Eslick’s legal counsel, has not responded to requests for comment.
While authorities detained two additional Delta Tau Delta fraternity members alongside Eslick following Martinez’s death, Friday’s indictment targeted only Eslick.
Officials have not disclosed whether prosecutors will pursue charges against the remaining two fraternity members through grand jury proceedings.
According to legal filings, Martinez was one of four fraternity prospects who consumed two vodka bottles with the expectation of becoming sick. Some observers indicated the alcohol may have been mixed with water.
Court records reveal that throughout the evening, witnesses repeatedly repositioned Martinez while he slept, monitored his vital signs, and researched alcohol poisoning warning signs online.
Following Martinez’s death, the university immediately suspended the fraternity chapter. The national Delta Tau Delta organization subsequently decided to permanently close the NAU chapter.
Transportation Security Administration employees may finally receive their first complete paychecks in more than six weeks beginning Monday, following President Donald Trump’s executive order Friday directing the Homeland Security secretary to provide immediate payment.
However, industry analysts and union representatives warn that extensive security checkpoint delays at airports nationwide won’t vanish immediately and may continue through next week or beyond as TSA staff await overdue compensation, facilities evaluate personnel levels, and lawmakers remain deadlocked on Department of Homeland Security funding.
“Until checks are actually in hands, we might still see some of these staffing issues,” said Eric Rosen, director of travel content for The Points Guy, a travel information website. “But (the executive order) is a bit of good news, I think, for both TSA officers as well as the flying public. And hopefully, the money starts flowing quickly and people can get back to work.”
The timing concerns travel industry officials as educational institutions nationwide prepare for spring break periods, while holiday travel increases around Passover and Easter celebrations.
TSA staff members have gone without compensation since February 14, when the Department of Homeland Security funding expired amid congressional disagreements over federal immigration enforcement operations.
During the unprecedented partial government closure, numerous screening officers responsible for passenger and baggage inspections failed to report for scheduled duties. Several thousand absent workers daily created wait times lasting multiple hours and forced closure of expedited lanes at facilities in Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, and other locations.
The president issued his executive directive after House Republicans turned down legislation approved by the Senate Friday morning that would have provided funding for TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA employee who publishes a travel newsletter called Gate Access, explained that officers he communicates with urgently need complete back pay because they face mounting bills, growing debt, plus penalty fees and interest costs.
Simultaneously, Harmon-Marshall noted he doesn’t anticipate significant improvement in airport personnel situations until workers feel assured of continued compensation without future income interruptions due to ongoing congressional disagreements.
“Hopefully, with this executive order, the relief does come,” he said. “I think that they just want to know how long, because if it’s only for a pay period, that’s not enough to bring them back. It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there.”
Passengers concerned about upcoming flight security processing should expect extended lines for approximately one to two additional weeks, Harmon-Marshall projected.
“This back and forth about all these decisions changing is confusing the TSA officers, so they’re possibly thinking like, ‘OK are we getting paid or are we not?’” he explained.
White House officials indicated that funds for TSA employee compensation would originate from major tax reduction legislation Trump enacted last year, which directed billions in additional resources to Homeland Security. These same funds have maintained ICE officer payments throughout the DHS closure.
Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA worker division of the American Federation of Government Employees union, acknowledged that Monday pay for TSA personnel would provide relief but emphasized that Congress must reach agreement on legislation ending the DHS shutdown.
“I guess the action is good for the president, but on the flip side, we have a lot of people that don’t have anything, and I don’t know if this is gonna fix it,” Jones stated.
Facilities that experienced passengers waiting in screening queues that overwhelmed check-in areas or arriving excessively early for departures must determine whether to reopen checkpoints or fast-track service lanes they shuttered or combined due to insufficient personnel.
Some airports recorded daily TSA officer absence rates reaching 40%. Nationally on Thursday, more than 11.8% of scheduled TSA employees didn’t report for work, representing the highest rate recorded, the department announced Friday.
Nearly 500 workers among the agency’s approximately 50,000 officers have resigned since the shutdown began, according to DHS. TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill informed legislators Wednesday that some employees who missed recent shifts might also depart. Recruitment will likely become more challenging following the personal and public disruptions caused by the shutdown, she indicated.
“Not only is the shutdown decreasing the number of interested candidates, for those we are able to hire, they are required to complete four to six months of training before they are certified to work at checkpoints,” McNeill explained.
Aviation security specialist Sheldon Jacobson, whose research helped develop TSA PreCheck, believes travelers with planned trips shouldn’t worry excessively. The three- and four-hour delays in Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans represented extreme cases, he noted.
“At a lot of the airports I look at, the delays are pretty typical,” he observed.
Jacobson also pointed out that TSA officer resignations since mid-February don’t significantly exceed the position’s typical turnover rate of approximately 8%.
ATLANTA (AP) — Following a string of electoral defeats in Atlanta’s core counties, Georgia Republicans are pursuing a different strategy: eliminating party identification for most local races.
The GOP-controlled Georgia House approved legislation Friday mandating nonpartisan contests in metro Atlanta’s five largest counties. The new rules would affect positions including Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has become a Republican target due to her criminal case against former President Donald Trump related to his attempts to reverse Joe Biden’s 2020 Georgia victory.
Republican State Senator John Albers from Roswell, who championed the legislation, argued the change would enhance public safety, though sheriffs would continue running with party designations when the law takes effect in 2028.
“This is a bill that makes perfect sense,” Albers stated during Thursday’s Senate discussion. “If you’re playing politics, you’ll be against this. If you want to keep Georgians safe, you’ll be for it.”
The legislation mandates nonpartisan races for district attorneys, solicitors general, county commissioners, court clerks and tax commissioners.
The affected areas include Fulton County, home to most of Atlanta, plus Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. While Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton represent Georgia’s strongest Democratic strongholds, Cobb and Gwinnett have shifted from Republican bastions to increasingly Democratic territory since 2016.
Democratic lawmakers condemned the proposal as an attempt to manipulate elections by allowing Republicans to conceal their party ties.
“The reason we’re putting this bill forward is because there’s a certain side that’s losing elections in these counties, so they want to hide behind a nonpartisan badge in order to win them,” stated Democratic Representative Gabriel Sanchez from Smyrna.
Governor Brian Kemp’s office remained silent Friday on whether he would approve the measure, with spokesperson Carter Chapman declining comment.
Though the bill’s main supporters claim it doesn’t specifically target Willis, other Republicans suggested otherwise.
“By passing this legislation, we’re giving voters the opportunity to rid themselves of district attorneys who are more concerned with playing partisan games than prosecuting and delivering justice,” said Representative Trey Kelley, a Republican from Cedartown.
This represents the latest in a series of Republican-backed measures aimed at district attorneys, particularly Willis. The district attorneys’ association contends the law cannot alter their partisan status since they serve as state judicial officers rather than county positions.
The organization maintains that only a constitutional amendment could make such changes. However, Democrats possess sufficient votes to prevent the two-thirds majority required to advance such an amendment to voters.
Two of 99 Republicans opposed the measure, including Jordan Ridley, whose district encompasses part of Cobb County.
“If it’s good policy, then it should be statewide,” Ridley explained to reporters following the vote.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — A federal judge has mandated that Florida’s remote immigration detention facility in the Everglades must dramatically improve legal access for those held there, following complaints that detainees couldn’t reach their lawyers.
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell issued the preliminary injunction on Friday, requiring the facility nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to establish confidential, unmonitored phone access for legal calls without charge or delay. The ruling also mandates one working telephone for every 25 detainees and requires multilingual information to be available to both detainees and their legal representatives.
Legal representatives had previously told the federal court in Fort Myers that their clients couldn’t reach them through staff mobile devices and that lawyers were prohibited from making surprise visits to the remote location.
During January testimony regarding adequate legal representation at the facility, a state contractor claimed both communication methods and attorney visits were accessible to detainees and their lawyers.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management, which oversees the detention center, did not provide a response to media inquiries on Friday. The Everglades facility was constructed last summer at an isolated airstrip under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to align with President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives. Florida has also established a second immigration detention facility in the state’s northern region.
The legal challenge brought by former detainees alleges violations of their First Amendment protections. They contend that legal counsel must schedule visits three days ahead of time, contrasting with other immigration facilities where attorneys can arrive during standard visiting periods. The complaint also states that detainees are frequently relocated before scheduled attorney meetings and that scheduling obstacles have prevented legal consultations before critical court deadlines.
State officials named in the lawsuit have rejected claims of restricting attorney access, pointing to security protocols and staffing limitations as reasons for any difficulties. Federal defendants have similarly disputed allegations of First Amendment violations.
Emergency crews rushed to downtown Toronto on Friday following reports of a rooftop blaze at a construction site, with witnesses reporting potential explosions as thick smoke billowed from the structure.
The incident occurred at a building under development situated in a heavily populated section near Toronto’s central business district.
According to Toronto Paramedic Service officials, emergency responders had reached the location and reported no injuries during their initial assessment of the scene.
According to reports from PaperCity Magazine and ESPN on Friday, the Fertitta family has acquired the Connecticut Sun basketball team and intends to relocate the WNBA franchise to Houston.
The Sun will complete their final season in Connecticut during the upcoming 2026 campaign before making the move to Texas for the 2027 season. Connecticut has served as the team’s home base since 2003. The franchise will adopt the Houston Comets name, which belonged to the city’s former WNBA team, PaperCity reported.
According to ESPN’s report, the Fertitta family paid $300 million to acquire the Sun.
The Mohegan Tribe, who currently own the franchise, had been considering various purchase offers since last year. Connecticut state officials had proposed relocating the team to Hartford to keep them within state borders, while Marc Lasry, former part-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, made a bid and reportedly planned to move the franchise to Boston.
Interest from the Fertitta family, headed by Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, became public knowledge in December.
Houston had also sought to obtain a new WNBA expansion team, but the league chose Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia for its most recent expansion round instead.
In 2003, the Mohegan Tribe acquired what was then called the Orlando Miracle and relocated the franchise to Uncasville, Connecticut. Last season, the tribe sent correspondence to supporters guaranteeing the team would remain at Mohegan Sun Arena through at least the 2026 season.
While the Sun have reached the WNBA championship series four times, including as recently as 2022, they have yet to capture their first league title.
Top diplomatic officials from Russia and Iran met Friday to explore potential pathways toward resolving the current Middle East crisis through negotiations, according to a statement from Moscow’s foreign ministry.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held discussions with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi about diplomatic alternatives to the ongoing conflict. According to the ministry’s announcement, the officials examined “in detail the most difficult military-political crisis in the Middle East, which erupted as a result of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against Iran.”
The diplomatic meeting focused on exploring ways to transition the current hostilities toward peaceful resolution. “There was an exchange of views on the prospects of shifting the conflict into a channel for a political-diplomatic settlement based on international law and taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries in the region,” the ministry stated.
During their conversation, Lavrov also briefed his Iranian colleague on Russia’s latest humanitarian aid delivery to Iran, the statement revealed.
The two nations recently formalized their relationship through a comprehensive strategic partnership that encompasses political, economic, military, and energy collaboration, though it stops short of including mutual defense commitments.
Moscow has been utilizing Iranian-manufactured drones in its ongoing four-year military campaign in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, at a G7 gathering on Friday, European foreign ministers raised concerns with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Russia’s alleged assistance to Iran in targeting American military personnel in the Middle East conflict.
According to two Western intelligence sources and a regional official with ties to Tehran who spoke to Reuters, Russia has been supplying satellite intelligence to Iran and has assisted in enhancing Iranian drone technology to match the capabilities of those deployed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
The head of global investment giant BlackRock saw his annual compensation jump to $37.7 million for 2025, according to regulatory documents filed Friday by the company.
Larry Fink’s pay package consisted of a $1.5 million base salary plus a $10.6 million bonus, representing a significant increase from his $30.8 million compensation in 2024. The boost came primarily from an additional $6.5 million in stock awards given to the chief executive.
“We’re entering 2026 with elevated momentum and we’re positioned ahead of significant future opportunities,” Fink said in a letter to investors.
The compensation increase comes after BlackRock faced criticism from shareholder advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services, which urged investors to reject executive pay packages last year. Despite the opposition recommendation, BlackRock reported that 67% of shareholder votes supported the executive compensation plan.
The investment management firm announced in January that it now oversees a record-breaking $14 trillion in client assets.
BlackRock exceeded Wall Street earnings expectations in the final quarter of 2025, posting net profits of $2.18 billion after excluding certain one-time costs. While the company’s stock gained 4.5% throughout 2025, shares have dropped more than 12% in the current year.
The University of Delaware softball team dropped a game to Liberty University on Thursday, despite receiving home run contributions from two of their key players.
Sydney Shaffer and Diamond both launched balls over the fence during the contest, providing bright spots in what ultimately became a disappointing result for the Blue Hens.
The long balls from Shaffer and Diamond showcased the offensive potential Delaware possesses, but the team was unable to generate enough runs to secure victory against their opponents.
The loss adds to Delaware’s record as they continue their season, with the team looking to build on the positive hitting performances from Shaffer and Diamond in upcoming games.
Delaware State Police’s Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (SOAR) has released public alerts regarding multiple sex offenders who are either wanted for registration violations or currently homeless.
Authorities are actively searching for four sex offenders who have violated registration requirements by failing to register or update their current addresses. The wanted individuals include Charles A. Fulton, Deangelo Hoskins, John A. Martz, and Jose Vasquez-Chavez.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these individuals is urged to contact SOAR at (302) 739-5882. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Police emphasize that these four individuals represent just a fraction of the sex offenders currently being sought. The complete roster of wanted offenders can be found on the Delaware Sex Offender Registry website.
Additionally, SOAR has issued notifications about five homeless sex offenders: William Hill, Marcus Hoteling, Travis Logan, James Moody, and Moises Torres-Paddilla. These individuals are not wanted for registration violations but have recently reported being homeless.
If residents have information indicating any of these homeless offenders are living at a specific residence, they should contact the same phone numbers provided for the wanted individuals.
The homeless sex offender notifications also represent only a portion of those currently without permanent housing. Citizens can access the full list of homeless sex offenders through the state’s online registry.
Detailed profiles for each individual, including photographs and offense information, are available by clicking through the registry website links provided by state police.
A Michigan school district has reached a settlement agreement with a Palestinian-American student who filed a lawsuit after being confronted by a teacher for not participating in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Plymouth-Canton school district will provide constitutional rights training to its staff and an insurance company will pay $10,000 to Danielle Khalaf and her father as part of the resolution, court documents show.
While the district avoided admitting wrongdoing, Superintendent Monica Merritt commended Danielle for her bravery in coming forward about what happened.
“Our mission is to foster a school environment that is safe, respectful and welcoming for all,” Merritt stated on Friday.
The controversy began in January 2025 when Danielle, who comes from a Palestinian family, chose not to participate in the pledge ceremony for three consecutive days to protest American backing of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Court documents indicate her teacher criticized her decision and questioned her respect for the country.
The educator allegedly told her, “Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to your country,” the legal filing states.
The incident caused Danielle to experience psychological distress, including sleep disturbances and damaged relationships with classmates, according to the lawsuit.
“It was terrifying at times, scary to face a teacher and overwhelming with the attention that came with the publicity. But it taught me the importance of speaking up for what I believe is right,” Danielle explained in a Thursday statement issued through the American Civil Liberties Union and Arab American Civil Rights League.
Census data shows Michigan ranks second nationally in residents with Middle Eastern or North African heritage, with over 300,000 people, trailing only California.
Under the settlement terms, the school district must also expunge any records from Danielle’s file that suggest her protest violated district rules.
Federal authorities have taken a 26-year-old New Jersey resident into custody following an undercover investigation that exposed his alleged plan to carry out an arson attack against a Palestinian rights advocate’s residence.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the suspect, identified as Heifler, was connected to JDL 613 Brotherhood, an organization based in New Jersey that was established in 2024. The group characterizes its members as “Jewish warriors” who are actively combating what they describe as increasing antisemitic incidents.
The arrest came after law enforcement conducted an undercover operation that revealed the alleged firebombing conspiracy targeting the activist’s home. Details about the specific methods used in the investigation have not been disclosed by authorities.
The case highlights ongoing tensions surrounding activism related to Palestinian issues and the various groups that have emerged in response to recent events in the region.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels issued a stark warning Friday, declaring their readiness for direct military action if additional nations align with the United States and Israel in their conflict against Iran, or if Red Sea waters are utilized to launch strikes against the Islamic Republic.
“We confirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention” should any new partnerships emerge to support Washington and Israel against Iran and its allies, or if the Red Sea becomes a staging ground for “hostile operations” against Iran, declared military spokesman Yahya Saree during a broadcast address.
Saree further indicated the Houthis stood ready to respond if what he characterized as escalating actions against Iran and the “axis of resistance” persisted, though he provided no specifics about potential intervention methods.
This declaration heightens concerns about expanded regional warfare, especially considering the Houthis’ demonstrated capacity to attack distant targets and interfere with maritime traffic around the Arabian Peninsula.
Tehran’s Shiite partners in Lebanon and Iraq have already entered the regional conflict sparked by American and Israeli operations against Iran. Until this announcement, the Houthis had not declared direct participation in the war, despite possessing significant military resources and controlling strategic territory overlooking the Red Sea.
During his address, Saree emphasized the group would prevent Red Sea usage for “hostile operations” against Iran or any Muslim nation. He also cautioned against further intensification of what he termed “the blockade on Yemen.”
Saree demanded immediate cessation of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and allied nations, including Palestinian areas, Lebanon and Iraq, while calling for Gaza ceasefire implementation.
Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel that sparked the Gaza conflict, the Houthis initiated attacks on international vessels in the Red Sea, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
The organization also fired drones and missiles toward Israel, prompting Israeli counterstrikes and U.S. military operations against Houthi positions in Yemen.
The Houthis suspended these attacks following a U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October 2025.
Idaho’s state legislature approved legislation Friday that would make it illegal for transgender individuals to use restrooms and changing facilities that don’t correspond with their gender assigned at birth, marking another restrictive measure targeting transgender Americans nationwide.
The Republican-dominated state Senate approved the measure by a 28-7 vote on Friday, following passage in the Idaho House of Representatives the previous week. Republican Governor Brad Little is anticipated to sign the legislation into law.
When enacted, the law would criminalize entering restrooms or changing areas designated for the opposite biological sex in government facilities, as well as in restaurants, retail establishments, and other private businesses offering public restroom access.
Under the proposed penalties taking effect in July, initial violations would constitute misdemeanor offenses carrying potential jail sentences of up to one year. Subsequent violations within a five-year period would escalate to felony charges with possible prison terms extending to five years, according to the bill’s language.
Transgender Americans have encountered growing restrictions across state and federal levels, with these efforts gaining momentum following President Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. Trump has implemented multiple executive orders affecting transgender rights and issued directives stating the federal government will acknowledge only male and female as recognized sexes.
The American Civil Liberties Union strongly criticized Idaho’s legislative action and urged the governor to reject the bill.
“This bill’s proposed punishments for using public facilities are extreme and unnecessary … This is an unacceptable and discriminatory misuse of our criminal legal system,” the ACLU stated.
Governor Little’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the legislation.
According to the Movement Advancement Project, a transgender rights advocacy organization, Idaho joins approximately 20 states nationwide that have implemented various forms of bathroom access limitations for transgender individuals.
