The New England Patriots are preparing to cut quarterback Josh Dobbs following unsuccessful attempts to trade him, according to a Monday report from NFL Network.
Dobbs still has one year remaining on his two-year, $8 million contract that he inked in March of last year to serve as Drake Maye’s backup quarterback.
This month, New England brought back quarterback Tommy DeVito on a new two-year, $4.4 million deal. DeVito had joined the Patriots last offseason and worked as the team’s third-string emergency quarterback.
By cutting Dobbs, the Patriots will free up $3.7 million in salary cap room while absorbing $1.05 million in dead money charges.
The 31-year-old Dobbs saw action in four contests for New England during the previous season, connecting on 7 of 10 passing attempts for 65 yards. Selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, he has played in 27 games across six seasons with six different franchises, starting 15 times with a 3-12 record. His career statistics include a 62.8% completion rate for 3,346 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, plus 515 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
DeVito, age 27, did not play in any games for New England last season but had previously started eight of 12 games for the New York Giants between 2023-24. During that span, he accumulated 1,358 passing yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing for 227 yards and one score.
The European Central Bank’s top economist delivered an optimistic forecast Monday about artificial intelligence’s potential to transform the eurozone economy, predicting productivity could surge by more than 4 percentage points during the coming decade.
Philip Lane, the ECB’s chief economist, addressed these long-term economic prospects during a bank conference in Frankfurt on Monday, even as the institution remains focused on immediate concerns about Middle Eastern conflicts and their impact on inflation rates.
Lane explained that the economic benefits from artificial intelligence will depend heavily on how quickly businesses and industries embrace the new technology across the region.
If AI adoption follows patterns similar to previous technological breakthroughs like the internet, Lane projected at least 1.5 percentage points of additional productivity growth within a decade. However, if current adoption trends accelerate and reach half of the economy, benefits could surpass 4 percentage points.
“The greatest impact will be achieved if AI materially boosts the pace of innovation, as rather than just boosting the level of productivity, this could increase the long-run potential growth rate,” Lane stated during his presentation.
The economist cautioned that sustained high energy prices pose a significant threat to this progress, noting that AI technology requires substantial power consumption, which could limit both development of new AI systems and their widespread implementation.
Lane acknowledged that Europe faces a considerable disadvantage in the global AI race, with only approximately 3% of patents filed in the eurozone relating to artificial intelligence technology, while the United States accounts for 9% of such patents.
The economic gap extends beyond patents, as eurozone countries currently pay nearly 250 billion euros annually (equivalent to $290 billion) in royalties to foreign patent holders, predominantly American companies, highlighting the region’s heavy reliance on imported technological innovations.
Lane attributed part of Europe’s technological lag to less developed capital markets, which he said limits the investment capital necessary for scaling innovative technologies.
“Ensuring broad access to finance, supporting diffusion among smaller firms and investing in skills and complementary intangible assets will be central to realising AI’s potential while limiting adjustment costs,” he concluded.
SEATTLE — Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks have reached agreement on a massive four-year contract extension valued at $168.8 million, with $120 million in guaranteed money, according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday.
The source requested anonymity since the contract, which would establish Smith-Njigba as the NFL’s top-paid wide receiver, has not yet been officially completed.
The 24-year-old receiver broke franchise records last season with 1,793 receiving yards and 119 catches, earning him the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honor.
Smith-Njigba will remain with Seattle through the 2031 campaign. The team had already picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal last week.
The massive contract tops the previous record held by Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, who inked a $161 million extension with $112 million guaranteed last March.
During the regular season, Smith-Njigba recorded nine games with over 100 receiving yards and played a crucial role in Seattle capturing its second Super Bowl title in team history. His performance in the NFC championship victory over Los Angeles was particularly impressive, hauling in 10 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown in the 31-27 triumph.
Throughout his professional career, Smith-Njigba has accumulated 282 catches for 3,551 yards and 20 touchdowns.
A Goldey-Beacom College basketball standout has earned recognition from one of college basketball’s most prestigious coaching organizations.
Sophomore guard Tre Powell, who hails from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-East Region second team. The honor represents another achievement in what has been an impressive season for the Lightning player.
The NABC All-Region teams recognize the top college basketball performers across different geographical areas of the country. Powell’s selection highlights his strong play throughout the season for Goldey-Beacom’s men’s basketball program.
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider will open the season on the injured list after suffering an oblique strain, team officials confirmed Monday.
The right-handed pitcher was originally slated to take the mound in Monday’s final spring training game against Pittsburgh but was pulled from the lineup. Braves manager Walt Weiss expressed optimism to media members that Strider would only be sidelined for a few weeks.
The 27-year-old hurler is working to continue his recovery path following right elbow surgery two years ago. After missing the majority of the 2024 season, Strider made his return to the big leagues last year, posting a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA across 23 appearances.
During this spring’s training camp, he compiled a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 innings as he attempts to recapture his 2023 All-Star performance, when he topped the major leagues with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts.
This injury adds to Atlanta’s mounting rotation concerns, as starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep have already been placed on the 60-day injured list after undergoing elbow procedures.
JOHANNESBURG — A former South African police commander with one of the most chilling nicknames from the apartheid era appeared Monday before an investigation examining the brutal 1985 murders of four activists, as the nation continues examining unpunished crimes from its segregated past.
Eugene de Kock, known as “Prime Evil” for his deadly campaign against apartheid opponents, claimed he wasn’t directly involved in the high-profile murders of the Cradock Four. However, he revealed that security forces maintained photographs of approximately 6,000 anti-apartheid supporters labeled as “known terrorists” who were targeted for surveillance and execution when arrests weren’t feasible.
According to de Kock’s testimony, the four victims weren’t on these lists. The murdered men — Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkonto, three working as educators — were seized by officers during a traffic stop and subsequently killed. Authorities discovered their charred remains in what became one of apartheid’s most disturbing incidents.
During his appearance, de Kock revealed that an officer connected to the murders approached him seeking assistance with a cover-up operation.
“He wanted to know if I could get another firearm,” de Kock stated, explaining he was also asked “if we could interfere with the ballistics.”
The 77-year-old former head of an elite anti-insurgency police division received two life sentences plus 212 years behind bars in 1996 following convictions for murder, abduction and additional charges related to capturing, torturing and executing activists. Authorities granted him parole in 2015.
Security officers escorted de Kock to the courthouse in Gqeberha, the southern city where the four men died. Court officials obscured his appearance in the official video feed after the judge determined he shouldn’t be visible, according to the Foundation for Human Rights representing victims’ relatives.
Previous investigations during apartheid were broadly viewed as deliberate cover-ups. A 1987 probe concluded unknown individuals committed the murders. Another investigation launched in 1993 determined unnamed police personnel were responsible.
This current examination began last year following persistent demands from the families. Six former officers linked to the killings escaped prosecution despite being named and rejected for amnesty during South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation proceedings in the late 1990s. All six have since passed away.
South African officials have renewed investigations into additional apartheid-era atrocities recently, including Nobel Peace Prize recipient Albert Luthuli’s 1967 death, attorney Griffiths Mxenge’s 1981 murder, and the 1977 custody death of legendary anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko.