The state previously enacted legislation permitting students to pursue $5,000 lawsuits against schools if they encounter transgender students in bathrooms contrary to existing restrictions.
Professional golfer Tiger Woods faces driving under the influence charges following a Friday incident where his Land Rover overturned on a two-lane roadway close to his Jupiter Island residence in Florida, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The 50-year-old athlete displayed indicators of impairment during the incident and declined to provide a urine sample while in custody, authorities reported. While a breath analysis detected no alcohol in his system, law enforcement officials suspect the impairment stemmed from drugs or prescription medications.
The rollover incident resulted in no reported injuries.
A University of Delaware lacrosse standout has landed a new opportunity in professional lacrosse after being picked up by the Boston Cannons.
The Boston Cannons of the Premier Lacrosse League announced Friday they have signed former Blue Hen Tye Kurtz, who competed for Delaware from 2019 through 2023.
Before joining the Cannons, Kurtz spent two seasons playing for the Carolina Chaos in the professional league.
The signing represents a fresh start for the Delaware alumnus as he continues his professional lacrosse career in the Premier Lacrosse League.
Professional golf superstar Tiger Woods was taken into custody by Martin County authorities in Florida on charges related to suspected impaired driving, according to law enforcement officials.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Woods was apprehended on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. Officials stated that the golf champion did not suffer any injuries during the incident.
The arrest comes as the golfing world continues to follow Woods’ career following his previous legal troubles and personal challenges. No additional details about the circumstances surrounding the arrest have been released at this time.
A federal appeals court has reversed a massive $16.1 billion ruling against Argentina, throwing out a lower court decision that would have required the South American nation to pay former shareholders of a seized energy company.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York overturned the 2023 decision on Friday, which had ordered Argentina to compensate two investment firms — Petersen Energía and Petersen Energía Inversora — for the government’s takeover of a controlling interest in YPF Energy more than a decade ago.
Argentine President Javier Milei hailed the court’s decision as a major victory for his country. “It’s historic, unthinkable, the greatest judicial victory in national history,” Milei posted on X.
The president also criticized former left-wing leader Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, whose government carried out the YPF takeover in 2012. “Because I’m Milei, I’ll say it the Milei way,” he wrote, adding that his government has “cleaned up the mess” left by the former leader.
Kirchner is currently serving a house arrest sentence that began in 2025, after receiving a six-year prison term for corruption charges.
Last June, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska had directed Argentina to hand over its 51% majority ownership in YPF as part of the compensation package for the plaintiffs. However, the appeals court suspended that directive two months later.
Milei, who faces challenges in restoring the country’s drained foreign currency reserves and has promised to sell off government-owned enterprises, has repeatedly criticized his political rivals for the legal consequences stemming from the YPF takeover.
The government’s seizure of Argentina’s biggest energy corporation in 2012 further hurt the nation’s reputation internationally by adding to its track record of defaulting on global financial commitments.
The investment firms were able to bring their lawsuit against YPF in American courts because the energy company trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Following the nationalization, YPF has expanded development of Argentina’s extensive shale gas deposits in the Vaca Muerta formation located in Patagonia. Oil production from Vaca Muerta has grown consistently, hitting nearly 600,000 barrels daily in January, representing about 68% of the country’s total output. YPF announced a $5 billion profit in 2025, marking its best financial performance in a decade.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho’s legislature approved comprehensive restroom restrictions on Friday, creating criminal penalties for transgender individuals who use facilities that align with their gender identity, including those in private establishments.
Should Republican Governor Brad Little sign this measure into law, Idaho would establish the nation’s most severe bathroom restrictions, making it a criminal act for individuals to enter restrooms, locker rooms, or changing facilities that don’t match their biological sex at birth.
Those found in violation would face misdemeanor charges carrying up to one year of imprisonment for initial offenses, while subsequent violations would constitute felonies punishable by as much as five years in prison.
While 19 states, Idaho among them, have already enacted restrictions preventing transgender people from accessing bathrooms and changing facilities corresponding to their gender in educational institutions and certain public venues, tracking data from the Movement Advancement Project shows only three additional states — Florida, Kansas and Utah — have established criminal consequences for violating such bathroom regulations.
However, Idaho’s proposed law extends more comprehensively to private enterprises than existing legislation elsewhere, encompassing any “place of public accommodation,” which includes businesses or facilities serving the general public. The measure provides nine specific exemptions covering scenarios such as janitorial duties, emergency response, assisting children, or instances involving “dire need” for restroom access.
Republican Senator Ben Toews, the bill’s sponsor, stated his goal wasn’t to be “unkind.” Rather, he explained, the measure aims to safeguard women and children.
“All of what we’re trying to solve here is not targeting any one group or person, it’s dealing with sexual predators and very real issues. This isn’t criminalizing someone for who they are,” he said. “There’s no law currently on our books that prohibits a biological man from entering a shower room with undressed women and children present.”
Law enforcement organizations, including the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police and Idaho Chiefs of Police Association, voiced opposition to the legislation, arguing it would burden officers with the challenging and inappropriate responsibility of visually assessing someone’s biological sex or determining their level of “dire need.”
Democratic Senator James Ruchti drew parallels between this bill and previously repealed constitutional provisions in Idaho that prevented Native Americans, Chinese residents, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from voting. Those historical laws imposed civil rather than criminal penalties, Ruchti noted.
The discriminatory constitutional language remained in place until 1950 for Native Americans, 1962 for Chinese descendants, and 1982 for Mormons.
“This is the first one I can think of where we’ve set up a crime for who somebody is,” Ruchti said. He pointed out that even Jim Crow-era legislation that supported discrimination and segregation against Black Americans in the South typically included provisions for “separate but equal” accommodations like restrooms and water fountains.
“Society realized these are humans, they have a need for bathrooms, they have a need for water,” Ruchti said. He later continued, “This isn’t how we treat people in our society.”
The legislation succeeded by a 28-7 margin, with only one Republican casting a dissenting vote.
“I know it’s probably not a popular thing for me to vote no on, but I just can’t support this kind of legislation,” said Senator Jim Guthrie. He described how a transgender man with facial hair and masculine characteristics would face an impossible situation.
“If they go in the bathroom of their biological sex, they’re going to upset a lot of people and freak people out. If they go in the bathroom that is consistent with their looks — they are knowingly and willingly going into the bathroom — that is breaking the law,” Guthrie said. He later continued, “They’re human beings just like us, and what are they supposed to do?”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho criticized the decision and urged the governor to reject the bill.
“This bill’s proposed punishments for using public facilities are extreme and unnecessary,” the organization wrote in a statement, calling the legislation “an unacceptable and discriminatory misuse of our criminal legal system.”
The House approved the measure 54-15 earlier this month. The overwhelming legislative support suggests lawmakers could potentially override any gubernatorial veto.
Heron Greenesmith, deputy policy director at Transgender Law Center, noted that while arrests and civil cases under bathroom laws nationwide seem exceptionally uncommon, these policies create significant impact.
“They embolden and empower vigilantes essentially to feel comfortable persecuting people based on their appearance,” they said.
Logan Casey, director of policy research at Movement Advancement Project, explained that one provision in a Kansas law from February creates ambiguity about whether it applies solely to government facilities or extends to other public spaces. However, he confirmed that Idaho’s would be the first to explicitly target public accommodations broadly.
Casey also observed that in other states where using prohibited bathrooms can result in criminal charges, additional steps are required. For example, Florida only files charges when individuals are asked to leave a bathroom and refuse to comply.
The sole widely documented arrest for violating transgender bathroom restrictions occurred during a Florida protest last year.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford’s mayor has terminated a police officer who shot and killed a man during a mental health emergency, despite three colleagues successfully working to calm the situation for several minutes beforehand.
Mayor Arunan Arulampalam announced Friday the immediate dismissal of Officer Joseph Magnano following the February 27 fatal shooting of Steven Jones, a Black man who was holding a knife on a city street. This incident occurred just over a week after another Hartford officer killed a different person also experiencing a mental health crisis.
“In the body-worn camera footage of the incident, as well as publicly shared videos, I saw three officers work together as a team to de-escalate a mental health crisis in a way that exemplifies the best of our police department,” Arulampalam said. “The actions of Officer Magnano do not measure up to those standards.”
Police Chief James Rovella did not respond to requests for comment Friday, while the police union has maintained that Magnano’s use of force was justified and legal through social media statements. Magnano was a new hire still serving his probationary period, and his contact details were not available.
The state inspector general’s office continues investigating the shooting to decide on potential criminal charges against Magnano. Body camera video from all four responding officers was released earlier this month.
The crisis began when Jones’ sister, Audrey Jones, contacted 911 requesting assistance for her brother’s mental health emergency, informing dispatchers he possessed a knife and had injured himself.
Video evidence reveals Steven Jones standing on the street while three officers spent several minutes repeatedly asking him to put down the knife while assuring him of their intent to help.
“Steve, you’re OK. We’re going to make sure you’re OK,” Officer James Prignano tells him. “Just drop the knife. We’re going to go talk to somebody, OK?”
Jones remains silent throughout the recorded interactions.
Approximately 12 minutes after the emergency call, Magnano arrived and immediately drew his weapon while commanding Jones to drop the knife, warning him “You’re going to get shot.” A woman can be heard shouting, “Don’t shoot him!”
The footage captures Prignano gesturing to Magnano, seemingly directing him to step back. As Jones moved slowly toward Magnano, the officer issued a final warning before firing nine shots at Jones, roughly 30 seconds after exiting his patrol vehicle.
Jones succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital four days following the shooting.
The termination announcement came one day after Jones’ funeral service, which drew prominent civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family and has handled numerous high-profile police shooting cases involving Black victims nationwide.
“Steven had a mental health crisis,” Crump said at the funeral. “He needed a helping hand from the Hartford Police Department, but instead he got nine bullet holes in his body. That is a shame before God. And the status of your mental health and the color of your skin should not equal the death sentence.”
Sharpton described Friday’s firing as “a necessary first step” while emphasizing that “Jones’ family and the people of Hartford deserve full justice.” Both he and Crump advocated for changes to improve Hartford police protocols for mental health-related emergency calls.
On February 19, Hartford police also fatally shot Everard Walker in a separate incident involving mental health concerns. A family member had contacted the 211 health and human services helpline, and two mental health professionals requested police accompaniment to Walker’s residence, according to Inspector General Eliot Prescott’s preliminary findings.
During the apartment visit, Walker, two of his children, and officers became involved in a physical altercation when Walker brandished a knife, Prescott reported. Walker refused police commands to drop the weapon.
Body camera video shows Walker raising the knife as Officer Geovanny Rivera appeared to stumble backward. Officer Alexander Clifford then discharged multiple rounds at Walker, who died later at a hospital. Prescott is also investigating this shooting.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has allegedly prevented four military officers from receiving promotions to one-star general positions, according to recent reports.
The officers whose advancement was reportedly stopped include two women and two Black men who were being considered for general rank within the military hierarchy.
The Baltimore Orioles have reportedly finalized a five-year contract extension worth $68 million with right-handed pitcher Shane Baz, according to multiple media sources Friday.
Both MLB.com and ESPN indicate that Baz will put pen to paper on the agreement prior to taking the mound for his first appearance as an Oriole at Camden Yards this Sunday when Baltimore hosts the Minnesota Twins.
The 26-year-old hurler joined the Orioles organization through a December trade with Tampa Bay. In that transaction, Baltimore sent four prospects to the Rays: backstop Caden Bodine, right-handed pitcher Michael Forret, and outfielders Slater de Brun and Austin Overn. The Orioles also surrendered their competitive balance draft selection in the late first round (31st overall pick) for the 2026 draft.
During the previous campaign, Baz compiled a 10-12 record with a 4.87 earned run average across 31 starting assignments for Tampa Bay. Throughout his four-year tenure with the Rays, the former 12th overall draft selection from 2017 posted a 17-17 record and 4.25 ERA over 54 starts.
Among the prospects traded to Tampa Bay, Bodine was selected 30th overall in the 2025 draft from Coastal Carolina University, while de Brun was chosen 37th overall straight from high school in Bend, Oregon.
Forret was picked in the 14th round during 2023, and Overn was a third-round choice in 2024. Both pitchers advanced to Double-A Chesapeake during the previous season.
A federal judge in Chicago has ruled that Colgate-Palmolive cannot dismiss two class-action lawsuits that accuse the company of using deceptive packaging on children’s mouthwash products.
The lawsuits claim that Colgate’s marketing materials mislead parents into thinking their mouth rinse products are safe for children younger than 6 years old, despite federal health guidelines stating otherwise.
According to the legal complaints, federal health officials have advised against fluoride rinses for children under age 6 and recommend that kids between ages 2 and 6 should only use small, pea-sized portions of fluoride toothpaste due to potential harm if the fluoride is swallowed.
The plaintiffs argue that Colgate’s product packaging uses appealing bright colors and kid-friendly flavors like Bubble Fruit and Silly Strawberry, creating the impression that these rinses are appropriate for very young children to use freely.
U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood determined that typical consumers might struggle to understand appropriate age limits for the rinses, particularly because Colgate’s labels prominently display terms like “kids” or “children’s.”
Judge Wood rejected Colgate’s argument that parents would naturally understand the products are over-the-counter medications and would read the FDA-required warnings printed on the back of the packaging.
However, the judge reached a different conclusion regarding toothpaste claims, dismissing that portion of the lawsuit. She noted that toothpaste labels specifically direct parents to give children between 2 and 6 only pea-sized amounts.
“Viewed in context, the toothbrush with a full strip of toothpaste is there only to represent the act of toothbrushing,” Wood explained in her written decision.
The New York-based company and its legal representatives have not yet provided a response to requests for comment on Friday’s ruling.
Attorney Michael Connett, who represents the plaintiffs, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision and said similar cases have gained traction in recent years. “These rulings will hopefully send a wake-up call to manufacturers to stop promoting unsafe use of fluoride products,” he stated.
Colgate is not alone in facing such legal challenges. Other major oral care manufacturers including Procter & Gamble (which produces Crest), along with Perrigo and Sanofi, are defending similar lawsuits over their children’s fluoride product packaging.
Last September, Colgate reached an agreement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to modify packaging for its Colgate, Tom’s of Maine, and hello toothpaste brands following a state investigation. Procter & Gamble entered into a comparable settlement in January.
A Texas-based convenience store chain has taken fresh steps toward becoming a publicly traded company, resubmitting documents Friday for a stock market debut that was previously put on hold.
Yesway, headquartered in Fort Worth, originally attempted to go public in 2021 but abandoned those efforts in late 2022 as economic instability devastated new stock offerings nationwide.
The company’s renewed filing occurs during a period when Middle East conflicts are creating market turbulence that could potentially derail the anticipated recovery in U.S. stock market debuts.
Despite these challenges, several companies have recently made their offering documents public, positioning themselves to proceed with investor presentations once market conditions stabilize.
“The outbreak of the war, and the uncertainty around its longevity, has diminished appetite for equities at a time when confidence was already suffering following a sell-off in U.S. software and technology names,” said Samuel Kerr, global head of equity capital markets at Mergermarket.
“For IPOs, this uncertainty is a nightmare, particularly given its impact on energy prices and consumer affordability in the U.S. and around the world.”
Founded in 2015 through Boston-based private equity firm Brookwood Financial Partners, Yesway has emerged as one of America’s most rapidly expanding convenience store operators.
Financial records show the company generated $54 million in net profits on $2.67 billion in revenue during 2025, representing significant growth from the previous year’s $23.6 million profit on $2.53 billion in sales.
The convenience retailer currently manages 449 locations spread across nine states throughout the Midwest and Southwest regions, with plans to issue new shares through the public offering.
Yesway has built its reputation around food service options and store-brand merchandise, selling everything from confections to fresh-baked items and fountain beverages.
The company expanded its footprint in 2019 through the purchase of Allsup’s convenience stores, a chain recognized for its signature deep-fried burritos and chimichangas.
Industry experts had expressed optimism about improved conditions for consumer-focused companies to enter public markets in 2026 following several challenging years, though rising inflation concerns may complicate any recovery.
Major investment banks including Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and Goldman Sachs will serve as lead underwriters for the stock offering. Yesway plans to trade on the Nasdaq exchange using the ticker symbol “YSWY.”
Wall Street experienced another brutal trading session Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 1.7% as mounting concerns over Middle East warfare continue to rattle investors nationwide.
The blue-chip index has now fallen 10% below its February 10 record closing high, officially marking what financial experts call a market correction. This steep decline comes as traders grapple with uncertainty surrounding the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military conflict with Iran.
Friday’s selloff represents the Dow’s most significant downturn since April 2025, when former President Donald Trump’s announcement of his “Liberation Day” worldwide tariff policy triggered massive global market instability.
The tech-focused Nasdaq had already confirmed its correction status Thursday, having dropped from its October 29 peak. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has shed approximately 9% since reaching record territory on January 27.
Although investment professionals typically don’t use the Dow as their primary benchmark, this 30-company index remains widely recognized by everyday investors, making its sharp decline a clear signal of deteriorating market confidence.
Market participants are now debating whether this downturn represents a temporary setback – similar to the rebound seen after 2025’s market troubles – or signals the beginning of prolonged instability linked to the Middle East crisis.
International markets have been in freefall and crude oil costs have skyrocketed since the U.S. and Israel initiated their military campaign against Iran on February 28. The Dow alone has shed more than 7% since hostilities commenced.
Soaring energy prices have reignited inflation worries, with market analysts now anticipating the Federal Reserve is more likely to implement interest rate increases rather than cuts before year’s end, based on data from CME’s FedWatch monitoring system.
Goldman Sachs Group led Friday’s losses with a 2.4% decline, contributing more to the Dow’s drop than any other individual stock.
A vehicle accident has prompted the complete closure of Williamsville Road, blocking traffic between Route 13 and Gun and Rod Club Road.
Transportation officials are directing motorists to seek alternate routes while emergency personnel and cleanup crews address the crash scene.
No timeline has been provided for when the roadway will reopen to normal traffic flow. Drivers are advised to plan for delays and use alternative routes in the area.
Drivers in Wilmington should prepare for overnight traffic disruptions on the S. Market Street Bridge beginning next week.
Delaware’s Department of Transportation has announced that construction crews will return to the bridge starting Wednesday, April 1st, implementing lane restrictions that will continue through Tuesday, April 7th.
The work is scheduled exclusively during nighttime hours, with lane closures in effect from 6:00 PM until 6:00 AM on weeknight evenings only.
Motorists who regularly use this route during evening and early morning hours are advised to plan for potential delays and consider alternate routes during the construction period.
Delaware State Police have taken two individuals into custody following a Wednesday evening chase involving a stolen vehicle in New Castle.
Authorities arrested 31-year-old Paige Patterson of Bear and a 52-year-old man from Newark after the incident that began around 8:00 p.m. on March 25, 2026.
A state trooper conducting patrol duties on Memorial Drive near North Dupont Parkway spotted a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle initially pulled over but then sped away moments later.
The chase continued as the stolen SUV turned onto Irwin Avenue before coming to a halt at a street with no outlet. Both occupants abandoned the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot.
Officers quickly captured Patterson, who was driving the stolen vehicle. During the arrest, troopers observed indicators that she was under the influence of substances. A check of her driving record revealed her license had been suspended.