President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a separate investigation last year to determine whether post-apartheid administrations under his political party deliberately obstructed inquiries and prosecutions of crimes from the segregation period.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — More than a dozen leaders from European far-right political parties converged on Hungary’s capital Monday to demonstrate solidarity with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose upcoming April election could determine the future direction of the nationalist movement across Europe and the United States.
Since regaining control of Hungary in 2010, Orbán has established himself as a central figure in the international far-right movement, even before former U.S. President Donald Trump launched his 2016 campaign.
The Hungarian prime minister’s political achievements — including four consecutive electoral wins, comprehensive control over government institutions, media outlets and universities, plus his focus on traditional family principles — have made him a model for conservative success in both America and Europe.
However, with just three weeks remaining before Hungarian voters head to the ballot box, polling data indicates Orbán trails a center-right opponent — suggesting his decade-and-a-half in power and his influence within conservative circles may be ending.
Princeton University professor Kim Lane Scheppele, who specializes in sociology and international affairs, noted that despite Orbán’s significant European influence and popularity among Trump’s MAGA supporters, the upcoming vote carries enormous consequences.
“Hungary is this kind of proof of concept that the MAGA kind of politics can work,” Scheppele said. “If Orbán loses, then it loses some of that luster.”
Monday’s Budapest meeting brought together the Patriots for Europe organization, established in 2024 by Orbán and his nationalist allies.
This coalition represents the European Parliament’s third-largest faction, with member parties from 13 EU nations united by their opposition to immigration, preference for national control over European unity, and commitment to traditional social principles.
The gathering featured prominent figures including France’s Marine Le Pen, Italy’s Matteo Salvini, and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders. Each of the 13 speakers addressed the audience, praising Orbán and encouraging Hungarian voters to support him and his Fidesz party in the April 12 contest.
Le Pen, currently appealing a March 2025 conviction for misappropriating European Parliament resources, commended Orbán’s stance on “immigration, identity and sovereignty.” She described Hungary as “an emblem of the resistance of a proud and sovereign people to oppression.”
“On April 12, you will send a new message of strength and determination to tired old technocrats in Brussels,” she told the crowd.
The Patriots organization has cultivated relationships with Trump and his MAGA supporters, adopting the motto “Make Europe Great Again.” Orbán has consistently predicted a nationalist takeover across Europe, positioning the Patriots as the mechanism to accomplish this goal.
During the Budapest assembly, Orbán declared the Patriots “are talking openly about wanting to take control of the European Union. We want to occupy and transform the center of Brussels.”
Professor Scheppele explained that Orbán’s importance to European far-right success stems from his ability to leverage Hungarian state power and financial resources to advance their objectives.
“Hungary has been really important because it’s been governed for 16 years by somebody trying to build this movement, and that means that it’s kind of a safe haven,” she said.
Orbán’s reach extends well beyond European boundaries. He and Trump maintain a mutual admiration, regularly exchanging public praise and campaign support.
Demonstrating Orbán’s ongoing appeal among American conservatives, Budapest hosted the fifth Hungarian Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday. There, Orbán proclaimed the West was experiencing “the greatest political realignment of the past hundred years.”
“The epicenter of this realignment, its center of power, is the United States, and its forward base in Europe is Hungary,” he said.
Trump sent a video message to CPAC endorsing Orbán’s reelection bid and applauding his protection of “your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty, and your values.”
Scheppele observed remarkable similarities between Orbán’s Hungarian accomplishments and what Trump supporters envisioned for a second presidential term in America.
“A lot of the inspiration for the way that MAGA launched itself and developed a kind of political program to consolidate power very quickly was modeled on Orbán,” she said. “These are really interlocking networks and I think that the (Hungarian) election therefore looms very large in the MAGA political imagination.”
Orbán’s current political difficulties — driven by persistent economic stagnation, deteriorating public services, and mounting corruption accusations — mirror challenges facing Trump’s movement.
As Hungary’s election nears and Trump potentially faces losing one of his most vocal international supporters, the former president confronts declining approval ratings due to the Iran conflict and an immigration enforcement campaign whose public support has declined sharply.
Trump’s Republican Party anticipates substantial defeats in November’s midterm elections.
BATH, Maine — More than 600 workers at a major U.S. Navy shipbuilding facility in Maine launched a strike Monday following failed contract negotiations over compensation and benefits.
Members of the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association walked off the job at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works after voting down the company’s latest wage proposal during weekend deliberations. The union represents 627 employees at the century-old shipyard that has manufactured naval vessels in Bath for over 100 years.
The labor action comes just weeks following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the facility, where he emphasized the importance of expanding defense manufacturing capabilities. The strike also coincides with escalating U.S. military operations involving Iran.
According to union officials, the shipyard’s proposal fails to adequately address worker concerns regarding pay scales, health insurance benefits, and pension security.
“We had hoped the company took to heart the statements made by Secretary Hegseth here at GD BIW on February 9th because, our membership certainly did,” stated union President Trent Vellella in an email, adding that General Dynamics “continues to make record profits off our labor.”
Bath Iron Works spokesperson David Hench said the company engaged in three weeks of negotiations but could not reach agreement on a new labor contract. Hench described the company’s offer as including “historic annual wage increases” of 10.1% in year one, followed by 4% raises in each subsequent year through the four-year deal.
The shipyard announced plans to maintain operations during the strike using management staff, contractors, and other workers who choose to report for duty. Hench noted the facility employs approximately 6,800 people total.
“The company is continuing to negotiate in good faith with the BMDA to explore opportunities to better align company and union objectives,” Hench said in his statement.
The striking union is part of the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, commonly called the UAW, which ranks among the nation’s largest labor organizations. BMDA members work in roles including design, nondestructive testing, technical administration, laboratory work, and associate engineering positions.
Workers established picket lines outside the shipyard Monday despite cold, wet weather conditions. Union members indicated they plan continuous picketing operations until a new contract is approved.
Bath Iron Works serves as a primary Navy shipbuilder and received a multi-year agreement in 2023 to construct multiple Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Navy leadership has characterized the Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer as the “backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet.” The service added another destroyer to the contract through an option exercised last year.
Company representatives have not yet addressed whether the strike will impact production schedules.
NEW YORK — Two pilots lost their lives when their passenger jet struck a fire truck during landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday evening, marking a tragic accident that has shut down one of the nation’s busiest airports.
The fatal incident happened at approximately 11:45 p.m. Sunday as the Air Canada regional aircraft was completing its arrival from Montreal. The emergency vehicle was crossing the runway to assist with an unrelated situation involving another aircraft that had reported strange odors.
Tower communications reveal that air traffic control had originally given permission for the fire truck to cross the runway, but then frantically attempted to halt the vehicle when they realized a collision was imminent. Controllers can be heard repeatedly ordering the truck to stop while simultaneously redirecting other incoming flights away from the runway.
Dramatic images captured after the crash show the aircraft’s front section completely destroyed and angled skyward, with wreckage scattered around the severely damaged cockpit area. Emergency evacuation slides were deployed at the plane’s exits, while the overturned fire truck could be seen lying on its side close to the wreckage.
Both the pilot and copilot died in the collision, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages LaGuardia. Officials have not yet identified the crew members, though both were Canadian-based aviators.
Approximately 40 passengers and crew members were transported to local medical facilities, with some sustaining significant injuries, the Port Authority reported. The majority of those hospitalized had been discharged by Monday morning.
The two Port Authority workers who were aboard the fire truck also sustained injuries, though officials say their conditions are not considered life-threatening.
The Jazz Aviation aircraft, flying under the Air Canada banner, was carrying roughly 70 passengers along with four crew members when it departed from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Airport operations ceased completely following Sunday’s accident, with all air traffic rerouted to other facilities. LaGuardia is expected to stay shuttered until at least 2 p.m. Monday while National Transportation Safety Board officials conduct their investigation.
The closure compounds existing travel difficulties as U.S. airports face disruptions from an ongoing government funding standoff during the peak spring break travel period.
LaGuardia ranks as the nation’s 19th most active airport among more than 500 facilities nationwide, based on 2024 Federal Aviation Administration data.
The facility began serving commercial flights in 1939 and sits in Queens, roughly 9 miles from Manhattan.
While it’s premature to determine what led to this fatal accident, the incident highlights ongoing pressures facing air traffic control personnel in recent years.
Though air traffic controllers aren’t directly impacted by the current government shutdown, they’re classified as essential personnel and have previously been required to perform their high-stress duties without compensation during similar funding lapses.
The current partial shutdown has stretched beyond a month, creating lengthy delays and passenger frustration at airports nationwide.
Numerous Transportation Security Administration workers have either called out sick or resigned rather than continue working without pay.
In response, President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of immigration enforcement personnel to assist TSA operations on Monday.
Congressional leaders remain at an impasse over funding approval for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA operations.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences is close to finalizing the purchase of biotech firm Ouro Medicines in a transaction valued at as much as $2 billion, according to a Financial Times report published Monday.
The acquisition agreement would involve Gilead providing approximately $1.5 billion in immediate cash payments to Ouro’s private investors, with an additional $500 million or more contingent upon achieving specific clinical trial objectives, according to sources familiar with the negotiations cited in the report.
Ouro Medicines specializes in developing treatments for immune system disorders. The company announcement could come within days, though the Financial Times noted that both the timeline and financial terms remain subject to potential changes.
Neither Gilead Sciences nor the California-headquartered Ouro Medicines provided immediate responses when contacted by Reuters for comment on the reported acquisition.
A military transport aircraft carrying 110 soldiers crashed Monday during takeoff in Colombia’s remote Amazon region, according to officials and local media reports.
The Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules went down near Puerto Leguizamo, a town in southern Colombia close to the Peruvian border, while transporting military personnel, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed.
“The exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined,” Sanchez stated.
Local news outlet BluRadio reported that authorities confirmed 110 soldiers were traveling on the aircraft when it crashed approximately two miles from a populated area.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his concerns about the incident on social media, using the crash to highlight his frustrations with military modernization delays.
“I hope there are no fatalities in this horrific accident that should never have happened,” Petro wrote. “I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake. If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed.”
The C-130 Hercules aircraft series dates back to the 1950s, with Colombia first acquiring these planes in the late 1960s. The country has recently updated some of its aging fleet with newer versions provided by the United States through a program that transfers surplus military equipment.
Officials have not yet released specific information about the aircraft involved in Monday’s crash.
This incident follows another C-130 crash in late February when a Bolivian Air Force plane went down in El Alto, narrowly avoiding residential areas. That accident resulted in more than 20 deaths and 30 injuries, with scattered banknotes from the aircraft’s cargo leading to confrontations between local residents and security personnel.
Lockheed Martin has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the Colombian incident.
WNBA players have taken a major step toward ending their contract standoff by overwhelmingly approving a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement with league management.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” Monday, Women’s National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike revealed that players supported the deal by a nearly unanimous margin, with 90% of the membership participating in the ratification process.
The contract now awaits final approval from league officials.
League management and the players’ union jointly announced Friday that they had reached terms on the seven-year deal, which will remain in effect through the 2032 season.
Under the revenue-sharing arrangement, player salaries will see dramatic increases, with average pay rising to $583,000 for the current season and top earners making up to $1.4 million. The total compensation package will provide more than $1 billion in wages and benefits throughout the contract period.
“This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated Friday in an official announcement. “Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league’s future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together.”
The compensation improvements mark a dramatic advancement for professional women’s basketball players. Team spending limits will reach $7 million this season — a massive increase from the previous $1.5 million cap in 2025 — with future adjustments tied to team and league revenue performance.
Projections show maximum player earnings could reach $2.4 million by 2032, while average salaries are expected to exceed $1 million by the contract’s end.
Base salaries for the current season will range between $270,000 and $300,000, determined by years of experience. The top draft selection in 2026 will earn roughly $500,000.
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” said Ogwumike, who won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2016. “We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward.
“This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
Players have operated without a contract since choosing to terminate their previous agreement in October 2024, one year ahead of its scheduled October 31, 2025 conclusion.
Championship bonuses will also see substantial increases, with title-winning team members receiving $60,000 each — up from $22,908 in 2025 — while runners-up will earn $20,000 (previously $8,521). The Finals MVP bonus jumps to $30,000 from $5,000.
Individual award bonuses include $60,000 for the season MVP, $30,000 for Defensive Player of the Year, and $15,000 for Rookie of the Year.
All-Star Game MVP recipients will earn $20,000.
The regular season schedule will expand to 50 games during 2027 and 2028, then increase to 52 games from 2029 through 2032.
The WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13, with training camps beginning six days afterward.
DOVER — Lieutenant Governor Kyle Evans Gay completed a series of meetings with almost 100 small business owners from New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties during a one-week period, focusing on discovering fresh opportunities for businesses from different sectors to work together in strengthening Delaware’s economic landscape and local communities.
The lieutenant governor’s office announced the completion of these statewide business discussions, which aimed at fostering collaboration between various industries to benefit both Delaware’s overall economy and individual communities throughout the First State.
During these conversations with business leaders from all corners of Delaware, Gay explored ways to encourage partnerships across different business sectors that could lead to stronger economic growth and enhanced community development initiatives.
Worcester County officials are calling on local residents to examine and provide input on their newly released draft comprehensive plan for 2026.
The planning document, now available for public review, will serve as a roadmap for future development, land use, and growth management decisions throughout the Maryland county.
Community members are encouraged to study the draft proposal and share their thoughts and recommendations with county planners before the plan moves forward in the approval process.
The comprehensive plan represents a critical planning tool that will influence how the county develops over the coming years, addressing topics such as housing, transportation, economic development, and environmental protection.
Details about how residents can access the draft document and submit their feedback have been made available through the county’s official channels.
Salisbury, Maryland officials have scheduled a dynamic musical performance that will put audience members in control of the evening’s playlist on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
The interactive piano performance will take place at the Pohanka Riverwalk Amphitheater from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., featuring nationally recognized duo The Flying Ivories in a request-driven rock and roll show.
Concert-goers will have the opportunity to select songs ranging from timeless classics to contemporary hits, creating a personalized musical journey where audience participation through singing, dancing, and laughter becomes part of the show itself.
Local food vendors Grateful Grub and Whites and Associates will provide dining and refreshment options throughout the evening.
The casual outdoor event encourages visitors to bring personal seating such as chairs or blankets to enjoy the performance on the amphitheater’s grassy area overlooking Salisbury’s waterfront.
For those seeking an enhanced experience, organizers are offering a special High Note package with only 60 spots available. This premium option provides front-row table seating for groups of six, along with priority privileges for both song requests and bar service.