The male passenger managed to escape by climbing over a residential fence in a backyard. Delaware State Police called in their aviation unit to help track down the fleeing suspect. The helicopter crew successfully located him hiding in a wooded area nearby, where he was arrested without additional problems.
Both suspects were transported to Troop 2 headquarters. Patterson continued displaying signs of impairment, prompting investigators to secure a court order for a blood sample.
Following her arraignment at Justice of the Peace Court 11, Patterson now faces several serious charges and is being held at the Deloris J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution with bail set at $5,600.
Her charges include:
• Receiving Stolen Property (Felony) • Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony) • Resisting Arrest • Driving While Suspended or Revoked • Driving Under the Influence of Drugs
The Newark man received a charge of resisting arrest during his court appearance at Justice of the Peace Court 11. He was given an unsecured bond of $1,000 but remains detained at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution due to outstanding warrants from separate cases.
The general manager of one of America’s busiest airports recently discussed how operations are continuing during the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Ricky Smith, who oversees operations at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport, participated in an interview with NPR’s Scott Detrow to discuss the current state of airport operations. The conversation focused on how Transportation Security Administration personnel and travelers are managing during the federal funding disruption.
Smith addressed how both security staff and airline passengers are handling the challenging circumstances created by the government shutdown, providing insight into operations at the major transportation hub.
A Palestinian woman from Paterson, New Jersey is speaking out after being released from immigration detention following more than 12 months in federal custody.
Leqaa Kordia, a young woman who had been held at an ICE facility in Texas, is now telling her story in her own voice after gaining her freedom. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had detained her for over a year before her recent release.
The case highlights ongoing issues surrounding immigration detention and the experiences of individuals held in federal custody for extended periods.
WASHINGTON — With gasoline costs climbing toward $4 per gallon across the nation amid Iranian conflict, members of Congress are advocating for a temporary halt to the federal fuel tax as their newest strategy to address escalating energy expenses.
Congressional representatives argue this measure would deliver essential financial relief to families and businesses dependent on vehicles for commuting to work and school, as well as handling daily tasks.
When questioned about the gasoline tax during a Thursday Cabinet session, President Donald Trump indicated he has “thought about” pausing it but recommended that states should explore halting their own fuel levies.
“People have talked about” a gas tax suspension, Trump said. “It’s something we have in our pocket if we think it’s necessary.”
In response to climbing fuel costs, the Trump administration has authorized the release of millions of oil barrels from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and briefly removed sanctions on certain Russian and Iranian oil deliveries currently in transit. The United States is in discussions with nations dependent on Middle Eastern crude to form an alliance monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of globally traded oil typically passes.
Here’s an examination of what constitutes a fuel tax moratorium and its possible consequences.
A fuel tax moratorium represents a temporary halt to the federal gasoline levy, presently established at 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. This excludes state levies, which frequently exceed federal rates.
This tax generates over $23 billion annually in funding for federal highway and mass transit initiatives.
The president lacks authority to halt the federal tax independently. Congressional approval would be required for such action.
With Republicans controlling both chambers, legislation addressing this matter is unlikely to progress without Trump’s endorsement.
Increasing fuel costs are creating fresh strain on family budgets, particularly affecting lower and middle-class Americans with limited ability to manage elevated transportation expenses. These price hikes can affect driving frequency, travel destinations, and spending on other necessities.
“Trump’s war of choice with Iran is driving up gas prices across the country — and Americans shouldn’t have to bear the additional economic burden of Trump’s reckless decision making,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who co-sponsored the Gas Prices Relief Act with fellow Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Their legislation would halt the tax until October 1st. Democratic Representative Chris Pappas of New Hampshire introduced comparable legislation in the House.
The gasoline levy represents the primary revenue source for federal highway and mass transit initiatives.
Although both House and Senate proposals would compensate for lost Highway Trust Fund income through general funding, the tax moratorium might increase the federal deficit and threaten long-term viability of highway and transit program investments, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, representing the transportation construction sector.
The organization references research indicating many retailers fail to transfer the complete gas tax reduction savings to customers. Studies also indicate that state and federal fuel taxes constitute just one element of a complicated pricing system including global oil costs and additional variables, the group noted.
Several states are implementing measures to reduce gas taxes. Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation on March 20th establishing a 60-day moratorium on the state’s 33-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and 37-cent-per-gallon diesel tax.
The legislation received bipartisan backing. Kemp stated he wanted to “return taxpayer money where it belongs, in the pockets of hardworking Georgians.”
Initial outcomes are encouraging for Georgia motorists. Tax holidays require several days to impact pump prices since wholesalers pay fuel taxes within the state. However, while nationwide gas prices increased an average of 10 cents per gallon during the week ending Thursday, they decreased 15 cents per gallon in Georgia, according to AAA. On Friday, Georgia ranked 13th lowest among states for average gas prices at $3.60 per gallon. Kansas maintained the lowest at $3.27.
Multiple states including California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Utah have considered fuel tax moratoriums to provide pump relief.
Connecticut Democratic Governor Ned Lamont recently proposed temporarily suspending the state’s 25-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and 48.9-cent diesel levy, though implementation remains uncertain. State officials are also exploring potential taxpayer rebate checks to offset high energy costs.
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who previously supported fuel tax holidays, expressed doubt that drivers would experience genuine savings.
“Our ability to influence fuel prices are really marginal,” DeSantis said at a bill signing ceremony this month, according to Politico. “Sometimes the prices get raised so the consumer doesn’t see any difference. … I think when we did it in the past … I don’t think the consumer really felt relief.”
The primary recommendation for drivers seeking pump savings involves following speed limits and maintaining smooth driving habits, according to Consumer Reports. Driving behavior significantly impacts fuel efficiency, the publication notes.
Maintaining steady 55 mph speeds can improve fuel economy by 6 to 8 mpg, the publication reported in an article offering tips for maximizing fuel efficiency. “Speeding up from 55 to 75 mph is like moving from a compact car to a large SUV,” the article stated.
Besides fuel considerations, speeding creates safety hazards. Drivers should minimize aggressive acceleration and braking when possible, and avoid premium gasoline if their vehicles permit regular fuel, the magazine recommended.
PARIS (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully rejected claims made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the Trump administration is requiring Ukraine to surrender its eastern Donbas territory to Russia as a condition for receiving U.S. security assurances in any potential ceasefire agreement.
Following a Group of Seven summit in France on Friday, Rubio addressed reporters and firmly contradicted Zelenskyy’s recent statements, emphasizing that America has imposed no such conditions during negotiations with Ukraine.
“That’s a lie,” Rubio stated. “And I saw him say that. And it’s unfortunate he would say that because he knows that’s not true and that’s not what he was told.”
During a Reuters interview published earlier this week, Zelenskyy claimed Washington was linking its security guarantee offer to Ukraine’s willingness to abandon the Donbas region, an industrial area that Russian President Vladimir Putin has long sought to control. While Russian military forces control most of this territory, they have yet to capture a heavily defended section along the front lines.
According to Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump seeks to conclude the Ukrainian conflict as America concentrates on its confrontation with Iran.
“The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” Zelenskyy told Reuters.
Rubio countered these allegations, explaining that the U.S. has simply communicated Russia’s position without endorsing it. He clarified that security guarantees would only be possible once hostilities cease, and America remains committed to facilitating peace negotiations.
“We’ve told the Ukrainian side what the Russians are insisting on,” he explained. “We’re not advocating for it. We’ve explained it to them. It’s their choice to make. It’s not for us to make for them. We’ve never told them they have to take it or leave it. The role we have played is to try to figure out what both sides want, and see if we can bridge the middle ground.”
Ukraine’s presidential office chose not to address the conflicting accounts.
Putin seeks complete Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas region, which experts say would provide Moscow with a permanent strategic position to menace other Ukrainian territories.
Rubio mentioned that American officials met with Ukrainian representatives in Florida the previous week, though no additional discussions are currently planned. He also confirmed that while no U.S. military equipment destined for Ukraine has been redirected to Middle East operations, such diversions remain possible if required.
“If we need something for America and it’s American, we’re going to keep it for America first,” Rubio declared. “But as of now, that has not happened.”
The Associated Press previously reported that American Patriot missile defense systems have been relocated from European positions to the Middle East as Washington shifts resources toward its Iranian conflict. Zelenskyy has cautioned that Kyiv will “definitely” experience Patriot system shortages due to the Iranian war.
BOGOTA, Colombia — A memorial service took place Friday in Colombia’s capital to pay tribute to 69 security personnel who perished in a devastating military aircraft accident earlier this week.
The ceremony at a Bogota church featured photographs of each victim displayed near the altar, creating a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives. Survivors of the crash participated in the prayer service, with some using wheelchairs and receiving medical assistance, while others bore visible injuries including bandaged limbs and struggled with mobility.
The tragedy unfolded Monday when a Colombian Aerospace Force C-130 Hercules transport plane went down moments after departure from Puerto Leguizamo, located in Colombia’s Amazon territory. The aircraft was carrying 126 security force personnel when it crashed, leaving 57 survivors.
“We are deeply pained by what has happened, because when a soldier or a police officer falls, a part of our military family is broken,” said Gen. Hugo Alejandro López, commander of the Military Forces, during the religious ceremony.
During the service, a clergy member recited each victim’s name individually, declaring they had “offered their lives in service to the homeland.”
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed sympathy to grieving families and promised institutional support during their time of loss.
“For some, it would be the last flight they would ever take in this world — one that would carry them toward the eternal flight. For others — those who survived — it was, in a sense, being born again,” said Sánchez.
The nation observed a three-day period of national mourning following what ranks among the country’s most devastating aviation disasters in recent years. Officials continue examining the crash causes, having eliminated the possibility of an attack by illegal armed groups while focusing their investigation on aircraft conditions, runway factors, and crew circumstances.
The incident has sparked renewed discussion about Colombia’s aging military aircraft inventory. President Gustavo Petro, the nation’s first leftist leader, questioned the operational approval of what he called such an old aircraft, pointing out its 1983 manufacturing date and 2020 donation from the United States.
Petro has also stressed the importance of updating the country’s Hercules fleet, which consists of military transport planes designed to operate from basic, unpaved airstrips.
A federal judge in Kentucky has thrown out criminal charges against two former Louisville police officers who were accused of providing false information in the search warrant that led to Breonna Taylor’s fatal shooting.
U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson released a brief, one-page decision on Friday that dismissed the case against former officers Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, who played roles in preparing the controversial warrant.
The dismissal came after federal prosecutors filed a request with the court last week asking that the charges be dropped “in the interest of justice.” Prosecutors pointed out that the court had previously thrown out several felony counts against both Jaynes and Meany in earlier hearings.
The charges were originally announced in 2022 during a prominent press conference in Louisville by then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who stated “Breonna Taylor should still be alive today.” Garland explained that the officers who actually fired the shots that killed the 26-year-old Taylor were not aware of the “false and misleading statements” contained in the search warrant.
The fatal incident occurred when Taylor’s boyfriend discharged a single round at officers after they used a battering ram to force entry through her front door. Officers responded with gunfire, hitting Taylor several times as she stood in her hallway. Her death, combined with George Floyd’s killing in Minnesota, triggered extensive racial justice demonstrations across the country during the summer of 2020.
Jaynes had been facing accusations of conspiracy, falsifying documents, and misdemeanor violations of civil rights. Meany was charged with allegedly providing false information to federal investigators.
The search warrant for Taylor’s residence claimed she was accepting mail deliveries on behalf of a suspected drug dealer who was her former boyfriend. The paperwork stated that Jaynes had verified with postal authorities that packages addressed to the ex-boyfriend were being delivered to Taylor’s home. However, investigators subsequently discovered that Jaynes had never actually confirmed this information with postal inspectors. Meany, who held the rank of sergeant, had approved the warrant.
The Louisville Police Department terminated Jaynes in 2021 for providing false information regarding the warrant. Meany lost his job after being indicted in 2022.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials announced Friday they have discovered potential signs of life for approximately one-third of the nation’s 130,000 officially missing persons, sparking immediate backlash from search organizations who view the claim as an effort to minimize the severity of Mexico’s disappearance emergency.
Through cross-checking vaccination databases, birth certificates, marriage records, and tax documents, authorities determined that 40,367 individuals — roughly 31% of reported missing cases — have shown some form of government record activity after being declared disappeared.
Top security official Marcela Figueroa stated this evidence suggests these individuals could still be living.
Employing this investigative approach and working alongside various search organizations, Figueroa reported that officials successfully located 5,269 people who have now been classified as “found.”
Figueroa characterized numerous instances as “voluntary absences,” providing examples such as men abandoning their families for other relationships being listed as missing, and women fleeing domestic violence situations.
“Not all disappearances are the same,” she said, adding that the government was constantly working to locate Mexico’s missing people.
However, Héctor Flores, who leads a search organization in Jalisco state — the epicenter of Mexico’s disappearance emergency — labeled Friday’s announcement as “misleading” and criticized the government’s lack of methodological transparency.
Organizations like Flores’ have long accused officials of attempting to minimize the disappeared population to improve Mexico’s international image. The historical lack of accountability in such situations has created deep mistrust among families who worry that registry modifications could eliminate legitimate cases and obstruct search operations.
“For us, it’s just another attempt by the administration to hide and downplay the numbers and continue to paint a picture that doesn’t reflect the reality of what we’re living through,” said Flores, whose 19-year-old son was forcibly disappeared by agents from the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office in 2021.
Friday’s data revealed that 46,000 cases — representing 36% of registered disappearances — contained incomplete information such as missing names and dates, making investigation efforts impossible.
Additionally, 43,128 cases, or 33%, displayed no recorded government database activity. Among these, fewer than 10% are currently under criminal investigation, which Figueroa acknowledged represents a failure by Mexican law enforcement.
Figueroa also announced enhanced “monitoring” of regional prosecutor offices that have neglected to properly investigate and document missing person cases, while working to increase the number of active investigations.
“Society and the families can trust in the records and better tools to search for people,” Figueroa said.
These revised statistics represent part of a broader initiative to organize a complex database connected to collective trauma affecting the Latin American country, highlighting an intense debate over Mexico’s tracking of its disappearance crisis.
Criminal cartels have historically used forced disappearances as a control mechanism through intimidation while simultaneously hiding murder statistics. The 130,000 registered missing persons since 2006 could populate a small city, with missing person flyers covering walls throughout Mexico’s major urban areas.
This debate has persisted for years but intensified during former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s 2018-2024 administration. His government initiated a disappeared persons census after alleging previous statistics were exaggerated to damage his reputation.
Widespread criticism in 2023 resulted in the resignation of the official overseeing the search for disappeared individuals.
Mexican authorities have maintained that the official disappearance registry represents an overcount, frequently compromised by inaccurate local prosecutor data and instances where individuals are reported missing multiple times.
Search organizations like Flores’ group and the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances contend the actual numbers likely exceed official statistics due to local government failures, family fears about reporting cases, and insufficient “clear and transparent” information.
The Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center released a Friday statement welcoming data reliability improvements but criticized how officials presented the information as “minimizes the state’s responsibility” in the disappearance crisis while providing little assistance to families who frequently must conduct independent searches for missing relatives.
Professional golfer Tiger Woods experienced a vehicle rollover accident in Florida on Friday afternoon, according to ABC News, which cited information from the local sheriff’s department.
ABC News reported that Woods’ medical condition following the incident remains unknown at this time.
The golf champion has maintained a reduced tournament schedule following a serious automobile accident that occurred in February 2021.
When contacted for additional information, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office had not yet provided a response.
Representatives from the European Union and a dozen Pacific Rim countries have decided to push ahead with negotiations for what Canada’s trade minister describes as a potentially groundbreaking digital commerce agreement.
The decision emerged Friday during discussions held alongside the World Trade Organization ministerial conference taking place in Cameroon. The talks involved EU officials and members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which includes nations such as Japan, Britain, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Malaysia.
“The concrete resolution from today’s conversation was: let’s move forward on digital trade agreement,” stated Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, when speaking with Reuters.
Sidhu emphasized the potential significance of combining these two major trading groups, which collectively represent economies worth $35 trillion and serve 1.6 billion people worldwide.
“If this comes together, as it hopefully will, this will be historic. It will be the largest trading agreement in civilization,” Sidhu explained.
According to the Canadian minister, the proposed agreement would address electronic commerce, data transfer protocols, and information storage systems. Officials plan to continue discussions about the specific framework and provisions the deal might contain.
European Union officials also expressed enthusiasm for the initiative. A spokesperson for the EU noted that such an agreement could establish a model for future regional digital trade partnerships.
“An EU-CPTPP Digital Trade Agreement would be an enormous success. We need to accelerate, as DTAs represent a future-proof layer of trade agreements,” the EU spokesperson commented.
The European Union indicated in an official statement that this arrangement might serve as a template for developing regional approaches to digital commerce regulation and cooperation.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it would take urgent steps to compensate 50,000 Transportation Security Administration workers who have been without pay since mid-February, following widespread staff shortages that created extensive delays at airports across the nation.
“(The Transportation Security Administration) has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce. TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday,” the department stated.
The emergency funding comes after President Donald Trump announced Thursday his intention to use executive authority to ensure TSA employees receive compensation, formally directing the payments through a memo issued Friday.
Transportation Security Administration officials reported that almost 12% of security screening personnel failed to report for duty Thursday, marking the highest absence rate since the payment crisis began in mid-February.
Significant operational disruptions occurred at numerous major aviation hubs Thursday and Friday, with security checkpoint wait times extending several hours. More than 3,450 officers were absent from work Thursday, with particularly severe staffing shortages at New York’s JFK Airport and facilities in Baltimore, Houston, and Atlanta, where over one-third of security personnel didn’t show up.
The agency described security line delays of four hours or longer at airports nationwide, calling them the most severe in the TSA’s nearly 25-year existence.
Aviation industry representatives warned Reuters that staffing problems and extended wait times could deteriorate further over the weekend without clear information about employee compensation. Approximately 500 airport security officers have resigned from their positions since February.
Questions remain about the duration of available funding and whether Trump will utilize Homeland Security Department resources approved last year through comprehensive tax and spending legislation.
Congressional Democrats have blocked DHS funding while demanding policy changes to the department’s immigration enforcement practices, following a Minneapolis incident where federal agents fatally shot U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
House Republican leadership Friday dismissed a bipartisan Senate proposal aimed at resolving the six-week funding impasse affecting the Department of Homeland Security.
Democratic lawmakers had suggested funding TSA operations independently while continuing negotiations on Immigration and Customs Enforcement operational reforms.
Earlier this week, TSA officials warned that smaller airports might face closure if personnel shortages continued to worsen.
The staffing crisis coincides with increased spring break travel, with passenger volumes running approximately 5% higher than the same period last year.
To address screening shortages, hundreds of immigration agents and Homeland Security Investigations personnel began assisting with security operations at 14 airports starting Monday.
BERLIN, March 27 – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Friday to exhaust all efforts to rescue the troubled FCAS fighter jet program being developed jointly with France and Spain, while pushing for enhanced collaboration across Europe’s defense manufacturing sector.
Speaking at a conference organized by the FAZ newspaper, Merz emphasized the critical importance of the defense industry to Germany’s economic future. “The future of German industry is now at stake, and this industry is heavily dependent on the defence sector,” the chancellor stated, declaring he would “fight until the very last moment” for collaborative European initiatives like FCAS.