Admission pricing is set at $25 for standard entry and $40 for the High Note Experience package.
City officials anticipate strong ticket demand and recommend early purchase.
Tickets can be secured through the event website at https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/DuelingPianosSBY.
A franchisee operating Taco Bell and Dunkin’ restaurants in New York City has reached a settlement exceeding $1.5 million to resolve allegations of breaking local worker scheduling regulations, according to an announcement Monday from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration.
The new mayor, who began his term in January, made enhanced enforcement of worker protection regulations a cornerstone of his campaign platform.
City officials from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection accused Salz Management LLC of consistently breaking multiple workplace rules. The violations included failing to provide adequate advance scheduling notice to employees, not compensating workers for demanding “clopening” shifts where staff must close one evening and return to open the following morning, and neglecting to offer available hours to current employees before bringing on new hires.
City officials simultaneously announced legal action against QSR Management LLC and its corporate managing officer Ronny Nader, another Dunkin’ operator. The lawsuit alleges this franchisee broke New York City’s scheduling regulations affecting approximately 1,000 employees across 21 Staten Island Dunkin’ locations. This same operator previously faced city action in 2022, resulting in required compensation for over 100 workers.
Both franchisee companies did not provide responses to requests for comment before publication.
Last December, New York City secured a $38.9 million settlement from Starbucks over similar scheduling law violations. Officials under then-mayor Eric Adams called it the city’s largest worker protection settlement on record.
When the Starbucks agreement was revealed, Mamdani endorsed the settlement during a news conference held with Senator Bernie Sanders at a striking Starbucks workers’ demonstration.
Yum Brands and Inspire Brands, the corporate parents of Taco Bell and Dunkin’ respectively, also failed to respond to comment requests.
New York City pioneered restrictions on “on-call scheduling” practices in the United States, where retail, fast food, and service industry employers would summon workers or cancel their shifts without adequate warning. Oregon implemented comparable legislation, as did Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and multiple other American cities.
According to publicly available data, the city launched 57 investigations into potential scheduling law violations by fast food employers during 2025.
Industry associations have opposed these regulations, arguing they create operational difficulties and may force businesses to eliminate positions.
A pivotal witness in Prince Harry’s privacy case against a British tabloid shocked London’s High Court Monday by claiming his crucial testimony was fabricated and his signature was forged.
Private investigator Gavin Burrows, whose evidence could determine the lawsuit’s outcome, testified that the legal action “was based on a pack of lies.”
Prince Harry, King Charles’ younger son, along with six other prominent individuals including musician Elton John, filed suit against Associated Newspapers’ publications. They allege the company engaged in extensive illegal information collection, including phone hacking activities spanning three decades.
The publisher, which operates the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, has rejected all allegations of misconduct.
According to the plaintiffs’ legal team, Burrows provided a witness statement in August 2021 claiming he had “targeted hundreds, possibly thousands of people” on behalf of Associated through various illegal methods, from wiretapping phone lines to stealing voicemail messages and obtaining data through fraudulent means.
These accusations form a major portion of the plaintiffs’ legal argument.
However, Burrows later contacted Associated’s attorneys claiming he never provided such testimony and that someone had falsified his signature. He told the court he first learned about the allegations supposedly made by him through newspaper coverage.
“This statement has nothing to do with me,” Burrows declared during his video testimony from an undisclosed international location, citing safety concerns for himself and his family due to threats received.
During heated questioning with plaintiffs’ attorney David Sherborne, who received court approval to treat Burrows as a “hostile” witness, Burrows stated: “You have got to explain to your claimants how you have been conned. This thing is based on a pack of lies.”
Associated’s defense team has characterized the entire case as artificially constructed and financially backed by media opponents, including deceased Formula One executive and privacy advocate Max Mosley. They claim a “research team” supporting the plaintiffs’ lawyers compensated witnesses for their testimony.
Sherborne challenged Burrows’ credibility, suggesting he changed his story only after a dispute with Graham Johnson, a member of the research team. Johnson, a former journalist with a phone-hacking conviction who now documents tabloid misconduct, previously testified that Burrows had agreed to participate in book and documentary projects for which he received 75,000 pounds ($100,747.50), with their partnership dissolving in early 2022.
Burrows claimed ignorance about his involvement in the Associated case until January 2023, when he became “absolutely furious” upon learning his name was connected to it. He said he contacted the publisher because he believed plaintiff Doreen Lawrence, an anti-racism activist, was being deceived.
“The whole thing is a thing of fiction,” he testified, denying any employment or payment relationship with Associated.
Burrows represents the final witness in the trial that commenced in January, with closing arguments scheduled for later this month.
A teenager from Wilmington is facing serious weapons and narcotics charges after Dover police say he ran from officers and discarded a gun and drugs during a chase Friday afternoon.
Ahmeer Ledbetter, 19, was taken into custody around 4:33 p.m. on March 20th, 2026, in the 100 block of South New Street in Dover. According to the Dover Police Department, patrol officers had responded to reports of someone carrying a firearm in the area.
When police tried to make contact with Ledbetter, he took off running on foot, authorities said. Officers quickly caught up with him during the pursuit.
During the chase, police say Ledbetter threw away evidence that officers later recovered – a loaded .40 caliber handgun and 7.17 grams of heroin.
Ledbetter is now being held at Sussex Correctional Institution on $183,000 cash bail. He’s facing multiple charges including possession of a deadly weapon during commission of a felony, possession with intent to deliver heroin, two counts of possession of firearm/ammunition by a person prohibited, possession of firearm by person prohibited (drugs), resisting arrest, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and tampering with physical evidence.
The case is being handled by Dover Police Department’s Patrol Division. Lieutenant Mark Hoffman serves as the department’s public information officer for this incident.
Conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suffered a major political blow after citizens overwhelmingly voted against her administration’s proposed judicial system overhaul in a referendum that concluded Sunday.
Opposition forces claiming “No” captured approximately 54% of votes, while Meloni’s “Yes” supporters managed only about 46%, based on nearly complete data from Italy’s Interior Ministry.
The two-day voting period drew unexpectedly high participation at nearly 59%, following an intensely divisive campaign. The outcome energized center-left opposition parties while revealing cracks in the right-wing alliance backing Meloni.
This referendum loss threatens to undermine Meloni’s authority domestically and internationally. The setback could also hinder her ability to justify her controversial partnership with U.S. President Donald Trump and his increasingly criticized military actions against Iran.
The proposed changes targeted Italy’s long-disputed judicial framework. One central element would have permanently divided the professional tracks of judges and prosecutors, eliminating their ability to transfer between positions.
The plan also sought to restructure the High Judicial Council, the body responsible for magistrate appointments and disciplinary actions. Under the failed proposal, this council would have been divided into three distinct chambers, with member selection switching from internal voting to random selection from qualified judicial personnel.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have been dispatched to airports throughout the nation to support Transportation Security Administration operations during the ongoing partial government shutdown. The deployment delivers on President Donald Trump’s commitment to provide additional resources as security checkpoint delays mount nationwide.
The government shutdown has resulted in extended waiting periods at airport security screening areas across the United States, prompting the decision to bring in federal immigration agents as backup support.
The Associated Press has compiled a collection of photographs documenting the presence of ICE agents at various airport locations.
WASHINGTON — Cultural organizations and historic preservation advocates have filed legal action to prevent major structural modifications at the Kennedy Center before a planned two-year shutdown that President Donald Trump says is needed for renovations at the iconic performing arts facility.
The legal challenge targeting Trump, the Kennedy Center, and other administration officials doesn’t question the necessity of standard maintenance and repairs. However, it contends that the more extensive modifications Trump has alluded to should undergo the standard review procedures that apply to significant projects throughout Washington, D.C.
Trump has indicated that modifications at the Kennedy Center might be so extensive that the building’s steel framework could be “fully exposed.”
“Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo,” the suit argues.
Officials from the White House and Kennedy Center did not immediately provide responses to requests for comment.
Several attorneys participating in Monday’s legal filing have previously pursued other court cases challenging Trump’s efforts to modify Washington’s historic district, including his unexpected demolition of the White House East Wing last year to create space for a ballroom. In the Kennedy Center case, the attorneys referenced a “broader pattern of unauthorized damage to historic buildings in the capital district.”
A federal judge dismissed the ballroom lawsuit last month, determining it was unlikely to prevail on its legal arguments.
Following years of minimal attention to the Kennedy Center during his initial presidency, Trump has exercised significant control over the facility since returning to office. Within just one month of his second term, he removed the center’s existing leadership and installed a personally selected board of trustees that appointed him as chairman. He brought in Richard Grenell as president, a role he maintained until Matt Floca took over the position last week.
The venue’s programming has shifted to include more Trump-aligned events, hosting occasions like the debut screening of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
The board has also declared the facility renamed as the Trump Kennedy Center, a modification that experts and legislators say requires congressional approval, and physically installed the president’s name on the building’s exterior.
The arts community’s reaction was immediate and severe. Performers including actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck and author Louise Penny were among many artists who canceled scheduled appearances, while advisors such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming stepped down from their positions. This month, National Symphony Orchestra executive director Jean Davidson departed to lead the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
A Norwegian technology company with backing from Microsoft has secured $40 million in investment funding to advance revolutionary semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the firm announced Monday.
Lace, based in Bergen, Norway, is developing cutting-edge technology that could transform how computer chips are made and designed. The startup’s innovation centers on a new method for creating the intricate circuits that power today’s most advanced artificial intelligence processors.
Traditional semiconductor production relies on lithography processes that utilize light beams to etch complex circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. Major chip manufacturers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Intel depend on specialized lithography equipment from Netherlands-based ASML, which currently dominates this critical market segment.
However, Lace has pioneered a different methodology entirely. The company’s engineers have created a lithography system that employs helium atom beams rather than light-based technology. This breakthrough approach enables the creation of chip components that are ten times smaller than what existing methods can achieve, according to CEO Bodil Holst.
“Our technology is a way that can potentially expand the roadmap and be an enabler for doing things that would not have been possible otherwise,” Holst explained during a recent interview.
The helium atom beam technology offers remarkable precision advantages. John Petersen, Scientific Director of Lithography at industry research hub Imec, describes the potential for creating transistors and other chip elements at an “almost unimaginable” scale reduction.
The technical specifications highlight this dramatic difference in precision. Lace’s helium beam measures approximately 0.1 nanometers wide – roughly equivalent to a single hydrogen atom. By comparison, ASML’s current light-based systems operate with beams measuring 13.5 nanometers, while a human hair spans about 100,000 nanometers in width.
This enhanced miniaturization capability would allow semiconductor manufacturers to dramatically boost the performance of AI processors beyond current limitations. Holst noted that their technology could enable chip production at “ultimately atomic resolution.”
The Series A funding round received leadership from Atomico, with additional capital provided by Microsoft’s investment division M12, along with Linse Capital, Spain’s Society for Technological Transformation, and Nysnø. The company chose not to disclose its current valuation.
Lace has already developed prototype systems and projects having a testing system operational in a pilot semiconductor fabrication facility by approximately 2029. The company shared its research findings through an invited paper presentation at a scientific lithography conference in February.
This funding comes as investors and government entities show renewed interest in semiconductor manufacturing technology, particularly as new startups emerge seeking to challenge established industry leaders like ASML.
Eight historic preservation and architectural organizations filed a federal lawsuit Monday targeting President Donald Trump and Kennedy Center leadership over plans to extensively renovate the Washington D.C. performing arts venue.
The coalition, led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States and the American Institute of Architects, claims in their Washington federal court filing that the administration moved forward with the reconstruction without securing necessary congressional authorization and skipping required federal oversight processes.
According to the legal challenge, the proposed renovation exceeds the scope allowed under the Kennedy Center’s founding legislation, which restricts the board’s powers to essential repairs and upgrades needed for basic building operations. The extensive project would force a two-year closure of the facility.
“The Kennedy Center is not a personal project of any president,” Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, said in a statement. “It is a national cultural monument built to honor John F. Kennedy and to serve the American people.”
Neither the White House nor Kennedy Center representatives provided immediate responses to requests for comment.
This Kennedy Center renovation represents one element of Trump’s broader Washington transformation initiative, which includes constructing a 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the demolished White House East Wing previously stood.
A separate National Trust lawsuit challenging the ballroom construction awaits a federal judge’s decision this month on whether to halt that project.
The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 as a living tribute to the assassinated President John F. Kennedy, has already sustained unauthorized alterations according to Monday’s lawsuit. The filing alleges the administration improperly repainted the building’s 200 gold columns white and installed new exterior signage that positions Trump’s name above Kennedy’s.
Additional renovation work is scheduled to commence following the July 4th Independence Day holiday.
Trump has justified his decision to shutter the Kennedy Center for the two-year renovation period, arguing the timeline allows for efficient completion of the extensive work.
“When you do marbles, you can’t have people walking over the marble every night, as it’s drying and setting, and going to a play,” he said.
The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that right-handed pitcher Spencer Strider will miss the beginning of the season after suffering an oblique strain.
The 27-year-old hurler was pulled from his planned spring training outing Monday against Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Florida. During spring training, the former All-Star posted a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA across three appearances, including two starts, recording 11 strikeouts and issuing two walks over 8 1/3 innings.
This setback comes as Strider works to bounce back from an inconsistent 2025 campaign following his recovery from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for most of 2024. Last season, he compiled a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts.
The right-hander’s best season came in 2023 when he earned National League All-Star honors and placed fourth in Cy Young Award balloting. That year, he topped the majors with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts while posting a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts.
Since his MLB debut in 2021, Strider has accumulated a 39-24 record with a 3.74 ERA over 90 career appearances, including 77 starts. Atlanta selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft from Clemson University.
Atlanta kicks off the new season Friday when they host the Kansas City Royals. Nine-time All-Star left-hander Chris Sale will take the mound as the team’s Opening Day starter.
The injury adds to mounting concerns for Atlanta’s pitching rotation. Left-hander Joey Wentz will miss the entire season after tearing his right ACL, while right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are both on the 60-day injured list with elbow problems.
A major French energy company has struck a deal with the United States to abandon offshore wind development and pour nearly $1 billion into oil and natural gas projects instead.
TotalEnergies announced Monday it will walk away from offshore wind leases and commit those funds to fossil fuel production, marking another setback for America’s struggling offshore wind sector under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Trump administration, which has criticized wind turbines as unsightly, expensive and ineffective, continues pushing policies that favor increased domestic fossil fuel extraction.