Merz announced that two mediators – one French and one German – have been designated to develop solutions for ensuring the program’s continuation by the conclusion of next month.
The ambitious initiative to create an advanced air combat system faces potential collapse due to a public disagreement over project leadership between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which serves as the representative for Germany and Spain in the massive 100-billion-euro undertaking.
Additionally, the chancellor revealed that Germany’s government plans to acquire an ownership position in KNDS, the Franco-German manufacturer of Leopard tanks, aiming to maintain strategic influence before the company’s anticipated public offering later this year, which could value the firm between 20-25 billion euros.
Previous Reuters reporting from February indicated that Berlin was preparing to purchase a minority ownership stake of at least 25.1% in KNDS, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.
The Trump administration announced Friday that oil refineries must significantly increase their biofuel blending requirements over the next two years, sparking fierce opposition from industry leaders who warn the mandate will push fuel costs even higher amid ongoing conflict in Iran.
The decision has created an unusual public disagreement between the Trump White House and petroleum companies that have historically supported the administration’s pro-fossil fuel policies.
“It’s baffling, with fuel prices already rising due to the conflict in Iran, that EPA is finalizing a rule that will make things far worse for consumers,” said Chet Thompson, president and CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers.
“This is not what energy dominance looks like,” Thompson added.
The Environmental Protection Agency established biofuel blending targets of 26.81 billion RINs for 2026 and 27.02 billion RINs for 2027 under the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard program. These requirements force refineries to mix billions of gallons of corn-derived ethanol and other alternative fuels into America’s gasoline and diesel supply annually, or purchase tradeable compliance credits known as RINs from companies that exceed their quotas.
Each RIN generally represents one gallon of biofuel blended into the fuel supply. The new quotas incorporate approximately 70% of roughly 2 billion gallons that were previously exempted between 2023-2025 through a small refinery waiver program.
Friday’s final numbers substantially exceed the EPA’s initial proposal from June 2025, which called for 24.02 billion RINs in 2026 and 24.46 billion RINs in 2027, without addressing how many waived volumes should be restored.
Agricultural groups praised the administration’s action, particularly when combined with this week’s decision to extend year-round availability of E15 gasoline containing 15% ethanol.
“Today’s announcement, coupled with the Trump administration’s E15 summertime waiver earlier this week, is a positive move for the nation’s corn growers who are navigating an exceptionally difficult economic environment,” the National Corn Growers Association stated.
However, the Renewable Fuels Association, representing ethanol manufacturers, expressed disappointment that only 70% of waived volumes were reinstated rather than the full 100% they had sought.
Thompson from the refining trade group claimed existing biofuel mandates have already added 25 cents per gallon to consumer fuel costs, with the new requirements expected to drive prices higher still.
Regular gasoline currently averages approximately $3.98 per gallon across the United States, representing an increase of more than one dollar since fighting began in Iran on February 28. Diesel fuel costs have climbed even more dramatically.
Rising energy expenses present a significant political challenge for Trump and Republican candidates heading into November’s midterm elections.
Congress established the biofuel blending requirement roughly twenty years ago to decrease American reliance on foreign oil imports while providing economic support to farming communities.
Beginning in 2028, the EPA announced that international fuels and raw materials will earn only half the RIN credits compared to domestically-produced alternatives, a policy designed to strengthen America’s biofuel sector.
DOVER – Delaware transportation officials are expanding their intersection safety initiative by installing red-light cameras at 15 additional locations statewide, with the new equipment expected to become active by summer.
The Delaware Department of Transportation made the announcement as part of its ongoing Electronic Red-Light Safety Program, which aims to decrease collision rates at busy intersections throughout the First State.
Along with the new camera installations, DelDOT will also upgrade equipment at three intersections that currently have red-light monitoring systems in place.
The expansion represents the latest phase in Delaware’s efforts to improve roadway safety through automated enforcement technology at high-traffic intersections.
The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse squad is preparing to face Binghamton University in a special game dedicated to honoring military service members.
The Blue Hens will host this Military Appreciation Day contest, recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of local veterans and active-duty military personnel throughout the region.
This matchup represents an opportunity for the Delaware lacrosse program to show support for the military community while competing against the Binghamton Bearcats.
The Military Appreciation Day game continues the university’s tradition of dedicating athletic events to honor those who have served in the armed forces.
America’s flag football national squad has already demonstrated it can capture Olympic gold without assistance from NFL stars when the sport makes its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Last Saturday’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles proved the men’s national squad has what it takes to bring home the championship. The team overwhelmed squads featuring current and former NFL legends, including Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels. The national team has remained unbeaten in International Federation of American Football competition since 2018, winning contests by an average margin of 50-17, while claiming five consecutive world championships.
This should settle the debate. However, it likely won’t since NFL athletes have expressed their desire to represent their nation and league ownership has approved their participation. Burrow approached last week’s Southern California tournament as if it were a tryout. He displayed more running, cutting, and juking abilities than typically seen in his NFL performances. Cincinnati supporters must have worried about potential injury given his aggressive play style.
Flag football and Olympic participation will be topics at the NFL’s upcoming annual meeting in Phoenix, ensuring continued discussion. USA Football is currently building its 2026 roster. The candidate pool features flag football specialists who are current world champions, alongside athletes with basketball, track and tackle football experience. Former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is also under consideration.
Brady, who demonstrated at 48 that his passing skills remain sharp, removed himself from Team USA consideration after posting an 0-2 record in the tournament.
“LA ’28 will be a lot of guys like you saw out there on the field who make a big commitment to trying to be their best and go out there and showcase their skillset to a global audience,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said.
Flag football differs significantly from tackle football, naturally. The sports are so distinct that Brady was already discussing potential rule modifications to increase passing opportunities.
NFL athletes and coaches entered the round-robin competition unprepared after just a few practice sessions. They couldn’t depend on superior football abilities to defeat an elite squad that knows how to exploit the sport’s specific intricacies.
Flag football demands specialized abilities. Outstanding speed, agility, and evasiveness, particularly in 5-on-5 formats, are essential. The sport naturally favors the quickest athletes.
This eliminates many NFL superstars. The league’s top pass rushers rank among the finest athletes due to their power-speed combination. However, players like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons wouldn’t reach quarterbacks quickly enough to grab flags. Interior defensive linemen have no place. Linebackers wouldn’t qualify. Most safeties wouldn’t either.
“I think when you look at it, you build it with corners and nickels on the defensive side of the ball and fast, skilled guys on the offensive side,” said Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly, who participated in the showcase. “I think linebackers are going to want to get themselves in that game but it feels a lot like a nickel, corner game on the defensive side of the ball.”
Flag removal is its own skill, requiring extensive practice. Traditional tackling fundamentals simply don’t translate to flag football.
“When you traditionally go to tackle somebody, you want to have the man in front of them versus this game (where) you gotta be on the side, your eyes have to be in the right place and you really have to track that flag,” Kuechly said. “These guys do a tremendous job of sinking lower and you miss that flag. So the technique that we learned as the game went on was attack that near hip, play with our eyes directly on that flag and then anticipate them dropping. That’s what they are so good at and it was, quite frankly, very difficult for us to get those flags.”
The NFL represents a violent, physical competition. Flag football emphasizes finesse, making size, strength and power disadvantageous.
Team USA’s offense, featuring Darrell “Housh” Doucette III, Nico Casares, Velton Brown Jr. and Pablo Smith, proved unstoppable across three Saturday games, finding the end zone on every drive except for a victory-ending kneel-down.
“Their skillset was very different than anything we’ve seen in the NFL, the speed, the quickness, the ability to create,” Kuechly said. “Our inability to put our hands on those guys made this game very difficult. The scheme is very different. The concepts are very different. With time, it’ll change and we’ll have a better feel for it.”
The proper combination of NFL talent — fast cornerbacks, quick receivers, shifty running backs and mobile quarterbacks — could potentially claim gold with sufficient time to master the sport’s complexities.
“If we’re looking at great athletes, the NFL players are athletes,” Brady said.
However, when would they find time for flag football preparation? It’s hard to envision teams permitting players to miss NFL preparation time, risking injury in the process. It’s surprising that athletes like Burrow, Daniels, Hurts, Saquon Barkley and others received approval for the Fanatics showcase.
So who will represent America in 2028?
“Whoever gives the team the best chance to win should be out there,” Brady said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken the extraordinary step of personally intervening to block the advancement of four Army officers who were scheduled to be promoted to one-star general positions, NPR has confirmed.
The officers whose promotions were halted are Black and female service members who had successfully completed the standard promotion process. Such direct involvement by a Defense Secretary in individual promotion decisions represents a highly irregular departure from normal Pentagon procedures.
The four Army personnel had already progressed through the typical channels and were positioned to receive their brigadier general stars before Hegseth’s unprecedented intervention occurred.
This level of personal involvement by the nation’s top defense official in blocking specific military promotions is considered extremely uncommon in Pentagon operations.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Four space explorers destined to make history as the first humans to visit lunar territory in more than five decades touched down at Kennedy Space Center on Friday, where a massive rocket awaits to propel them on their extraordinary journey around the moon.
Mission Commander Reid Wiseman and his three fellow crew members flew in from Houston aboard T-38 training aircraft, marking their closest approach yet to an actual launch. The mission faced a two-month postponement due to fuel system problems and other technical difficulties with the rocket, requiring multiple trips between the assembly building and launch pad.
As the astronauts stepped out of their aircraft at Kennedy Space Center, they were welcomed by NASA’s newly appointed administrator Jared Isaacman. The historic crew consists of Wiseman alongside NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch, plus Canadian space agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The space agency has set Wednesday as the earliest possible launch date for the mission. NASA has a narrow window of opportunity during the first six days of April before operations must pause for nearly a month.
The four-person team will travel inside an Orion spacecraft mounted on top of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for the agency’s first crewed lunar expedition since the Apollo 17 mission concluded in 1972. Their 10-day adventure will conclude with a water landing in the Pacific Ocean.
This week, Isaacman revealed updated plans for the lunar base that NASA plans to construct through the Artemis initiative. Following this upcoming mission, the program will feature a lunar landing vehicle demonstration in Earth orbit during 2027, followed by one or potentially two astronaut moon landings scheduled for 2028.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri judge has determined that congressional district boundaries endorsed by former President Donald Trump will remain in place for upcoming midterm elections, even as opponents pursue a voter referendum to overturn the redistricting plan.
Cole County Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe delivered the Friday ruling, handing Republicans a significant victory as they seek to capture an extra House seat in November’s elections.
Critics of the redistricting argued the new boundaries should have been immediately halted in December after petition organizers gathered over 300,000 signatures demanding a statewide vote on the congressional map.
However, Stumpe determined the challengers had no standing to bring their lawsuit, filed their case prematurely, and were requesting judicial intervention in a matter that belongs with executive and legislative officials. The judge stated the redistricting can only be paused if officials ultimately confirm the referendum petition contains sufficient valid signatures and meets legal standards.
“Without verification requirements, any group could suspend legislation merely by submitting boxes of invalid signatures, signatures of unregistered voters, forged names, or other fraudulent submissions,” Stumpe wrote. “Clearly, the framers of Missouri’s Constitution could not have intended such an easily exploited system that would allow bad-faith actors to paralyze the legislative process.”
Missouri law gives Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins until August 4 — when the state holds its primary election — to make a final ruling on whether the referendum petition is valid.
Missouri joins numerous other states in a nationwide redistricting conflict that started last summer when Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw House boundaries to benefit the GOP in this year’s midterms. Following Texas’s action, California Democrats responded with their own new districts, sparking a series of retaliatory redistricting battles across the country.
The redistricting warfare has so far produced only modest gains for Republicans as they attempt to maintain their slim House majority. Meanwhile, Virginia voters will decide in an April 21 election whether to approve mid-decade redistricting that could help Democrats secure several additional seats.
Whether all the district boundary changes will ultimately affect which party controls the House remains unclear. The governing party typically loses congressional seats during midterm elections, and Trump’s poll numbers show negative approval ratings.
Missouri’s current U.S. House delegation includes six Republicans and two Democrats under a map approved in 2022 following the latest census. Republican legislators at that time rejected efforts by some party members to create a map that could give Republicans a chance at seven seats, expressing worry it might spread the party too thin and lead to losses if Democrats had a strong election cycle.
Republicans abandoned those worries last year after White House pressure to modify districts for political benefit.
Lawmakers approved a new map during a September special session designed to help Republicans capture a Kansas City-area seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver. The plan moved parts of Kansas City into two adjacent Republican-held districts and extended the rest of his 5th Congressional District eastward into heavily Republican rural territory.
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge claiming mid-decade redistricting violated the state constitution. A lower court also recently threw out a legal challenge arguing the new districts don’t meet constitutional compactness requirements. Those plaintiffs have filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court.
BEIRUT – Internal sources within Hezbollah report that over 400 of the group’s militants have died since renewed hostilities with Israel began on March 2nd, according to two individuals with knowledge of the organization’s casualty counts who spoke with Reuters.
This marks the first comprehensive death toll released for Hezbollah combatants since Israel escalated its military operations in Lebanon through both aerial bombardments and ground forces. While the Lebanese militant organization has occasionally announced individual fighter deaths, it has not released official comprehensive casualty figures.
During the previous 2023-2024 conflict with Israel, Hezbollah regularly published daily death announcements for each fallen fighter and later confirmed that approximately 5,000 of its members had perished during that war.
Israeli military officials dispute the lower casualty count, claiming this week that their forces have eliminated at least 700 Hezbollah fighters throughout Lebanon, including numerous members of the group’s specialized Radwan Force unit.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported Friday that Israeli military strikes and ground operations have resulted in 1,142 deaths across Lebanon. The casualties include 122 children, 83 women, and 42 healthcare workers. The ministry does not separate civilian deaths from military casualties in its reporting.
Israeli forces also sustained casualties Friday, with military officials confirming that one soldier and one combat officer suffered serious injuries during overnight operations in Lebanon. The Israeli military previously acknowledged that four of its soldiers have died in combat operations in southern Lebanon.
BEIRUT – The sound of Israeli airstrikes in early March forced Hawraa Houmani to make a difficult choice. At 29 years old and nearly ready to give birth, she abandoned her village close to Nabatieh and sought refuge at a Beirut school shelter. The move meant leaving behind the physician who had monitored her pregnancy.
“I had prepared myself physically and mentally for that doctor, for her to be the one delivering,” Houmani said.
When Houmani sought prenatal care at a Beirut medical facility, staff refused to see her. However, when labor pains began seven days later, the same hospital admitted her. Her son Ali was born on March 11.
The following day brought her back to a classroom that now serves as home for herself, her spouse, their 4-year-old child, and extended family members who also fled. They join more than one million Lebanese citizens who have been forced to relocate since the March 2 outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to UNFPA, the United Nations reproductive health organization, approximately 13,500 pregnant women are currently displaced throughout Lebanon. Medical officials anticipate that as many as 1,500 of these women will deliver babies within the coming month.
Living conditions at the shelter present daily challenges for Houmani, who shares bathroom facilities with numerous families. She expresses concern about maintaining proper hygiene while nursing and washing her children. Baby Ali developed respiratory symptoms and facial irritation within his first two weeks of life. The family desperately wants pediatric medical attention, but no doctors have visited their shelter.
Sabah Marji, Ali’s 64-year-old grandmother, held both Ali and his newborn cousin Fatima, who arrived just before the conflict began.
“Right now, I feel great about them, but the joy is incomplete. It’s not the same as when a person is living in their own home with everything around them,” she said.
Ahlam Sayegh, a midwife who also evacuated from Nabatieh, provides whatever assistance she can to displaced expectant and new mothers in Beirut, though resources remain scarce.
“We are giving support, but at the same time most of that support is mainly psychological support – support by telling them what they should do, when the necessities required to put that into practice on the ground are not reaching them,” she said.
Sarah Shahla, 31, was carrying her daughter at five months when the bombardment commenced. She escaped Nabatieh alongside her husband and two boys. At her current shelter, she operates a small business selling sweets and snacks.
With Lebanon nearing one month of renewed warfare and Israel warning of potential southern occupation, Sarah maintains hope of returning home before her daughter’s arrival.
“Of course, I hope that she comes into a life better than this one, that she comes into a life with stability, safety, a family atmosphere, a sense of home, all of these things.”
New international aviation regulations now restrict airline travelers to carrying a maximum of two portable battery chargers aboard aircraft, according to rules that went into effect Friday.
The International Civil Aviation Organization announced that passengers are also forbidden from charging these rechargeable battery devices while airborne, according to the agency’s official statement.
Several airlines including the Lufthansa Group and nations such as South Korea had previously begun implementing their own restrictions on portable chargers during flights. These measures followed safety incidents, including a fire aboard an Air Busan aircraft in 2025.
Officials with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration could not be reached immediately for response to the new regulations.
The Montreal-headquartered ICAO typically establishes worldwide aviation standards that receive approval from its 193 member nations. However, these latest requirements concerning portable battery packs took effect without delay.
MARNE-LA-VALEE, France – Disney’s theme park in Paris will bring on 1,000 additional employees as part of its latest expansion, company CEO Josh D’Amaro announced Friday during a joint appearance with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The French leader joined D’Amaro at the European Disney resort to reveal details about the new themed areas being added to the park, which has served as a major tourist draw across Europe since opening its doors in 1992.
“I believe we will continue to be the number one tourist destination. I believe that we will continue to add jobs. In fact, we’re adding 1,000 jobs, just for this new land that we have built,” D’Amaro stated during the announcement.
The employment boost comes as D’Amaro settles into his leadership position, having officially taken over as Disney’s chief executive just weeks ago during a period of significant transformation for the entertainment giant.
D’Amaro’s previous success managing Disney’s theme park operations – a division that generated 57% of the company’s $17.5 billion in profits last year – played a key role in his promotion to the top executive role.
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a correction regarding two missing sailboats that were transporting humanitarian supplies from Mexico to Cuba, acknowledging that an earlier report claiming the vessels had been found was inaccurate.
A Coast Guard representative confirmed to Reuters on Friday that the previous statement provided to AFP indicating the boats had been located was wrong. The agency emphasized that rescue crews are still actively searching for the missing sailboats.
No additional details about the search operation or the condition of those aboard the vessels have been released at this time.
A traffic accident has prompted officials to shut down a section of Creek Road, blocking vehicle access between Ashland Clinton School Road and Barley Mill Road.
The roadway closure remains in effect as emergency responders and cleanup crews work at the crash site. Drivers traveling through the area should plan for delays and use alternative routes until the road reopens.
No additional details about the collision or potential injuries have been released at this time. Authorities have not provided an estimated timeline for when normal traffic flow will resume on this stretch of Creek Road.
Farmers across the country experienced a marginal boost in peanut compensation during the most recent reporting period, according to federal agricultural data.
For the seven-day period concluding on March 21, agricultural producers earned an average of 22.0 cents per pound for all farmer stock peanuts, representing an increase of 0.2 cent from the previous week’s figures.
The pricing information reflects what growers actually received for their peanut crops during this timeframe, providing insight into current market conditions for this important agricultural commodity.
Federal agriculture officials report a notable increase in poultry production nationwide, with ready-to-cook weight showing a 5 percent jump from the previous year’s figures.