Under the agreement, the U.S. Department of the Interior will refund approximately $1 billion that TotalEnergies previously spent on offshore wind lease purchases, according to a federal statement. In exchange, the French company has committed to avoiding any future offshore wind development projects in American waters.
TotalEnergies plans to put $928 million toward expanding the Rio Grande LNG facility in Texas in 2026, while also funding conventional oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and shale gas extraction operations, the Interior Department announced.
Once these fossil fuel investments are completed, federal officials will cancel TotalEnergies’ wind leases in the Carolina Long Bay region and New York Bight area, both of which were secured in 2022, and provide the promised reimbursement.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne stated that offshore wind development does not represent the most cost-effective method for generating electricity in the United States.
The announcement came during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, where Pouyanne joined U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reveal the arrangement.
A senior Google executive warned Monday that America’s electricity infrastructure development may be lagging behind the enormous power demands required for artificial intelligence expansion.
Ruth Porat, who serves as Google’s President and Chief Investment Officer, raised concerns about the nation’s energy capacity during remarks at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas on March 23rd. Her comments highlighted the massive electricity requirements needed to operate AI data centers at scale.
“We are concerned that we are not full throttle on energy,” Porat stated during the industry gathering.
The warning underscores growing challenges facing tech companies as they race to expand AI capabilities while grappling with the substantial power infrastructure needed to support these advanced computing systems.
Authorities have released the name of a 72-year-old Millsboro woman who died in a fatal incident involving her son last Thursday. Delaware State Police confirmed that Patricia Sulecki of Millsboro was the victim in the homicide case that resulted in murder charges against her son.
Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly incident. Detectives are encouraging anyone who may have relevant information about the case to reach out to Detective D. Patterson by calling (302) 365-8471. Tips can also be submitted through private messages to the Delaware State Police Facebook page or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Support services are available for those affected by this tragedy. The Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center provide around-the-clock assistance to crime victims, witnesses, and families who have lost loved ones to sudden death. Help can be accessed through their 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461) or by emailing [email protected].
The United Soybean Board has released a compilation of insights and observations from participants in their recent international trade mission. The collection, titled as a ‘See For Yourself’ report, captures various perspectives from the agricultural trade delegation’s overseas activities.
The trade mission represents part of ongoing efforts by soybean industry representatives to explore and strengthen international market opportunities. These missions typically involve meetings with foreign buyers, government officials, and agricultural partners to promote U.S. soybean exports.
The reflections document provides firsthand accounts from mission participants about their experiences engaging with international markets and potential trading partners. Such trade missions are considered important tools for maintaining and expanding export relationships in the competitive global agricultural marketplace.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Del. – A pedestrian accident in New Castle County turned into a violent confrontation with police that resulted in the arrest of a local man on multiple charges.
New Castle County Division of Police officers were called to the intersection of Oregon Road and Nebraska Road in the Park Place Trailer Park community around 12:06 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, following reports of a vehicle striking a pedestrian.
The pedestrian involved in the crash was identified as 32-year-old Maliq Smith-Lemon. During the investigation, the situation escalated when Smith-Lemon allegedly became combative with responding officers.
According to police reports, Smith-Lemon assaulted the officers at the scene and discarded a firearm during the altercation before being taken into custody.
The incident remains under investigation by the New Castle County Division of Police. Additional details about the charges Smith-Lemon faces have not yet been released.
The Delaware Division of the Arts has revealed the winners of its 15th Annual State Employee Art Exhibition, highlighting the creative talents of the state’s public workforce.
According to an announcement made March 24, 2026, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity for residents to see a different side of Delaware’s government employees – those who dedicate their careers to maintaining parks, assisting families, safeguarding community health, overseeing resources, and ensuring vital services continue operating.
The State Employee Art Exhibition presents an alternative perspective on the public workforce, showcasing the artistic abilities that exist alongside their professional responsibilities serving Delaware communities.
This marks the 15th year the Division of the Arts has organized this special exhibition, which continues to foster creativity among state workers while building connections between government employees and the communities they serve.
TAIPEI – The head of Taiwan’s main opposition political party declared Monday that strengthening diplomatic relationships with Beijing doesn’t require taking an anti-American position, emphasizing that Taiwan’s future hinges on maintaining stable connections with China.
Cheng Li-wun, a former legislator who secured the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) party last October, has indicated she plans to pursue even stronger Beijing relationships than her predecessor Eric Chu, who never traveled to China during his leadership tenure starting in 2021.
Beijing considers democratic Taiwan part of its territory and refuses diplomatic contact with President Lai Ching-te’s administration, labeling him a “separatist.” However, Chinese officials routinely host high-ranking KMT representatives, though Cheng hasn’t made the trip since winning her election.
This approach has drawn sharp criticism from Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party, which accuses the KMT of attempting to sacrifice Taiwan’s democratic values and freedoms to appease Beijing while following Chinese directives to obstruct defense funding and distance Taipei from Washington.
During remarks to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Cheng defended her party against what she called “misunderstanding and prejudice” regarding their political positions, reaffirming her backing for U.S. weapons purchases while noting such proposals need proper financial analysis.
“In terms of the overall narrative, the KMT has long maintained very good relations with the United States. This does not affect our desire to improve relations with the mainland,” she stated.
“There is no contradiction between the two, and there is no need to choose one over the other,” Cheng continued. “Why does improving relations with mainland China have to mean being less pro-American?”
She emphasized the critical importance of maintaining positive China relationships “whose relationship with Taiwan directly affects Taiwan’s survival.”
While Cheng has publicly stated her interest in meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, she avoided giving specifics about progress on those potential discussions.
The KMT and its smaller partner, the Taiwan People’s Party, control a legislative majority, providing them significant political influence to halt government initiatives and advance their own agenda.
All three major political parties are preparing for mayoral and county leadership races scheduled for late November, which will serve as an important indicator of public support before the 2028 presidential contest.
Beijing has intensified military pressure against Taiwan and continues to maintain that military action remains an option for bringing the island under Chinese authority.
When questioned about her views on potential future unification across the Taiwan Strait, Cheng indicated the timing isn’t appropriate for such discussions.
“What we need to deal with now is how to create peaceful and stable cross-strait relations.”
Lai’s administration continues to reject Beijing’s territorial claims over Taiwan.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s leading opposition candidate is calling for a treason investigation following reports that the country’s government has been secretly feeding confidential European Union information to Russia for years.
Péter Magyar, who leads in polls ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections, responded Monday to a Washington Post investigation revealing alleged covert communications between Budapest and Moscow. Magyar accused Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó of “appearing to conspire with Russia, thus betraying both Hungarian and European interests.”
“Should these allegations prove accurate, this constitutes treason, punishable by life imprisonment. An incoming TISZA administration will launch an immediate investigation into this matter,” Magyar stated on social media.
Magyar’s TISZA party currently leads in polling just three weeks before elections that could remove Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party from power after 14 years of rule.
According to the Post’s reporting, which relied on multiple current and former European security sources, Orbán’s administration has consistently given Moscow access to classified EU deliberations.
Sources told the newspaper that Szijjártó routinely contacted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during breaks at EU gatherings, including last Thursday’s summit of the bloc’s 27 leaders, delivering “real-time updates on discussions” and potential outcomes.
One European security official described how these communications meant “essentially every EU meeting for years has included Moscow’s presence at the table.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine in 2022, Szijjártó has traveled to Moscow 16 times officially, including a March 4 meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Szijjártó’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Orbán dismissed the allegations, instead claiming the Post report demonstrates illegal surveillance of Szijjártó. “Surveillance of a government official constitutes a grave assault on Hungary. I have directed the Justice Minister to immediately examine the information concerning the surveillance of Péter Szijjártó,” Orbán posted on social media.
The European Commission announced it is seeking direct clarification from Hungary regarding these claims. “Trust between member nations and institutions forms the foundation of EU operations,” Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said Monday. “We anticipate the Hungarian government will provide explanations.”
Hungary’s relationships with other EU nations have deteriorated significantly since Russia’s Ukraine invasion, reaching a new low this month when Orbán reversed his commitment to a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) loan for Kyiv.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a frequent Orbán critic, suggested the revelations were unsurprising. “Reports that Orbán’s team briefs Moscow comprehensively on EU Council proceedings shouldn’t shock anyone,” Tusk wrote Sunday on social media. “We’ve suspected this for quite some time. This explains why I speak only when absolutely required and share only essential information.”
WASHINGTON – National construction activity took an unexpected downturn in January, with spending declining across private sector projects, according to new federal data released Monday.
The Census Bureau within the Commerce Department reported construction spending slipped 0.3% during the month, following a revised 0.8% surge in December that marked the strongest growth since April 2024.
The January decline caught analysts off guard, as economists surveyed by Reuters had predicted a modest 0.1% increase. Despite the monthly drop, construction spending still managed a 1.0% gain compared to January of the previous year.
Data releases from the Census Bureau continue to face delays stemming from last year’s federal government shutdown, officials noted.
Private sector construction activity bore the brunt of January’s decline, falling 0.6% after posting a 1.0% gain in December. Home construction investment dropped 0.8% following a robust 2.5% December increase that was partially driven by renovation activity. New single-family home projects saw spending decrease 0.2% as elevated mortgage rates continue hampering the market.
While mortgage rates had softened early in the year, they’ve climbed since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began in late February. The Middle Eastern tensions have pushed up oil prices and Treasury yields as inflation concerns mount.
Freddie Mac data reveals the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate has risen to 6.22% from 5.98% just before the war began. These mortgage rates move in tandem with 10-year Treasury yields. The rate increases compound existing challenges from higher material and labor costs, which have climbed due to import tariffs and tighter immigration policies.
Home construction investment has now fallen for four consecutive quarters. Multi-family housing projects, representing a smaller portion of the overall market, declined 0.7% in January.
Commercial construction spending, including office buildings and manufacturing facilities, dropped 0.4% during the month. This sector has now contracted for eight straight quarters, even as data center construction has surged to meet artificial intelligence demands.
Public construction projects provided the month’s bright spot, with spending rising 0.6% after a slight 0.1% December decline. State and local government construction expenditures increased 0.6% in January, while federal construction projects grew 1.0%.
After spending 16 seasons at the helm of Creighton’s men’s basketball program, head coach Greg McDermott revealed Monday that he’s stepping down from his position.
The 61-year-old McDermott will remain with the Bluejays through their upcoming postseason College Basketball Crown tournament before officially departing. His replacement will be Alan Huss, a seven-year member of McDermott’s coaching staff who will be elevated to the top position.
“It has been an incredible honor to lead the Creighton men’s basketball program for the past 16 years,” McDermott said in a statement. “I’m very proud of the young men that have proudly worn the Bluejay uniform and represented our program in a first-class manner. Witnessing their growth and development on and off the playing floor was especially gratifying.”
Since taking over the program during the 2010-11 campaign, McDermott accumulated a 365-188 coaching record. His victory total allowed him to eclipse Dana Altman in 2024 as the most successful coach in program history.
Under McDermott’s guidance, the Bluejays achieved 20-win seasons in 14 of his 16 years, although the current campaign’s 15-17 mark ended a streak of 10 straight seasons reaching that milestone.
The veteran coach guided Creighton to 10 NCAA tournament berths, featuring three Sweet 16 runs and a 2023 Elite Eight appearance. That tournament count would have reached 11 if the 2020 event hadn’t been cancelled due to the pandemic, as the Bluejays captured the Big East regular season title and posted a 24-7 record that year.
Just last March in 2024, McDermott inked a contract extension that would have kept him with the Omaha, Nebraska-based program through the 2027-28 season, stating at the time that he anticipated Creighton being his final coaching destination.
Huss rejoined the Creighton coaching staff in April 2025 as coach-in-waiting after departing his head coaching role at High Point, though no specific transition timeline was established at that time.
“While this chapter of my career comes to a close, my love and respect for the Bluejays will never fade. I look forward to the continued success of Bluejay basketball under the leadership of Alan Huss,” McDermott said.
Before arriving at Creighton, McDermott served as head coach at Northern Iowa from 2001-06 and Iowa State from 2006-10, giving him a career coaching record of 514-319 (.617).
“I’m deeply grateful for the support of my family, our players, coaching staff and support staff, as well as the presidents, athletic directors, and all the University and athletic administrators,” McDermott said. “The support of the Omaha community consistently packing our arena with 17,000 fans has created many fond memories.”
The University of Charlotte announced Monday that Wes Miller will take over as the new head coach for the men’s basketball team, signing a five-year agreement with the 49ers program.
The 43-year-old Miller comes to Charlotte after being dismissed from Cincinnati just 10 days earlier, following the Bearcats’ 18-15 campaign in the 2025-26 season. During his five-year tenure at Cincinnati, Miller posted a 100-74 overall record but never guided the team to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“I’m incredibly honored to lead the Charlotte Basketball program,” Miller said. “This is a university with tremendous momentum, a passionate city behind it, and deep basketball roots in the state of North Carolina.”
“From the moment I began talking with (athletic director) Kevin White and Chancellor (Sharon) Gaber, it was clear there is a shared vision to build a program defined by toughness, passion, and relentless energy. We’re going to pour everything we have into developing our student-athletes, competing at the highest level, and building a team that our campus and this city are proud to rally around. The foundation is here for something special, and I can’t wait to get to work because Charlotte’s stock is rising.”
Before his stint at Cincinnati, Miller spent a decade coaching at UNC Greensboro, approximately 90 miles away from Charlotte, where he achieved a 185-135 record. His accomplishments with the Spartans included two NCAA Tournament berths and earning Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors twice.
Athletic Director Kevin White praised the selection, stating: “Wes Miller is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the game and strong ties to basketball in our state. Throughout this process, what stood out most was his passion, competitive energy, and clear vision for building a championship culture here at Charlotte. He embodies the toughness, resilience, and commitment to the total student-athlete experience that we value, and he understands the opportunity we have to build something special for our university and our city.”
A Greensboro native, Miller played collegiate basketball at the University of North Carolina from 2004-07, helping the Tar Heels capture the 2005 national championship.
Miller takes over from Aaron Fearne, who was terminated on March 17 after compiling a 47-51 record over three seasons with the program. The 49ers finished 17-17 this past season, falling to South Florida in the American Conference tournament semifinals.
The Charlotte basketball program has not reached the NCAA Tournament since the 2004-05 season.
Chad’s government has launched an urgent evacuation of refugees from Sudan as military forces prepare for deployment along the volatile border region, according to a refugee agency official who spoke Monday.