The data comes from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which tracks poultry slaughter and processing statistics across the country.
This upward trend in poultry weight indicates stronger production levels in the industry, reflecting both increased processing capacity and potentially larger bird sizes reaching market.
The agriculture statistics service regularly monitors these production metrics to provide industry stakeholders and consumers with current market information.
National shell egg production has experienced a 4 percent decrease when compared to the previous year’s figures, according to newly released federal agricultural data.
The decline in shell egg processing was documented in a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which monitors production trends across the egg industry.
The data reflects ongoing changes in the agricultural sector as producers navigate various market conditions and industry challenges affecting egg production nationwide.
Federal agricultural regulators have given the green light to a new genetically modified corn variety, removing it from regulatory oversight and allowing for widespread commercial planting.
The corn variety, designated MON 95275 and created by Bayer CropScience, has been engineered to defend itself against corn rootworm beetles that typically cause significant crop damage. The modified plant produces two pest-fighting proteins along with specialized RNA designed to target these destructive insects.
Federal officials announced their decision to deregulate the corn after conducting a comprehensive review of scientific evidence submitted by Bayer CropScience. The evaluation process included analyzing research data, assessing potential plant health risks, and considering feedback from the public regarding the company’s initial petition and preliminary risk evaluation.
The regulatory agency stated that their conclusion was reached after thorough examination of all available scientific information and public input received during the review period. Documentation supporting this determination has now been made available to the public.
This approval allows farmers to plant the new corn variety without special permits or regulatory restrictions that typically apply to experimental genetically modified crops.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced plans to extend a federal program that collects data from independent laboratories across the country.
Following requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and federal budget office rules, the agency is seeking to renew authorization for gathering information from state, local, and private labs that analyze food samples when illness outbreaks occur or when products are recalled from store shelves.
Officials say they are not proposing any modifications to the current data collection system. The existing authorization is set to end on August 31, 2026.
The program allows federal food safety officials to coordinate with outside laboratories during food safety emergencies and investigations into contaminated products that could pose health risks to consumers.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks baseball team experienced a setback in their series against Long Island University, falling in the opening matchup of the weekend series.
While the Hawks came up short on the scoreboard, there was a bright spot in the performance as Jimenez connected for his third triple of the season. This achievement puts him at the top of the Northeast Conference leaderboard for triples this year.
The game also featured defensive action, with Clausell making a successful tag out of an LIU baserunner during the contest.
The Hawks will look to bounce back in the remaining games of the series as they continue their conference play.
The National Basketball Association is exploring three different strategies to discourage franchises from deliberately losing games to secure better draft positions, according to two sources familiar with the discussions who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday.
These strategies — which remain preliminary concepts rather than finalized proposals — were shared with the league’s ownership group by NBA leadership earlier this week, the sources indicated.
Both individuals requested anonymity since the league has not made these details public.
Commissioner Adam Silver announced Wednesday his intention to hold a special ownership meeting in May for voting on lottery modifications, promising the league would address the tanking problem. One source told the AP that these concepts will likely undergo changes or refinements in coming weeks, with additional ideas potentially being presented to owners. The league’s general managers have also been contributing suggestions for potential modifications.
ESPN initially reported that these concepts were shared with team governors.
“I will say again, as I’ve said this before, this is not a new issue in this league,” Silver stated this week. “You can go back to the ’60s, when coin tosses were used to determine who got the first pick, then in the ’80s, when a draft lottery was created. That lottery has been modified four times since then. Does not seem to be operating optimally where we are now.”
Whatever modifications are ultimately approved will not take effect for this year’s lottery, scheduled for May.
Currently, the 14 franchises missing the NBA playoffs enter the lottery, where a four-number ping-pong ball combination determines the top four draft positions.
Under present rules, the three worst-performing teams each hold 14% odds for the top selection — with none of the five worst teams able to drop below eighth position in the lottery. The remaining 11 teams see their No. 1 pick chances decrease gradually, ranging from 12.5% for the fourth-worst team down to 0.7% for the 14th-worst team.
“Incentives need to be fixed,” Silver declared. “We will fix them. I’m looking forward to that.”
One proposed concept would include all 18 non-playoff teams plus the eight play-in tournament participants in the lottery. The bottom 10 franchises would each receive 8% lottery odds, with decreasing percentages from there.
Under this scenario, even the 18th-worst team — a playoff qualifier — could potentially win the lottery with 1% odds.
The WNBA determines lottery positioning based on two-season performance rather than single-season results. The NBA is considering a similar approach.
However, the NBA version would also establish a minimum win threshold — currently proposed at 25 victories per season. This means a team winning 31 games across two seasons would have identical No. 1 pick odds as a franchise earning exactly 50 wins over the same period. This floor aims to eliminate incentives for teams to lose every possible game.
A third concept under consideration would give the five worst teams equal 11% odds for the top pick — replacing the current system where three teams hold 14% chances.
This model would include certain pick protections to prevent the worst-performing teams from falling too far in draft order.
Tech giant Microsoft has stepped in to assume control of a major artificial intelligence data center project in Texas following OpenAI’s decision to withdraw from the expansion, creating a situation where the two companies will operate side-by-side facilities at one of America’s most significant AI computing complexes.
Developer Crusoe announced Friday that it has partnered with Microsoft to construct two additional “AI factory” structures along with a dedicated power facility in Abilene, Texas. These new buildings will sit adjacent to an even more extensive computing complex that Crusoe has been developing for OpenAI and Oracle.
The existing OpenAI facility serves as the centerpiece of the broader Stargate initiative, which proved so significant that President Donald Trump personally unveiled it shortly after taking office last year, highlighting what he described as AI investments representing a “resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential.”
While Microsoft previously served as OpenAI’s sole cloud computing partner and continues to maintain approximately 27% ownership in the company behind ChatGPT, both organizations are now charting independent paths for AI development despite sharing the same geographical area.
Crusoe has finished constructing two facilities for OpenAI and its cloud partner Oracle, delivering substantial computing capabilities that support technologies like ChatGPT, with SoftBank participating as an investment partner. The developer continues work on six additional structures for OpenAI and Oracle scheduled for completion by year’s end.
Earlier this month, OpenAI revealed its decision to cancel further expansion plans at the Abilene location.
“Our flagship Stargate site is one of the largest AI data center campuses in the United States,” stated Sachin Katti, OpenAI’s head of compute infrastructure, in an X platform post. “We considered expanding it further, but ultimately chose to put that additional capacity in other locations.”
According to Katti, OpenAI currently has more than six development sites underway nationwide, including a Wisconsin project being constructed with Oracle.
The two additional Microsoft facilities announced Friday will bring the total building count to 10 data center structures, anticipated to deliver an impressive 2.1 gigawatts of computing power from land that was previously covered in mesquite brush and served as habitat for coyotes and roadrunners.
Initially conceived as a cryptocurrency mining operation, developers shifted direction and expanded their vision following the AI surge triggered by ChatGPT’s emergence.
In a written statement, Crusoe co-founder and CEO Chase Lochmiller explained that a new power facility connected to the Microsoft project will generate 900 megawatts to “continue building the industrial foundation for American AI — at a velocity the industry has never seen.”
This power capacity will exceed the current 350-megawatt gas-powered plant supporting the OpenAI and Oracle operations. Oracle has previously characterized that facility as supplementary power, noting the data centers mainly utilize the regional electrical grid, which incorporates energy from local wind installations.
The competitive AI landscape has created challenges for technology companies’ environmental commitments to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, which primarily result from fossil fuel combustion and contribute to climate change. “We’re burning gas to run this data center,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged during an Abilene visit last year, noting that “in the long trajectory of Stargate” the goal involves utilizing diverse power sources.
Intelligence officials from the United States and Europe have confirmed to The Associated Press that Moscow is delivering drone technology to Tehran, including enhanced versions of the same unmanned aircraft Iran initially provided to Russia following the 2022 Ukraine invasion.
Tehran has launched multiple drone attacks against Israeli targets, neighboring Gulf states, and American military installations throughout the Middle East over the past month, following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. Although Iran maintains its own inventory of Shahed drones, Moscow has enhanced the original design throughout the Ukraine conflict, incorporating improved navigation systems and other battlefield upgrades.
A European intelligence source revealed to AP that Russian and Iranian representatives have engaged in “very active” negotiations this month concerning the drone transfer from Moscow to Tehran. According to a U.S. defense source, it remains uncertain whether this represents a single delivery or part of an ongoing series. Neither source could specify the shipment’s scale or the exact number of drones involved. A separate European official noted that a limited drone delivery would unlikely significantly alter the war’s trajectory. All sources requested anonymity when discussing classified information.
The U.S. defense official noted that Moscow’s reasoning for providing Tehran with more sophisticated drones remains puzzling, considering each weapon sent to Iran represents one fewer munition available for use against Ukraine.
During a Friday press conference in Paris following the Group of Seven foreign ministers summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “there is nothing Russia is doing for Iran that is in any way impeding or affecting our operation or the effectiveness of it.” Neither the White House nor Pentagon responded to requests for additional comment.
The European source indicated their intelligence points to a drone shipment currently in transit, though they cannot verify the exact transportation method. Two truck convoys carrying what Moscow has labeled humanitarian assistance have traveled from Russia through Azerbaijan to Iran, potentially containing the drones, according to the European official.
Russia’s Embassy in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku reported that seven trucks carrying 150 tons of food and additional aid crossed into Astara in northern Iran on Friday, while Russia’s Emergency Ministry confirmed delivering 313 tons of medical supplies to Astara by rail, according to Interfax news agency reports.
A second European official stated their nation has not verified Russian drone transfers to Iran, but suggested that if drones are being transported by truck, the quantities are probably minimal and could represent a largely symbolic effort to preserve Moscow-Tehran relations. The official also noted that Moscow is providing targeting assistance to Iran.
Britain’s most recent defense intelligence evaluation indicates Russia almost certainly provided training and intelligence support, including information about drone types and electronic warfare tactics, to Iran before the Middle East conflict began. Iran is also sharing intelligence with Russia “quite generously,” the European intelligence official revealed, noting that Russian officials learned of Ali Larijani’s death — a senior Iranian security official — before the information became public.
However, the Russia-Iran relationship has experienced tension, the European official explained, with Iranian leadership feeling “deeply disappointed” after Russia failed to assist Iran during its 2025 confrontation with Israel, which resulted in Trump authorizing strikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities.
When questioned Thursday about Financial Times reports regarding Russian drone supplies to Iran, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed them as “false news stories.”
Russia and Iran finalized a $1.7 billion agreement for Iran’s Shahed drone technology after President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion in 2022, with Moscow deploying the Iranian-supplied drones in combat later that year.
Initially, Iranian drones arrived in Russia disassembled, but a manufacturing facility was subsequently established at the Alabuga plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region. The facility has since undergone rapid expansion and increased its workforce, including African women who claim they were deceived into drone production work.
Russian engineers have modified and improved the Shahed drone by developing decoy versions without explosives intended to overwhelm air defense systems. They have also incorporated various enhancements including jet engines, cameras, sophisticated anti-jamming technology, radio communication systems, artificial intelligence computing platforms, and Starlink internet connectivity.
Drone wreckage recovered in Ukraine also demonstrates continued Iran-Russia collaboration on military technology, including exchanges involving advanced anti-jamming capabilities and jet-powered engines that also propel Iran’s cruise missiles.
The U.S. official confirmed uncertainty regarding which drone version or versions Moscow is shipping to Iran.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces lost access to their Starlink satellite internet terminals at the front lines after Ukraine requested Elon Musk’s SpaceX company to block Russian use of the service in Ukraine. Russian forces subsequently experienced degraded command-and-control capabilities and navigation systems for Starlink-equipped drones.
Moscow might be transferring its Starlink-capable drones to Iran because Russian forces face increased difficulty using them in Ukraine, the U.S. official suggested. Alternatively, Moscow could be supplying Iran with other Shahed variants featuring jet propulsion, AI-powered autonomous flight capabilities without signal requirements, or camera equipment for surveillance missions, the U.S. official added.
The transfer of advanced Russian drones to Iran could complicate U.S. and allied efforts to intercept incoming drones, depending on the quantity of Russian drones delivered or how Iran utilizes the enhanced Russian technology, the official warned.
Jet-powered drones operate at higher speeds and therefore present significantly greater challenges for current U.S. anti-drone systems deployed in the Middle East, which would need to rely on limited supplies of costly advanced weapons for successful interception.
Missouri Republican Sam Graves, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, revealed Friday he will not pursue reelection, adding to an unprecedented exodus of lawmakers before the midterm elections.
The 62-year-old congressman has served Missouri’s rural northern district since 2001. Despite filing paperwork last month for what would have been his 14th campaign, Graves announced on social media Friday that he is “making room for the next generation.”
Congressional turnover is reaching historic levels, with 58 House members either retiring or pursuing different offices.
Graves revealed his decision just days ahead of Missouri’s Tuesday candidate filing deadline.
“It’s time to pass the torch and allow a new guard of conservative leaders to step forward and chart a path forward for Missourians,” Graves said.
The congressman has played a key role in aviation safety discussions and probes into the fatal 2025 crash between a commercial aircraft and military helicopter over the Potomac River.
Democratic Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas offered praise for Graves, noting the veteran lawmaker “helped deliver some of our community’s most important projects over the past generation.”
While Graves represents a reliably Republican district, the GOP confronts challenges in keeping House control. Surveys indicate most Americans think U.S. military operations against Iran have been excessive, and voters express growing concern about President Donald Trump’s handling of cost-of-living problems.
At a recent Republican event, Trump dismissed such worries and forecast his party would expand its congressional presence following November’s voting.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Legal battles intensified this week as California’s top prosecutor and voting rights advocates moved to stop a Republican sheriff and gubernatorial candidate from confiscating and manually recounting more than 650,000 ballots from a recent election.
The controversy centers on Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who launched what he calls an investigation into ballot counting from a November 2025 special redistricting election. Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta is pushing courts to intervene quickly, while Bianco has expanded his operation by taking an additional 426 boxes of voting materials this week from county election offices.
A Riverside County judge conducted a hearing Friday regarding Bonta’s motion to expedite the legal proceedings. Bianco maintains his actions are justified and court-approved.
“We are conducting a lawful investigation, approved by a judge,” Bianco stated. “I think the failed democratic candidates are just trying to rally a base for their own political benefit.”
The UCLA Voting Rights Project filed a separate challenge Thursday with the state Supreme Court, contending that Bianco’s ballot seizure breaks California election law.
Bianco, among the leading GOP contenders for governor, initiated his probe after a local citizens organization questioned the vote tally in the special election. He described the effort as “a fact-finding mission” targeting ballots in Riverside County, an inland region home to 2.5 million residents where Bianco has won election as sheriff twice. County election administrators previously informed the Board of Supervisors that the citizens’ complaint lacked merit.
The sheriff announced plans for his department to physically tally every ballot and match those numbers against official results reported to state authorities. The manual count is proceeding under sheriff’s personnel with oversight from a court-appointed special master, though Bianco has not specified when the process will finish.
Bonta’s initial attempt to halt the recount was rejected by an appeals court due to improper filing location. He has since resubmitted the case to a lower court.
“Absent swift action by this Court, the Sheriff’s misguided investigation threatens to sow distrust and jeopardize public confidence in the upcoming primary and general elections, not just in Riverside County but around the State,” Bonta’s legal filing states. “It also sets a dangerous precedent that could invite future attempts to improperly contest election results through a misuse of law enforcement authority and the criminal process.”
Bianco, a Trump supporter, says he secured judicial warrants authorizing the ballot seizure. He claims the vote discrepancy totals approximately 45,800 ballots — a figure county election officials have disputed in public meetings, maintaining that machine tallies and final state submissions varied by roughly 100 votes. Officials explain that handwritten records, which weren’t used for verification purposes, were maintained by temporary election staff working extended shifts who may have made recording errors.
The UCLA Voting Rights Project is requesting the state Supreme Court compel Bianco to return the seized ballots, arguing he lacks legal authority for the confiscation on behalf of several Riverside County residents.
“Law enforcement officials are legally prohibited from interfering in counting ballots, in California and nationwide,” said former state attorney general Xavier Becerra, a Democrat seeking the governor’s office who advises the voting rights organization. “A candidate for Governor should know the law and lead by example, not weaponize his law enforcement office for political gain.”
This ballot investigation unfolds as President Trump continues challenging 2020 election outcomes, claiming unproven fraud occurred. Trump’s administration recently confiscated ballots and related documents from a Georgia election facility. Several Republican officials have adopted similar rhetoric about voting procedures in their respective states.
A Connecticut health supplement manufacturer has announced a voluntary product recall after discovering that certain dietary supplements may contain allergens not listed on the packaging.
Blueroot Health, based in Middletown, Connecticut, issued the recall notice on March 27, 2026, for two production batches of their Vital Nutrients Aller-C dietary supplements. The company warns that these products may contain egg, hazelnut, and soy ingredients that are not declared on the product labels.
The recall poses a serious health risk for individuals with allergies or severe sensitivities to these three allergens. Consumers who have purchased these supplements and have known allergies to egg, hazelnut, or soy are advised to discontinue use immediately.
The company has not yet provided details about how the undeclared allergens may have been introduced into the manufacturing process or the extent of distribution of the affected products.
Authorities in Milford are working to piece together the circumstances surrounding a deadly single-vehicle accident that took place during the early morning hours on Friday.
The Milford Police Department has launched an investigation into the fatal crash, though officials have not yet released details about the victim or the specific cause of the incident.
The collision involved only one vehicle, according to police reports. Investigators are continuing to examine the scene and gather evidence to determine what led to the tragic accident.
This marks another traffic fatality for the area as authorities continue their efforts to promote road safety throughout the community.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not indicated when additional details might be made available to the public.
Oil service companies worldwide are preparing for reduced profits as ongoing Middle East warfare damages energy facilities and causes producers to delay new drilling operations despite climbing oil prices.
While rising commodity costs—with Brent crude climbing 53% since February 27, one day before U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran began—usually make energy projects more lucrative and increase demand for drilling equipment and personnel, this conflict presents a different scenario.
The warfare has created security threats and infrastructure destruction that have caused drilling operations to drop significantly, reducing the need for oil services and equipment in a major global energy production area.
Igor Isaev, analytics director at European brokerage Mind Money, explained the complex situation: “For oilfield services companies, the situation is quite ambiguous: if producers do not increase activity, the price jump alone will not lead to a rise in orders.”
Operations face disruption from inactive drilling platforms in the Persian Gulf, delayed crew deployments, and increased logistics and insurance expenses, causing project postponements and reduced equipment usage.
According to Rystad Energy data from March 27, offshore drilling platforms have decreased approximately 39% to 72 active rigs in the Gulf region. The consulting company reported 118 offshore platforms were operational before February 28.
Navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about one-fifth of worldwide oil and gas transportation, has become more challenging due to heightened security threats, adding complications to offshore drilling and equipment transport.
Lauren Mayhew, MENA Research director at Welligence Energy Analytics, warned about potential consequences: “A persistent closure of the Strait of Hormuz would severely impact crew mobilizations in the region as well as create logistical challenges for movement of equipment and higher insurance costs.” She added that regional project delays would be anticipated.
Oil service companies are experiencing immediate consequences as Middle Eastern operations decrease and producers in other regions remain cautious.
American producers attending this week’s CERAWeek conference in Houston indicated they need sustained elevated oil prices for multiple months before increasing drilling rigs.
Industry leader SLB anticipates first-quarter revenues below projections and earnings reduced by 6-9 cents per share after halting travel and shutting down Middle Eastern operations.
Major companies SLB, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes face the greatest Middle Eastern exposure, while smaller competitors that recently invested in the region also confront pressure.
British-based Borr Drilling placed four platforms on standby throughout Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar while evacuating personnel from one location.
Richard Spears, vice president at oilfield consulting firm Spears & Associates, projected that Middle Eastern oilfield services revenue could decline 10% to 20% during the first quarter.
“If the war keeps going on, well, the second quarter is not good,” Spears stated.
Although the conflict currently reduces activity, experts expect it will eventually increase future demand.
Refineries will require repairs after export channels reopen, work typically handled by oilfield service providers and engineering companies.
Rystad Energy estimates Middle Eastern energy infrastructure repair costs have reached at least $25 billion.
Rystad Energy analyst Karan Satwani noted: “Damage across Gulf energy infrastructure will generate meaningful demand for oilfield services … this would result in operators prioritizing repair and maintenance of existing fields over contract awards for new development.”
QatarEnergy’s chief executive informed Reuters that Iranian attacks eliminated one-sixth of the nation’s LNG export capability, valued at approximately $20 billion annually, with repairs expected to require three to five years.
Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli confirmed his company’s readiness to assist QatarEnergy during damage assessment.
Welligence Energy’s Mayhew concluded: “Additional repair and maintenance to damaged facilities in the region will to some extent result in additional demand for OFS companies, the extent to which this occurs however will be heavily dependent on broader market conditions and firm’s capital allocations.”
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive directive on Friday prohibiting state employees from leveraging confidential government information to place wagers on prediction betting platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi.
The directive emerged following worries that public servants might exploit privileged information for financial gain on these platforms. These concerns intensified after an unidentified bettor earned over $400,000 by wagering that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro would be removed from power before a planned U.S. operation to apprehend him.
Under Newsom’s new directive, all individuals appointed by the governor cannot utilize confidential information for personal financial benefit or to help others profit from predictive betting markets. This prohibition extends to assisting family members or former business associates.
Polymarket and Kalshi represent the largest prediction market websites. Polymarket has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
Kalshi addressed the issue on social media platform X on Friday, stating: “At Kalshi, insider trading violates our rules, and we enforce them when we catch insiders … Government employees should be aware that trading on federally regulated markets using material non-public information violates the law.”
Mexican military officials announced Friday they have sent specialized rescue teams to assist in the ongoing search for four miners who disappeared following a mine cave-in in the country’s northwestern Sinaloa state.
The mining accident took place Wednesday at the Minerales de Sinaloa facility located in El Rosario municipality, according to a defense ministry announcement.
Military officials transported 38 search and rescue experts via aircraft to the accident site, where they joined 60 military personnel already providing security for the operation. The rescue effort also includes participation from local emergency responders and additional rescue units.
GEORGETOWN – Delaware Department of Transportation crews will begin implementing daytime lane restrictions on Shortly Road starting Monday, April 6th, continuing through Friday, April 17th, contingent on favorable weather conditions.
The construction work focuses on expanding the eastbound turning lane that connects Shortly Road to southbound Route 113, along with completing necessary roadway repairs in the area.
DelDOT officials are advising drivers to reduce speeds when traveling through the construction zone and to anticipate possible minor traffic delays during the work period.
Additional details about this project and other transportation updates can be found on DelDOT’s official website at www.deldot.gov.
GREELEY, Colorado — A labor dispute at a major beef processing facility in Colorado shows no signs of ending as thousands of employees prepare to enter their third week on the picket line, demanding improved wages and healthcare benefits.
The walkout at Swift Beef Co.’s Greeley facility, which started March 16, marks the first time slaughterhouse workers have gone on strike in the United States since a 1985 work stoppage at a Hormel facility in Minnesota that lasted over a year and involved violent clashes.
Industry analysts say it remains unclear whether the ongoing labor action will affect meat prices at grocery stores nationwide.
JBS USA, which owns the facility, announced Friday that operations continue at reduced levels while the company has redirected beef processing to other locations to fulfill customer orders.
The strike received overwhelming support from union members, with 99% of the plant’s 3,800 United Food and Commercial Union Local 7 workers backing the walkout. Large crowds have gathered at picket lines throughout the past two weeks.
Labor representatives argue that management’s proposed 2% salary increase falls short of current inflation rates.
“The Union stands ready to meet with JBS at any time, but make no mistake, workers will continue to fight until JBS rights these wrong,” union President Kim Cordova said.
According to Jennifer Martin from Colorado State University’s animal sciences department, the stalled negotiations may actually favor the company over striking employees. She explained that reduced processing capacity across the industry, including this strike and the shutdown of a major Tyson Foods Nebraska plant, has helped boost profit margins for remaining operations.
“It’s not necessarily in favor of the employees,” she added. “The lack of harvest capacity at one facility right now might actually be a benefit to the larger industry in the sense of improving (profit) margins.”
JBS operates as the world’s largest meat processing corporation, valued at $17 billion in market capitalization. The company serves as Greeley’s primary employer in the city of approximately 114,000 residents, located 50 miles northeast of Denver.
“We are maintaining supply, supporting the long-term stability of the beef chain, and minimizing disruption for producers, customers, and consumers,” JBS spokesperson Nikki Richardson said in an email. “Our priority is to keep product moving while we work toward a resolution in Greeley.”
The Brazilian-owned company gained approval for New York Stock Exchange trading last May, despite facing environmental criticism and federal investigation that resulted in guilty pleas for bribing Brazilian government officials to secure financing for U.S. expansion efforts.
A federal court decision Friday cleared the way for Trump administration officials to proceed with a Tuesday meeting that could waive endangered species protections for expanded Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C. denied the Center for Biological Diversity’s request to halt the Interior Department’s scheduled Endangered Species Committee gathering.
The committee plans to convene Tuesday to consider waiving protections under federal wildlife laws — which prohibit harming or killing threatened species without alternatives — citing national security concerns raised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Justice Department documents reveal that Hegseth requested an exemption covering “all Gulf of America oil and gas exploration and development activities” under federal oversight in his appeal to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The request comes during a period of global energy market volatility and rising fuel costs amid ongoing U.S.-Iran conflicts.
The seven-member panel, including six senior federal officials and a state representative, has earned the nickname “God Squad” from conservation advocates who say its decisions can determine whether endangered species survive. The committee has met just three times since its creation nearly five decades ago, and officials have never before used the national security justification.
The environmental organization filed suit this month, claiming Burgum failed to satisfy legal requirements for calling the committee together. In their emergency court filing, advocates warned that next week’s decisions could cause permanent environmental damage. Conservationists are particularly worried about the Gulf’s Rice’s whale population, which has dwindled to approximately 50 individuals.
Federal lawyers countered that the environmental group was attempting to block a decision that hasn’t occurred yet, noting that officials will present their full rationale during Tuesday’s proceedings.
Judge Contreras determined the conservation group failed to meet the demanding criteria required for emergency court intervention.
Brett Hartl, who directs government affairs for the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed frustration that the court “didn’t immediately stop Hegseth’s reckless power grab.”
“We’ll be outside the Department of the Interior on Tuesday protesting this outrageous abuse by Trump’s extinction committee. We’ll certainly be back in court to save the Rice’s whale and all of the Gulf of Mexico’s wildlife from being driven to extinction by the oil industry,” Hartl stated.
Interior Department officials have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Conservation groups contend the administration wants to bypass the rigorous review process typically required for Endangered Species Act waivers. They warn such an exemption could establish a troubling precedent for future energy development projects.
The Gulf region has experienced repeated environmental damage from petroleum operations. A recent oil spill this month contaminated a 373-mile area, affecting at least six species and polluting seven protected wildlife areas. The catastrophic 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster released 134 million gallons of crude oil, causing widespread ecological destruction throughout the region. Federal officials recently approved BP’s new $5 billion deepwater drilling initiative in Gulf waters.
NEW YORK (AP) — With financial markets experiencing dramatic volatility lately, many investors feel compelled to take action to safeguard their retirement funds. However, historical data suggests that maintaining composure has typically yielded the best outcomes.
America’s stock market has consistently bounced back from every significant decline it has experienced. Whether facing global financial crises, trade disputes, or military conflicts, the S&P 500 has always managed to recover its losses and reach new highs. While this recovery process can span several years, investors who pulled their 401(k) funds from stocks often missed out on subsequent rebounds and additional profits.
Could this pattern repeat itself? Nobody can guarantee it, and certain factors make this situation unique. However, many investment professionals and market analysts continue to offer their standard recommendation: Provided it’s money you won’t need in the near future — which shouldn’t be invested in stocks anyway — try to remain patient and weather the market’s volatility, difficult as that may be.
This same guidance was offered following President Donald Trump’s announcement of worldwide tariffs on “Liberation Day” last year, during the inflation surge of 2021, and when COVID devastated the global economy in 2020. Enduring these types of market shocks represents the cost of accessing the larger returns that equities can provide over extended periods.
The conflict in Iran has disrupted global oil distribution and created severe market volatility.
The hostilities have stopped most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel near Iran’s coastline where approximately 20% of the world’s oil typically passes daily. This disruption has pushed oil prices to occasional peaks of $119 per barrel, climbing from around $70 before the conflict began.
Should the war persist through the end of June, analysts at Macquarie predict oil could reach $200 per barrel. The all-time record stands slightly above $147, achieved during summer 2008.
Extended periods of elevated oil prices would create consequences extending well beyond increased costs at gas stations. Companies relying on trucks, ships, or aircraft for product transportation might be forced to increase their prices. Additionally, electricity generated by gas-powered facilities would become more costly.
The S&P 500 appears headed for its fifth consecutive week of declines, marking its longest losing streak in almost four years. The index has returned to approximately its August levels and sits nearly 8% below its record high established earlier this year.
The Nasdaq composite, which emphasizes technology companies, has already fallen more than 10% from its peak. This magnitude of decline is significant enough that investment professionals have designated it a “correction.”
Beyond the extent of the market’s decline, the erratic nature of these movements has also caused concern. American stock markets fluctuated dramatically throughout the past week as expectations about a potential war resolution rose and fell.
While the U.S. stock market doesn’t frequently exhibit this exact behavior, it has a consistent pattern of experiencing steep losses before recovering.
The S&P 500 typically sees declines of at least 10% every year or two. Experts often view these corrections as necessary adjustments that prevent excessive optimism from driving stock prices to unsustainable levels.
“I believe getting a correction is not a bad thing,” said Ann Miletti, head of equity investments at Allspring Global Investments. “In some ways, I feel like that is what keeps the market from having a bigger issue.”
“It keeps all of us honest,” she said.
Liquidating your stocks or shifting your 401(k) investments from equities to bonds might reduce the likelihood of experiencing major losses. However, exiting the market would also require determining the optimal time to re-enter, unless you’re prepared to forfeit any future recovery and gains.
Accurately timing market movements is consistently challenging. Some of the strongest trading days in U.S. stock market history have occurred during downturns.
While some recoveries require more time than others, experts typically recommend avoiding stock investments with money you cannot afford to lose for several years, potentially up to a decade. Emergency reserves for expenses like home repairs or medical costs should not be placed in stocks.
Smartphone applications have made trading more accessible and affordable than ever before. This development has attracted a new generation of investors who may lack experience with such dramatic market fluctuations.
The positive aspect is that younger investors often benefit from having time on their side. With decades remaining before retirement, they can weather market turbulence and allow their stock portfolios to potentially recover while benefiting from compound growth. For these investors, price drops might represent stocks becoming available at discounted rates.
Older investors have less time available for their investments to rebound.
Retirees might consider reducing spending and withdrawals following sharp market declines, since larger withdrawals eliminate future compounding potential. Even in retirement, some individuals will require their investments to sustain them for 30 years or longer.
If alternatives don’t exist, circumstances may force difficult decisions. However, selling 401(k) stocks and withdrawing cash creates dual negative impacts. First, you may face taxes plus a potential 10% early withdrawal penalty. Second, withdrawals eliminate any possibility for those investments to recover losses and grow over time.
401(k) loans may be available in certain situations, but these options carry their own complexities and potential penalties.
You can largely ignore these concerns if you have defined-benefit pensions, though few American workers still receive them. These pensions guarantee specific payments regardless of stock market performance.
During stock declines, Treasury bonds and gold prices often increase as investors seek safer investments. This explains why many advisors recommend maintaining diversified portfolios to help cushion market shocks.
However, this time Treasury prices have suffered due to concerns about elevated oil prices and inflation. Consequently, the 10-year Treasury yield has risen above 4.40%, up from just 3.97% before the war started.
Gold prices have also struggled despite their reputation as a safe haven during uncertain periods. This occurs because bonds offering higher interest rates make gold, which provides no returns to investors, appear less attractive by comparison.
No one knows, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Widespread reports of massive security delays and missed connections at American airports have prompted anxious travelers to arrive hours ahead of their flights. However, several airports experiencing normal operations are now asking passengers to dial back their early arrivals.
John Glenn International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, reports that overly cautious passengers — responding to congressional funding disputes that have created security checkpoint crowding — are actually worsening conditions by causing congestion during busy periods.
“Arriving too early can actually create longer lines right when we open,” the airport said in a social media post Thursday. “Spacing out arrival times helps keep things moving smoothly for everyone.”
The facility has published guidelines recommending passengers arrive just “90 minutes before departure is all you need.”
The challenge for air travelers is the unpredictability of which airports will experience severe security delays next.
A government shutdown affecting Transportation Security Administration personnel has extended checkpoint waiting periods to over two hours at several major facilities. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport has emerged as the most problematic location, with security waits reaching four hours.
These represent extreme situations. Numerous airports — including the Ohio facility — continue experiencing typical waiting periods. Airlines recommend passengers verify TSA delay information before heading to their departure airport.
The situation bears similarities to the “panic buying” behavior witnessed during early 2020 COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s human nature. You don’t have control over what’s going on at an airport,” said Shari Botwin, a Philadelphia clinical social worker who counsels people about anxiety.
“There’s so much media attention about the chaos at airports,” she said. “They might not trust when someone says, ‘Well, you don’t need to come out early anymore.’”
NEW YORK — Federal agents and New York police have taken a New Jersey resident into custody Thursday after he was caught preparing explosive devices intended for the home of a well-known Palestinian activist, according to law enforcement officials.
The intended victim was Nerdeen Kiswani, a 31-year-old Brooklyn resident and Palestinian rights advocate who helped establish the organization Within Our Lifetime.
Late Thursday evening, Kiswani received a phone call from an FBI representative who told her that “a threat on my life was about to take place, and that they had apprehended the threat.”
Law enforcement officials report they detained Andrew Heifler while he was constructing Molotov cocktails intended for Kiswani’s residence. Federal documents reveal he had been planning the attack with an undercover agent for several weeks, even conducting reconnaissance at Kiswani’s home.
Heifler faces two federal firearms-related charges filed Thursday. Court records do not yet show legal representation or scheduled court dates for the defendant.
Federal documents show that in February, Heifler participated in a video conference that included an undercover law enforcement operative, discussing his desire to receive “self-defense” training and secure a location where he could practice with Molotov cocktails.
The following day, court papers indicate Heifler met face-to-face with the undercover agent and expressed his intention to damage Kiswani’s property. The documents refer to her as “Victim-1.” He revealed he possessed Kiswani’s home address and outlined his plans to create incendiary devices and leave the United States following the assault.
Initially planning to depart the country by late April, Heifler later informed the undercover operative he would postpone his departure until mid-May, court documents state.
On March 4, both Heifler and the undercover agent traveled to Kiswani’s neighborhood to “conduct surveillance” and planned the creation of twelve incendiary devices, according to the complaint. Beyond targeting Kiswani’s residence, Heifler proposed attacking two vehicles parked nearby with the explosive devices.
During Thursday’s operation, the undercover agent met Heifler at his Hoboken home, where he possessed a large container of Everclear alcohol and additional materials needed for creating the weapons, court papers show.
Federal documents indicate Heifler confirmed his plan to hurl some of the incendiary devices directly into Kiswani’s home while using others against nearby automobiles.
Following the construction of eight Molotov cocktails, federal agents executed their search warrant at the residence and seized all eight devices. FBI explosive specialists conducted preliminary testing that confirmed the presence of ethanol and determined the items qualified as destructive devices under federal law.
Kiswani, 31, described feeling stunned by the revelation but said the threat didn’t surprise her.
“I feel very blessed that they were able to thwart this, but it’s something that is a constant possibility for people who speak up on behalf of Palestine,” she said.
Federal aviation officials are examining a dangerous mid-air encounter that occurred Tuesday evening when a United Airlines aircraft nearly collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter while approaching John Wayne Airport in Southern California.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday it has launched an investigation into the 8:40 p.m. incident, which happened when the military chopper, returning from a training exercise, entered the commercial aircraft’s flight path. The United flight, carrying 162 passengers and six crew members, was forced to halt its descent and maintain level flight to prevent a crash.
This alarming incident occurs just over a year following the devastating collision between an American Airlines aircraft and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near the nation’s capital, which claimed 67 lives in what became the most deadly aviation disaster on American soil in over twenty years. That tragedy has led to increased examination of aviation protocols and safety measures designed to prevent aircraft conflicts.
Following the 2025 Washington crash, federal regulators implemented new policies this month mandating that air traffic controllers use radar technology to actively guide both helicopters and commercial planes around airport areas, replacing the previous system that relied on visual contact between pilots. Prior to the Washington incident, controllers had asked helicopter crews if they could see the passenger plane before clearing them to maneuver around it.
Regarding Tuesday evening’s close encounter in Santa Ana, California, the FAA stated it will examine whether the recently implemented regulations were properly followed.
United Airlines released a statement acknowledging the Tuesday event details.
“During final approach to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, pilots on United flight 589 were advised by air traffic control to watch for a military helicopter flying near the airport. They saw the helicopter, and also received a traffic alert, which they responded to by leveling the aircraft,” the statement read.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicates the United aircraft came as close as 525 feet vertically and 1,422 feet horizontally to the helicopter before the pilots leveled off following a collision warning alert.
Audio recordings from John Wayne Airport’s control tower, obtained through LiveATC.net, reveal a controller inquiring shortly after the near-miss whether the commercial pilot had been notified about the helicopter or given altitude restrictions. The pilot confirmed receiving a “resolution advisory,” which represents the most critical collision warning alert generated by the aircraft’s onboard safety systems.
“We’re going to be addressing that, because that was not good,” the air traffic controller responded.
A representative from the California National Guard confirmed the helicopter from Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos was conducting standard training operations and returning to its home base “at an assigned altitude while in communication with air traffic control.”
Officials have not disclosed whether any temporary flight path or training route modifications were implemented following Tuesday’s incident.
An airport representative stated that since the event occurred in airspace rather than on airport property, she could not provide additional details.
This recent near-collision happened just two days following a runway accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where an Air Canada aircraft struck a fire truck, resulting in the deaths of both pilots.
House lawmakers are weighing whether to approve emergency funding for Transportation Security Administration workers and most Homeland Security departments following the Senate’s unanimous approval of the measure in the early hours of Friday. The funding package excludes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement but places no additional restrictions on immigration enforcement activities, which have continued operating throughout the government funding lapse.
An end to the 42-day budget standoff may be in sight as airport security workers prepare to miss yet another paycheck today.
Before the Senate approved the legislation, President Donald Trump indicated he would issue a separate directive to immediately compensate TSA workers, though no such order has been executed.
In a Friday letter, American Federation of Government Employees President Everett B. Kelley warned that airport security officers, Coast Guard civilian personnel, and Federal Emergency Management Agency staff all risk losing their third straight paycheck without congressional action.
Kelley urged lawmakers to “please end the longest partial government shutdown” that has impacted Department of Homeland Security workers for 42 days.
“The House can demonstrate its bipartisan support of the hardworking professionals of DHS who serve the public with dedication, respect, and excellence,” Kelley wrote.
The nation’s largest pilots union is pressing Congress to approve compensation for TSA officers before legislators depart Washington for their spring break beginning next week.
Air Line Pilots Association President Capt. Jason Ambrosi emphasized that security officers who continue reporting for duty deserve payment.
“They are expected to show up every day to keep America’s skies safe and secure. These dedicated professionals will see their second zero dollar paycheck today. They are still worrying about mortgages, childcare, keeping the lights on, yet they keep coming to work without being paid,” Ambrosi said.
Nearly two dozen Republican lawmakers, including Freedom Caucus members, announced Friday they would not support the funding bill unless it covers the entire department along with meeting other conditions. Their stance could complicate House efforts to quickly approve the measure.
“This deal is bad for America. It’s bad for Americans,” said Rep. Andy Harris, Freedom Caucus chair.
Conservative opposition may force Republican leadership to seek Democratic votes to pass the legislation, a strategy they typically avoid.
The Department of Homeland Security reports it is sending TSA National Deployment Force members and security personnel from other Texas airports to Houston, where approximately 40% of scheduled TSA officers have been absent this week.
DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis stated late Thursday that Houston travelers have been “experiencing some of the worst wait times in TSA history.”
The personnel shortage has particularly affected Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where officials cautioned that security line waits could exceed four hours again Friday.
Airport website updates indicated 32 officers from the National Deployment Force, which provides backup to understaffed airports nationwide, were already assisting with opening additional security checkpoints at George Bush International.
Vanessa Maturana, traveling Friday from Atlanta to Chicago where extended security lines have delayed passengers for hours this week, believes Congress should approve TSA funding.
“They just need to pay the guys,” Maturana said. “Just get them their salary on time and do what they need to do.”
Orlando Ashford, flying from Atlanta to Washington, agreed that a solution was needed “as soon as possible.”
“To have to sit in lines that literally wrap around the building and outside, it’s inefficient,” said Ashford, who arrived at the Atlanta airport 3½ hours before his flight. “So hopefully they get this fixed soon.”
Security lines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport stretched through the main terminal Friday morning and extended onto the outdoor sidewalk, continuing the pattern from previous days.
The extended wait times left travelers frustrated.
Arthur Tsebetzis, returning to West Palm Beach, Florida, described the passenger backup as “an absolute nightmare.”
“I don’t blame all the airports, but this one here is absolutely an abomination,” Tsebetzis said while navigating the lengthy check-in line. “It’s looping around, down the street into the parking.” He called the political standoff over TSA agent funding “idiotic.”
“It’s a political pawn,” Tsebetzis said, “and the people are paying the price.”
Speaker Mike Johnson indicated the House approach to the Homeland Security funding legislation remains undecided.
“We’re going to have some meetings this morning and figure out what the will is like,” Johnson told reporters.
The funding disruption has caused travel delays and prompted warnings of potential airport closures as unpaid TSA workers stop reporting for duty.
Several airports are experiencing TSA worker absence rates exceeding 40%, and nearly 500 of the agency’s approximately 50,000 transportation security officers have resigned during the shutdown. Nationally on Wednesday, more than 11% of scheduled TSA employees missed work, totaling over 3,120 absences according to DHS.
Thursday saw Senate Majority Leader Thune announce he had presented a “last and final” proposal to Democrats, but progress stalled as the day continued.
Democrats contended that Republican proposals insufficiently restrict officers from ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and other federal agencies conducting immigration operations, particularly following two American deaths during protests against these actions in Minneapolis.
Democratic lawmakers want federal agents to display identification, remove face coverings, and avoid conducting operations near schools, churches, and other sensitive locations. Democrats have demanded judicial approval before agents search homes or private property — a requirement new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has indicated he would consider.
Trump had largely delegated the matter to Congress but warned of potential action, threatening National Guard deployment to airports alongside ICE agents currently verifying traveler identification.
Should the House approve and the President sign the Senate package into law, Trump’s announced TSA payment action might prove temporary or unnecessary.
Senators worked overnight on the agreement funding most remaining department operations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, and TSA, while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding. The package funded Customs operations but not Border Protection.
The legislation imposes no additional immigration enforcement limitations, which have continued largely unaffected by the shutdown. Trump’s tax reduction legislation from last year directed billions in additional DHS funding, including $75 billion for ICE operations, ensuring immigration officers receive payment despite the funding gap.
House proceedings remain uncertain, where Speaker Mike Johnson maintains a narrow majority. Approval will likely require bipartisan cooperation as lawmakers from both political extremes object.
Conservative Republicans have criticized their party’s proposals, insisting on complete immigration operations funding. Many have committed to securing ICE resources in future budget legislation to support Trump’s immigration agenda.
The Senate’s early Friday morning approval of Homeland Security funding covers Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies but excludes immigration enforcement operations central to the budget dispute that has disrupted airports, affected travel, and created financial difficulties for workers.
The unanimously approved deal, passed without a recorded vote, now advances to the House for expected Friday consideration.
With mounting pressure to resolve the 42-day Department of Homeland Security funding standoff, the resolution emerged in final hours before TSA workers miss another Friday paycheck. President Donald Trump announced plans to sign an order for immediate TSA agent payment, stating his intent to quickly end the “Chaos at the Airports.” The agreement excluded all restrictions Democrats sought to limit Trump’s mass deportation initiatives.
State lawmakers gathered with Delaware’s farming community on March 24, 2026, for a special luncheon celebrating National Agriculture Day, organized by the Delaware Farm Bureau’s Promotion & Engagement Committee.
The event brought together legislators and their staff members for a meal prepared and served by committee volunteers. Young people from 4-H and FFA organizations joined the celebration, showcasing the future leaders of Delaware’s farming sector. The gathering created a direct line of communication between Farm Bureau representatives and state officials to discuss pressing agricultural concerns and priorities affecting producers throughout Delaware.
The luncheon represents the Delaware Farm Bureau’s continued commitment to fostering strong connections with state government officials, highlighting farmer experiences, and educating lawmakers about Delaware’s varied agricultural sector. The organization expressed appreciation for legislative backing and emphasized the value of collaborative relationships developed through such events.
Those interested in participating with the Delaware Farm Bureau’s Promotion & Engagement Committee can reach out to P&E Coordinator Mikayla Paul via email at [email protected] or by calling 302-697-3183.
Delaware State Police have taken into custody a 61-year-old Wilmington man named Curtis Reed following two separate road rage episodes on Route 1 where firearms were involved.
The first incident took place on February 6, 2026, around 3:00 p.m. when officers were called to Route 1 close to Wrangle Hill Road in New Castle regarding a road rage situation. According to initial findings, two individuals were driving north on Route 1 when they encountered a gray SUV being operated in an unsafe manner. Following a short verbal confrontation, the unidentified male driver of the SUV aimed a handgun at the victims before fleeing the scene. Officers obtained descriptions of both the vehicle and the operator.
The second episode occurred on March 10, 2026, at about 5:40 a.m. when officers responded to southbound Route 1 near Exit 119 for reports of gunfire. Initial investigation showed that as an unknown male suspect drove a light gray crossover-style SUV southbound on Route 1, he discharged a firearm, hitting a victim’s black BMW two times. The BMW’s operator, a 46-year-old Delaware resident, along with his passenger, escaped injury. The suspect’s vehicle continued traveling south following the incident.
The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit assumed control of both cases. Investigators determined the suspect vehicle was a gray Nissan Rogue and identified Curtis Reed as the operator. Authorities secured a search warrant for the vehicle.
On March 18, 2026, in the morning hours, the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team found Reed operating the Nissan in Wilmington and took him into custody peacefully. Both Reed and the vehicle were transported to Troop 2. Investigators carried out the search warrant and discovered a loaded firearm hidden inside the vehicle.
Regarding the February 6th incident, Reed faces the following charges, was processed by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and received a $22,000 unsecured bond:
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Aggravated Menacing (Felony) – 2 counts
For the March 10th incident, Reed was charged with the following offenses, processed by Justice of the Peace Court 11, and sent to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $24,600 cash bond:
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Two vessels participating in a humanitarian supply mission from Mexico to Cuba that had disappeared during their journey have successfully reached their destination, according to reports from Agence France-Presse on Friday.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the safe arrival of the sailboats in Cuba, AFP stated. The vessels had been part of a larger flotilla delivering aid supplies across the waters between the two nations.
When contacted by Reuters, a representative for the aid convoy said the organization could not immediately verify whether the missing vessels had been found. Neither the U.S. Coast Guard nor Mexican naval authorities provided immediate responses when asked for additional details about the situation.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has kicked off a nationwide campaign to educate food producers about new voluntary labeling guidelines that became effective at the start of this year.
On Tuesday, federal agriculture officials announced their effort to spread awareness about the ‘Product of USA’ labeling standard, which officially began January 1, 2026. The initiative targets meat, poultry, and egg producers while also working to help consumers better comprehend what this designation actually represents.
The labeling system operates on a voluntary basis, giving producers the choice of whether to participate in the program. The USDA’s campaign focuses on both educating industry professionals about the requirements and helping shoppers understand the meaning behind the label when they see it in stores.
Federal food safety officials are requesting public feedback on potential changes to how meat and poultry processing facilities are categorized by size.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking this Tuesday in the Federal Register. The notice asks industry stakeholders and the public to weigh in on whether the agency should modify its current system for classifying processing plants as “very small,” “small,” or “large” operations.
The federal agency is looking for input on both whether these size classifications need updating and how any revisions should be implemented.
The current classification system affects how FSIS regulates different types of meat and poultry establishments, with varying requirements based on facility size.
University of Michigan women’s basketball will be without reserve player Macy Brown for the remainder of March Madness after she suffered a torn ACL in her right knee.
The 6-foot junior guard was injured during a team practice session over the weekend, according to university officials who announced the news Friday.
Brown’s absence comes as the Wolverines prepare for their Sweet 16 clash with Louisville on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. Michigan enters the game as the No. 2 seed with a 27-6 record, while Louisville holds the No. 3 seed at 29-7.
The team expressed their support for Brown through a social media statement, saying “We are heartbroken for her, but know that her energy and spirit will continue to make an impact on the sideline.”
Throughout the current season, Brown appeared in 30 contests coming off the bench, contributing an average of 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. She also recorded 1.2 assists per outing while playing an average of 12.2 minutes each game.
Delaware’s Woodland Ferry has suspended operations while crews conduct necessary maintenance work, according to DelDOT officials.
The ferry crossing will remain out of service until repairs are finished, though transportation officials have not announced when normal operations might resume.
Travelers who typically use the ferry route should plan alternate transportation arrangements during the closure period.
AMSTERDAM – Law enforcement officials in the Netherlands announced Friday that they have taken three more individuals into custody in connection with antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish places of worship.
Authorities detained two Dutch citizens, ages 20 and 23, for their suspected participation in an attack that occurred at a Rotterdam synagogue on March 13, according to prosecutors.
The latest arrests increase the total number of suspects held in connection with the Rotterdam incident to seven individuals.
In a separate case, officials also apprehended an 18-year-old man suspected of participating in preparations for an assault on a synagogue located in Heemstede.
Law enforcement had previously detained two juvenile suspects the prior week, who officials say were planning to detonate an explosive device at a synagogue in Heemstede, a community situated approximately 25 kilometers west of Amsterdam.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills have secured safety Damar Hamlin for another year, announcing Friday that the 28-year-old defender has agreed to a one-year deal to remain with the franchise for his sixth campaign.
The move keeps Hamlin in Western New York after his previous contract ran out, making him a free agent. His continued presence with Buffalo represents an ongoing story of resilience and determination following his life-threatening medical emergency nearly three years ago.
The defensive back has displayed no lingering effects from the cardiac arrest that required on-field resuscitation during Buffalo’s matchup against Cincinnati in January 2023.
While team officials carefully managed his return by limiting him to five appearances in the 2023 season, Hamlin bounced back to make a career-best 14 starts during the 2024 campaign. However, he moved into a reserve role last year and appeared in only five contests before a chest muscle injury suffered during practice landed him on injured reserve.
With the Bills undergoing significant changes, Hamlin will likely battle for a backup position. The team has brought in Jim Leonhard as the new defensive coordinator, working under recently promoted head coach Joe Brady, who took over after the organization dismissed Sean McDermott in January.
Buffalo has also added veteran safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone through free agency, with both players expected to vie for the starting role alongside Cole Bishop.
The Bills made Hamlin a sixth-round selection from the University of Pittsburgh in the 2021 NFL Draft. Throughout his professional career spanning 53 games with 27 starts, he has recorded two interceptions.
Sony is implementing another significant price increase for its PlayStation gaming consoles, marking the second such adjustment in under twelve months and bringing the total cost increase to 30% compared to last year’s pricing.
Beginning next Thursday, the standard PlayStation 5 will retail for $649.99 in the United States, representing a $100 jump from current pricing. The digital-only version will also see a $100 increase to $599.99, while the premium PS5 Pro model will carry an even steeper $150 hike to $899.99.
The Japanese electronics giant attributed the increases to “continued pressures in the global economic landscape” and implemented similar adjustments across international markets including the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan.
Several factors are contributing to rising costs in the electronics sector. U.S. trade policies have disrupted global commerce patterns, and Sony previously raised PlayStation prices by $50 last August. Additionally, the ongoing four-week conflict in Iran has created significant supply chain bottlenecks for energy and manufacturing materials, driving up costs for consumer electronics.
In a statement posted to their official blog, Sony acknowledged the impact on consumers, saying: “We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.”
A critical supply issue has emerged from Iran’s recent attack on Qatar’s natural gas export infrastructure, forcing facility shutdowns that threaten helium supplies. This matters because helium, while commonly associated with party balloons, plays an essential role in semiconductor manufacturing for computers and electronic devices. Qatar provides approximately one-third of global helium supplies according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
Qatar’s government-owned gas company announced the shutdown would reduce helium exports by 14%. Industry analysts warn that reduced supply availability could drive prices even higher if the regional conflict continues for months.
Despite these challenges, Sony reported strong financial performance with October-December quarter profits jumping 11% to 377.3 billion yen ($2.4 billion). The company has raised its annual profit projection to 1.13 trillion yen ($7.2 billion) based on these results.
The PlayStation brand marked its 30th anniversary in North American and European markets last year.
Sony isn’t alone in raising gaming console prices. Competitor Microsoft increased costs for certain Xbox models in September, citing “changes in the macroeconomic environment” well before the current Middle East conflict began.
A veteran NASA astronaut has broken his silence about a mysterious medical emergency that occurred aboard the International Space Station earlier this year, an incident that doctors still cannot explain.
Mike Fincke, a seasoned space traveler with four missions under his belt, revealed Friday that he was the crew member who became suddenly ill on January 7th while having dinner following preparations for a spacewalk scheduled the next day. The 59-year-old retired Air Force colonel lost his ability to speak without experiencing any pain, prompting his concerned crewmates to immediately seek assistance from medical personnel on Earth.
“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” Fincke told The Associated Press during an interview at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The medical episode persisted for approximately 20 minutes before Fincke recovered completely. He described feeling normal afterward and continues to feel well today. The astronaut emphasized he had never experienced anything similar before this incident or since his return to Earth.
Medical professionals have eliminated the possibility of a heart attack, and Fincke confirmed he wasn’t choking during the episode. However, all other potential causes remain under investigation, including whether the incident might be connected to his cumulative 549 days in weightless conditions. The emergency struck during his fifth and a half months aboard the space station, hitting him like “a very, very fast lightning bolt.”
“My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress,” Fincke explained, noting that all six crew members quickly surrounded him. “It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.”
Fincke stated he cannot share additional details about his medical situation, explaining that NASA wants to ensure other astronauts don’t worry about their medical privacy being compromised should they face similar health issues in space.
The space station’s onboard ultrasound equipment proved valuable during the emergency, and Fincke has undergone extensive medical testing since returning to Earth. NASA is currently reviewing medical records from other astronauts to identify any comparable incidents that may have occurred during space missions.
Fincke publicly identified himself as the affected crew member late last month, putting an end to widespread speculation about the incident.
The astronaut expressed regret that his illness forced the cancellation of a planned spacewalk—which would have been his tenth but the first for colleague Zena Cardman—and necessitated an early return for her and two other crew members. SpaceX transported them back to Earth on January 15th, more than a month ahead of schedule, with the crew going directly to a hospital upon landing.
“I’ve been very lucky to be super healthy. So this was very surprising for everyone,” Fincke said.
After repeatedly apologizing to colleagues, Fincke stopped doing so when NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman instructed him to cease the apologies.
“This wasn’t you. This was space, right?” his colleagues reassured him. “You didn’t let anybody down.”
Despite this setback, the optimistic astronaut maintains hope for future space missions.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD announced Friday that it achieved record annual revenue of $116 billion, surpassing Tesla’s figures, though the company experienced its first earnings decline since 2021 amid intense market competition.
The Shenzhen-based automaker has claimed the title of world’s largest electric vehicle producer, delivering 2.26 million electric cars in 2025 – a 28% increase from the previous year. This milestone allowed BYD to overtake Tesla, which reported deliveries of 1.64 million vehicles, representing a 9% decrease.
BYD’s revenue climbed 3.5% to reach 804 billion yuan ($116 billion) in 2025, setting another company record and exceeding Tesla’s annual revenue of $94.8 billion. However, the company’s annual earnings dropped 19% to 32.6 billion yuan ($4.7 billion), marking the first profit decrease since 2021.
The electric vehicle manufacturer has been pursuing international expansion into markets across Latin America and Europe, where automotive industry experts indicate profit margins typically exceed those found in China. The company has also invested in advanced technology improvements, recently unveiling an innovative fast-charging battery system just before releasing its financial results.
Industry analysts predict challenging conditions ahead this year due to extremely competitive circumstances within China. However, rising oil and gasoline costs related to the Iran conflict may revive consumer interest in renewable energy alternatives, potentially benefiting electric vehicle companies.
BYD has reported declining domestic sales for six consecutive months, with total sales dropping 36% year-over-year to 400,241 units during January and February, as increased international sales failed to compensate for ongoing domestic market weakness.
“They cannot rely on mass market EVs to help them keep the same volume that they were selling,” stated Chris Liu, a senior analyst at Shanghai-based advisory firm Omdia.
An aggressive pricing battle in China, the globe’s largest automotive market, has damaged BYD’s profit margins, while competitors like Geely Auto have been capturing market share in early 2026.
Company chairman Wang Chuan-fu acknowledged in Friday’s earnings statement: “We also recognize that competition in the NEV (new energy vehicle) industry has reached a fever pitch, and is undergoing a brutal ‘knockout stage.’”
Extensive government incentives designed to encourage Chinese consumers to adopt electric vehicles have been renewed but reduced this year, creating additional pressure on manufacturers. Market expectations suggest the Iran conflict and resulting global energy crisis could drive more consumers toward electric vehicles, potentially benefiting companies like BYD domestically and internationally.
BYD’s Hong Kong-traded shares have declined more than 20% over the past year, though they have shown improvement during March trading.
Significant technological advances may prove crucial for market recovery, according to industry experts. In early March, BYD introduced an updated version of its powerful “blade” electric vehicle battery capable of reaching nearly full charge within nine minutes.
The company also unveiled new vehicle models including the redesigned Datang SUV equipped with cutting-edge technology, which HSBC automotive analysts noted in a research report could “help BYD to regain domestic market share through technology leadership.”
Internationally, BYD intends to continue expanding its global market presence to improve profitability. The company has established operations in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Argentina, targeting sales of approximately 1.3 million vehicles overseas in 2026, up from roughly 1.05 million last year. According to S&P Global Ratings analyst Claire Yuan, BYD’s approach of constructing and expanding manufacturing facilities abroad will support its international market development.
JERUSALEM — The militant organization Hamas is evaluating a disarmament proposal that could represent a significant compromise, potentially opening the door for President Trump’s reconstruction initiative in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
The group’s decision, anticipated within the next several weeks, carries enormous consequences for Gaza’s 2 million residents, who have endured uncertain conditions since a truce began nearly six months ago.
Since its establishment, Hamas has maintained armed opposition to Israel as a core principle, making the organization hesitant to surrender weaponry including rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives that define its fundamental mission.
Given this history, compliance remains highly uncertain. Hamas has expressed dissatisfaction with the current U.S.-supported proposal being discussed. The ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran has added complexity to Gaza negotiations, potentially causing additional setbacks as regional focus shifts elsewhere.
Meanwhile, essential elements of Trump’s reconstruction strategy remain stalled, particularly the critical rebuilding of the devastated region.
“The future of Gaza … is entirely dependent now on Hamas decommissioning its weapons,” Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council this week. “We truly stand at an inflection point now.”
The October 10th truce sought to end over two years of conflict while initiating a comprehensive process to conclude Hamas’ twenty-year governance and reconstruct Gaza.
While the ceasefire has stopped major combat operations and improved humanitarian assistance delivery to Gaza, providing some respite, challenges persist.
However, Israeli military actions have resulted in nearly 700 Palestinian deaths since the truce began, according to local medical authorities, with Israel maintaining control over more than half of Gaza. Israeli officials justify these strikes as responses to ceasefire violations.
The comprehensive aspects of the 20-point U.S. ceasefire framework remain unimplemented.
These components encompass deploying a U.N.-authorized international peacekeeping mission and foreign-trained Palestinian security forces, establishing a recently named Palestinian administrative committee for Gaza’s governance, additional Israeli military withdrawals, and a multi-year reconstruction program.
Hamas’ weapon surrender is essential for advancing these initiatives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated no advancement will occur without disarmament, while numerous donor nations hesitate to provide funding or personnel for Gaza’s recovery if warfare might resume.
Trump’s comprehensive plan mandates that all Hamas “military, terror and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities” in Gaza must be eliminated. The framework also requires weapons be placed “permanently beyond use.”
Both Israel and the United States interpret this language as unambiguous, requiring Hamas to relinquish all armaments.
According to Hamas representatives and mediators speaking anonymously about ongoing talks, Hamas has attempted to distinguish between “heavy” weaponry like rockets and “light” arms such as rifles and handguns.
The organization also seeks to connect any demilitarization with Israeli troop withdrawals.
Nickolay Mladenov, director of the U.S.-supported Board of Peace, a newly established Trump-led organization supervising the ceasefire, informed the U.N. Security Council this week that mediating nations Turkey, Qatar and Egypt have submitted a proposal to Hamas.
“Serious discussions are underway as we speak,” he said.
According to Mladenov, the proposal demands “complete decommissioning” of all Hamas armaments while transferring Gaza security responsibilities entirely to the new administrative committee.
He explained that disarmament would start with the “most dangerous weapons,” including rockets, explosives and assault weapons, then progress to “personal weapons.”
This process would occur alongside gradual Israeli withdrawals.
Mladenov emphasized that disarmament represents “the only way forward” for reconstruction and the Palestinian governing committee’s success. “For the people of Gaza, the implications are profound.”
Hamas has responded with skepticism.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim criticized Mladenov for allegedly favoring Israel. In a Thursday post on X, he accused the envoy of trying “to be more royalist than the king himself, as he attempts to tie everything to the weapons dossier.”
Other Hamas representatives, speaking anonymously about negotiations, indicated they had accepted the new proposal “in principle,” while maintaining reservations about certain plan elements.
They explained that their response will include modifications addressing concerns, particularly the absence of “crucial” assurances that Israel will cease Gaza attacks and avoid resuming warfare.
The timing of Hamas’ formal response remains unclear.
This uncertainty suggests additional delays or worse outcomes may await Gaza’s war-exhausted population.
Israel’s two-year military campaign, initiated following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel, destroyed extensive areas of Gaza and displaced approximately 90% of residents. Hundreds of thousands continue living in temporary shelters, unable to reconstruct their homes or lives while depending heavily on humanitarian assistance.
Extended negotiations would mean postponed Gaza reconstruction and heightened risk of renewed conflict.
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance convened the inaugural session of a federal anti-fraud task force on Friday, as the Trump administration demonstrates its commitment to combating misuse of government benefit programs.
Before the task force conducted its private session, Vance addressed the media Friday, stating that federal authorities had failed to seriously address fraudulent activities for many years and emphasized the need for “a whole-government approach” to tackle the problem.
“This is not just the theft of the American people’s money,” Vance declared. “It is also the theft of critical services that the American people rely on.”
Republican President Donald Trump has prioritized fraud prevention as a central domestic policy goal, responding to voter concerns about affordability leading up to this November’s midterm elections. This initiative follows accusations of fraudulent activity at daycare facilities operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis, which triggered extensive immigration enforcement actions in the Minnesota city and sparked widespread demonstrations.
During Friday’s announcement, Vance referenced some of the Minnesota accusations. In recent weeks, he conducted a press briefing to declare a temporary suspension of certain Medicaid payments until state officials implemented measures that federal authorities deemed necessary to address their concerns.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic politician who ran against Vance for vice president in 2024, has characterized the actions as a “campaign of retribution” and accused the Trump administration of “weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota.”
This task force represents the most prominent responsibility Trump has assigned to Vance thus far, as many view the vice president as a likely contender for the 2028 presidential race.
The task force membership includes Vance and approximately half of the president’s Cabinet members, along with the head of a newly created Justice Department unit dedicated to fraud prosecution and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson. The group plans to convene regularly to identify and eliminate potential fraud and waste within federal assistance programs.
Ferguson, serving as the task force’s vice chair, described the fraud issue as an urgent national emergency and warned it “shreds the social trust on which these programs and our entire nation depend.”
“This fraud crisis is thus existential,” Ferguson stated. “If we fail to address it, the fabric of our nation will swiftly unravel.”
Colin McDonald, a senior advisor to the Justice Department’s deputy leader, also participated in the task force. He recently received confirmation as assistant attorney general leading the department’s new fraud prosecution division.
While the Justice Department has historically handled fraud cases nationwide through its Criminal Division, the Trump administration maintains that this specialized division is essential to address widespread fraudulent activity.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Once-dominant internet company Yahoo has launched Scout, an artificial intelligence-powered answer engine, as it attempts to reclaim its position in online search technology. When The Associated Press tested Scout by asking why one of Silicon Valley’s former giants lost its prominence ten years ago, the AI tool provided a thoughtful response.
“Yahoo’s journey illustrates how a company with an early advantage can disappear without continuous innovation,” Scout responded, while providing hyperlinks to additional websites that supported its analysis.
That assessment might need revision if Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone successfully uses artificial intelligence to grow the company’s global base of 700 million users who continue using Yahoo’s financial, sports, news, fantasy and email platforms, despite a troubled history that almost eliminated a brand once considered synonymous with the internet.
“Always been the white whale of turnarounds for me,” Lanzone stated, noting his experience in reviving struggling internet companies. “I always thought I could do something with this thing.”
The 55-year-old executive received his opportunity when private equity company Apollo Global Management purchased Yahoo for $5 billion in September 2021 — far below its highest market valuation of $125 billion during the dot-com surge in early 2000. Apollo’s purchase followed Verizon Communications’ 2017 acquisition of Yahoo’s digital services and subsequent failed effort to merge them with AOL, another internet pioneer.
Verizon’s opportunity to acquire Yahoo’s online services only arose due to the company’s consistent poor decisions under seven different chief executives over 16 years.
While Yahoo’s troubled history didn’t eliminate the company entirely, it created a negative perception that makes it doubtful the company will ever return to its former status, according to Jeremy Ring, one of Yahoo’s earliest employees who started selling advertisements for the service from his New York apartment in 1996.
“Even though Yahoo isn’t what it once was, it hasn’t turned into a Blockbuster or Radio Shack story either,” Ring commented, who explored the company’s rise and fall in his 2018 book, “We Were Yahoo!” “What is going to enable them to compete against all the bigger companies using AI? I am not convinced all the best engineers in the world are suddenly going to come work at Yahoo.”
Lanzone’s rebuilding strategy initially concentrated on eliminating Yahoo’s problematic divisions. The restructuring involved removing some of Yahoo’s advertising technology, selling publications like TechCrunch and Rivals, and shutting down AOL’s dial-up internet service, which disconnected its remaining 500 customers. Currently, Yahoo is “very profitable” and generating billions in revenue, Lanzone reported, though he declined to provide exact figures.
After completing the cleanup phase, Lanzone started rebuilding what remained — work that included improving Yahoo’s successful fantasy sports section and completely redesigning its email service, which still holds the second-largest market share behind Google’s Gmail.
By introducing Scout to its 250 million American users, Yahoo is embracing the AI revolution with hopes the technology will make online searching easier and deliver more customized results based on individual user preferences. Lanzone also expects Scout to create a cycle that continuously directs traffic to Yahoo’s other services.
Yahoo faces competition from longtime rival Google, which remains the powerful competitor that contributed to the company’s downfall two decades ago and continues integrating more AI into its search platform through Gemini technology. Adding to the challenge, Yahoo must also compete against popular AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, plus answer engines such as Perplexity.
Acknowledging it’s playing catch-up, Yahoo operates Scout using AI technology licensed from Anthropic.
Unlike other AI chatbots and answer engines, Scout avoids mimicking human conversations so users can’t “have a fake personal relationship with it,” Lanzone explained. “The product is very unique, even though we didn’t invent AI in the first place.”
Yahoo’s efforts to capture more online search traffic have mostly failed since the late 1990s, a decline that began just years after Stanford University students Jerry Yang and David Filo established the company as the internet’s first comprehensive website directory.
However, as the internet became more important for entertainment and business, Yahoo changed its strategy from directing traffic to other sites to creating an all-inclusive website that would keep visitors engaged. This strategic change allowed two other Stanford students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, to develop a search engine called Google.
After rejecting an opportunity to purchase Google for only $1 million in 1998, Yahoo invested more heavily in becoming a complete destination while neglecting search so much that it outsourced that function to another company in 2000. Yahoo not only contracted Google as its search provider but also advertised Google’s brand on its website. By 2002, Yahoo offered to purchase Google for $3 billion, but Page and Brin demanded $5 billion. The failed negotiations set Google on a path toward building an internet empire now worth $3.7 trillion under parent company Alphabet Inc.
Yahoo cycled through seven CEOs, including former Google executive Marissa Mayer, in an unsuccessful attempt to compete in search before ending its 21-year run as a public company with its problematic sale to Verizon for $4.5 billion. During this period, Yahoo turned down a $44.6 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft in 2008 before eventually agreeing to use the software company’s Bing search engine.
Should Yahoo’s investment in Scout succeed, Lanzone admits it might result in the company returning to public trading more than 30 years after its 1996 initial public offering that heightened the dot-com excitement among investors at the time. Lanzone thinks another Yahoo IPO could still generate enthusiasm.
“We still have one of the biggest audiences on the internet, and that audience has been pretty loyal through a lot of ups and downs,” he stated. “If we just ‘super-serve’ them, good things will happen.”
WASHINGTON — Iranian-backed cybercriminals announced Friday they successfully infiltrated FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email account, releasing dated photographs and private documents spanning several years online.
The hacking collective known as Handala published a statement declaring their cyber breach, writing: “Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims.”
Among the materials released were multiple images showing Patel in casual settings, including photographs of him posing next to a vintage sports car and smoking a cigar. The cybercriminals also made available downloadable files containing emails and additional personal records from Patel’s compromised account. Most of the leaked materials appear to contain information about his private travel arrangements and business activities from over ten years ago.
The FBI declined to provide immediate comment Friday regarding the security breach. However, a source with knowledge of the incident, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, verified that hackers had indeed accessed one of Patel’s personal email accounts. The exact timing of the cyberattack remains unclear, though reports from December 2024 indicated Patel had been notified by the FBI that Iranian hackers had targeted him.
Handala operates as a pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian cyber warfare group that recently took responsibility for attacking computer systems at Stryker, a medical technology corporation based in Michigan. The group justified their assault on Stryker as payback for alleged U.S. military strikes that resulted in Iranian civilian casualties, including schoolchildren. This organization represents one of several proxy groups conducting digital warfare operations on Iran’s behalf.
Federal prosecutors highlighted Handala’s activities in a recent Justice Department announcement, revealing they had confiscated four internet domains connected to Iranian cyber operations and intimidation campaigns targeting political dissidents.
Federal education officials announced they will begin contacting over 7 million student loan borrowers on Friday, instructing them to choose alternative repayment options after the SAVE program was eliminated by federal courts earlier this month.
These borrowers, who had been participating in the Biden administration’s SAVE repayment program, have not been required to make loan payments since July 2024 while court proceedings unfolded.
Beginning July 1st, loan servicing companies will start sending notifications that give borrowers a 90-day window to pick a different repayment option, according to department representatives.
Under the Trump administration’s leadership, “The days of unlawful loan forgiveness are behind us,” stated Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent.
“Let me be clear, the Trump administration’s perspective is that when a student takes out a loan, they are responsible for repaying it,” Kent explained to The Associated Press.
The eliminated SAVE program was part of former President Biden’s efforts to ease student debt burdens for Americans. The plan offered favorable conditions compared to other options, limiting monthly payments to just 5% of a borrower’s discretionary income and providing debt cancellation for those who made payments for a minimum of 10 years while originally borrowing $12,000 or less.
During the legal proceedings, participants in the program were exempt from making payments. However, loan balances started accumulating interest after a court decision last summer halted the SAVE program’s implementation, resulting in higher debt amounts for some borrowers.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit officially eliminated the SAVE program earlier this month. The Education Department’s upcoming notifications will instruct borrowers to select a payment plan and begin making payments potentially as early as this summer.
Loan servicers will reach out to borrowers in phases, contacting a new group every two weeks. Those who participated in the SAVE program for the longest period will receive the first notifications.
WASHINGTON – A source with knowledge of ongoing diplomatic efforts says Tehran is anticipated to deliver its counter-proposal to an American peace plan today, aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.
According to the informed source, intermediaries have notified President Donald Trump and senior White House staff that Iran’s response to the U.S. proposal would be forthcoming on Friday.
The conflict, which erupted when American and Israeli forces launched attacks against Iran on February 28, has since expanded throughout the Middle Eastern region.
Tehran has been examining a comprehensive 15-point proposal delivered through Pakistani diplomatic channels, which reportedly contains requirements for dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities, restricting its missile programs, and essentially transferring control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, based on multiple sources and published accounts.
A senior Iranian representative told Reuters on Thursday that government leaders had examined the American proposal and concluded it primarily benefited U.S. and Israeli objectives. However, the official indicated that diplomatic discussions remain ongoing.
On Friday, the San Diego Wave revealed they have acquired former Chelsea forward Catarina Macario for their roster.
The 26-year-old veteran of the U.S. Women’s National Team has committed to a contract that runs through the 2030 NWSL season.
Born in Brazil but raised in the San Diego region, Macario developed her skills with local youth clubs before starring at Stanford University.
In a video statement from the Wave, Macario expressed her emotions about returning home: “It’s amazing to see all of (my family’s) sacrifices paying off. San Diego means so much to me. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I became a young woman, where I learned to speak English and made lifelong friends. To be back here and actually represent the city and play for San Diego, it means a lot to me.”
Following her collegiate success where she captured consecutive MAC Hermann awards as the top player in the nation during 2018 and 2019, plus helped Stanford claim NCAA titles in 2017 and 2019, Macario took her talents overseas to compete professionally with Lyon in France from 2021-2023, then with Chelsea in England from 2023-2026.
On the international stage, Macario has contributed 16 goals and five assists across 29 matches for the USWNT after gaining American citizenship in 2020. Her achievements include earning a bronze medal during the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob began discussions with political party leaders on Friday to form a broad coalition government following last week’s extremely close election results that left no party with a clear majority.
Vote counting from the March 22 election shows Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) secured 29 seats in parliament, edging out the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) led by former premier Janez Jansa by just a single seat.
Both parties need additional partners to reach a working majority in Slovenia’s 90-member parliament, giving smaller political groups significant influence in determining the country’s next government.
Golob extended invitations to all parties that won seats except the SDS to join a unity government during what he described as a challenging period marked by Europe’s latest energy crisis stemming from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
However, three center-right parties with platforms similar to the SDS declined the offer, stating they would attempt to create their own center-right alliance instead.
Current projections show parties historically aligned with Golob’s movement could bring his parliamentary support to 40 seats, while Jansa’s SDS and potential allies would hold 43 seats – still falling short of the needed majority. Jansa indicated he plans to wait for final vote tallies before beginning his own coalition discussions.
During Friday’s meeting, Golob emphasized the need for immediate economic intervention, stating that all participants agreed to work together on urgent measures to protect Slovenia’s agricultural sector and broader economy. He described these steps as necessary following “the unwise attack on Iran, and as Europe is preparing for a major economic crisis.”
Slovenia is already experiencing energy supply challenges and recently had to impose temporary restrictions on fuel purchases at gas stations due to hoarding behavior triggered by price increases.
Meeting participants agreed that any future government’s top priorities should focus on anti-corruption efforts and stabilizing the energy sector.
Under Golob’s leadership, Slovenia has maintained pro-European policies emphasizing social reforms while aligning its foreign policy with other European nations.
In contrast, Jansa – who maintains close ties with Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban and has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump – advocates for business tax reductions, cuts to welfare and media funding, and a shift in Slovenia’s international relationships.
The SDS filed formal complaints with election officials requesting new early voting due to alleged irregularities, but the electoral commission rejected these claims on Friday.
The election attracted international scrutiny after Golob accused “foreign services” of interference, referencing a reported December meeting between Jansa and officials from Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube. Golob characterized this as “the biggest scandal we have witnessed in Slovenia since independence.” Jansa has denied any wrongdoing and accused Golob of attempting to hide corruption within his own party.