The emergency relocation follows President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s directive last week for armed forces to ready themselves for potential retaliatory strikes after a drone attack from Sudan claimed 17 lives in Chad, including individuals attending a funeral ceremony.
Government officials announced separately that Chad has bolstered security measures at the border and may conduct military operations inside Sudanese territory.
Approximately 2,300 refugees will be moved in the first phase of relocations, with women and children comprising more than half of those affected, according to Saleh Tebir Souleymane, who represents Chad’s National Commission for the Reception and Reintegration of Refugees and Returnees in the border community of Tine.
The evacuation process started Saturday in the Ennedi Est province, moving people deeper into Chad’s interior away from the frontier zone. Officials planned to extend the operation Monday to encompass all border communities serving as temporary refugee sites, Souleymane explained.
“We have received instructions from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to act quickly because the border will be secured in the coming days by the army, which is already deploying there,” Souleymane stated.
Chad shut down its eastern border with Sudan last month following violence connected to the ongoing war that resulted in five Chadian military deaths.
However, refugees are still crossing into Chad “due to the intense fighting on the Sudanese side,” according to Souleymane.
The internal conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has repeatedly extended beyond Sudan’s borders into Chad, resulting in deaths and property destruction.
Speaking at Houston’s CERAWeek energy conference on Monday, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that current global oil prices haven’t reached levels high enough to trigger demand destruction, despite ongoing market volatility and crude oil trading above $100 per barrel amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.
Wright’s comments come during what many consider one of the most severe energy crises in recent decades, sparked by the shutdown of a critical shipping route and attacks targeting Middle Eastern energy facilities that have caused lasting infrastructure damage. The surge in oil prices to multi-year peaks and rising fuel costs across America could pose political challenges for President Trump’s Republican party as mid-term elections approach.
To help calm volatile markets, the Trump administration has begun coordinating with International Energy Agency partners to tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Wright announced Monday that America plans to release between one million and 1.5 million barrels daily, with the goal of eventually reaching 3 million barrels per day.
The Energy Secretary identified Asia as the region most severely impacted by current market disruptions, making fuel supply to Asian refineries a key administration priority.
“We want to get oil into Asian refineries and have as little refining downturn as possible,” Wright explained.
Regarding Venezuela, Wright described the situation as “meaningfully better” compared to previous months, following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and America’s takeover of the OPEC nation’s oil exports. He reported that approximately 200,000 barrels per day of crude production have been restored.
After traveling to Caracas last month to meet with interim President Delcy Rodriguez and tour oil production facilities, Wright indicated that Venezuelan elections would occur “eventually,” though he offered no additional timeline details.
A changing weather pattern is expected across the Mid-Atlantic over the next couple of weeks, starting with a cooler stretch before transitioning to a milder setup heading into early April.
According to the Climate Prediction Center, an upper-level trough developing over the eastern United States will bring below-normal temperatures to the region during the 6 to 10 day period. This pattern supports a push of cooler air into the Mid-Atlantic, with temperatures running several degrees below average as we close out March.
This cooler period will be driven by persistent troughing along the East Coast and a reinforcing northwest flow aloft, allowing cooler air masses to settle into the region.
However, that pattern does not last.
As we move into the 8 to 14 day timeframe, the overall upper-level pattern begins to shift. The eastern trough weakens and lifts out, allowing heights to rise across the eastern United States. This transition opens the door for temperatures to rebound across the Mid-Atlantic, with a growing signal for above-normal temperatures developing.
In other words, after a cool end to March, a warming trend is expected to take hold as we head into early April.
Precipitation, meanwhile, remains somewhat limited through the period. The primary storm track is expected to stay displaced to the north, which favors below-normal precipitation overall across the Mid-Atlantic. While a few systems may pass through, widespread or prolonged rainfall does not appear likely at this time.
The overall takeaway: a cooler-than-normal stretch in the short term will give way to a milder and potentially warmer pattern heading into early April, with generally limited precipitation along the way.
The First State’s milestone anniversary celebration is coming to Wilmington this spring with a special public event that promises to be more than your typical formal gathering.
Delaware 250 organizers are planning “Celebrate Delaware” for April 18th, running from 7:00 until 10:00 in the evening at the iconic Hotel Du Pont. The festivities will take place throughout two separate areas of the landmark Wilmington hotel, designed to highlight both the state’s rich heritage and its promising tomorrow.
Event planners say the evening will include live musical performances from Odai and other entertainment acts as part of the commemoration of Delaware’s 250th anniversary.
The celebration represents Delaware 250’s effort to bring the state’s anniversary observance directly to residents in an accessible, engaging format at one of Wilmington’s most recognizable historic venues.
Two pilots lost their lives when an Air Canada Express regional aircraft collided with a fire truck during landing operations at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening.
The CRJ-900 aircraft was attempting to land when it struck the emergency vehicle on the runway. Both pilots aboard the Air Canada flight were killed in the impact.
Emergency responders transported at least nine individuals to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained in the collision. The extent of their injuries has not been disclosed.
LaGuardia Airport operations were suspended following the incident, with the facility remaining closed Monday morning as investigators work to determine what led to the deadly collision.
The damaged Air Canada Express aircraft remained on the runway Monday as authorities continued their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s highest court declined Monday to consider the case of a Texas-based digital journalist who maintained her detention was unlawful, disappointing media groups and First Amendment advocates who had been watching the proceedings closely.
The court allowed a split federal appellate decision to remain unchanged, which determined that Priscilla Villarreal — who operates under the online handle La Gordiloca — lacked grounds to file suit against law enforcement and government officials following her detention for requesting and publishing confidential police details.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated: “It should be obvious that this arrest violated the First Amendment.”
The Supreme Court had previously instructed the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider Villareal’s matter following the high court’s decision in a separate Texas case. Last June, the justices allowed a former municipal official to continue her legal challenge alleging she was also improperly detained.
That separate matter involved Sylvia Gonzalez, who previously served on the city council in Castle Hills, a community near San Antonio. Gonzalez claimed her arrest was retaliatory and connected to a conflict with a political opponent.
However, the 5th Circuit maintained its original position, and this time the Supreme Court chose not to step in without providing reasoning. Villareal’s legal team argued in their high court petition: “The Fifth Circuit has doubled down on granting officials free rein to turn routine news reporting into a felony.”
A state court judge had earlier thrown out the criminal charges against Villareal, determining that the statute under which she was arrested in 2017 violated constitutional principles. She subsequently attempted to pursue monetary damages against the officials involved. The complete 5th Circuit panel voted 9-7 that the Laredo and Webb County officials Villareal targeted in her lawsuit deserved legal protection from such claims.
Villareal had requested and received from a law enforcement officer the names of an individual who died by suicide and a family involved in a vehicle collision, then shared this information through her Facebook page. According to the arrest documentation, authorities alleged she pursued this information to increase her social media following.
A statewide marketing initiative in Maryland is calling on ice cream businesses to apply for inclusion in next year’s promotional trail featuring local frozen treats.
Maryland’s Best, the program that links consumers with local producers across the state, announced it is accepting applications from ice cream establishments that operate on-farm creameries or use locally-sourced milk for their 2026 Ice Cream Trail.
The application deadline is set for April 10, 2026, according to the announcement made on March 23rd from Annapolis.
The initiative focuses on connecting visitors with authentic local ice cream experiences while supporting Maryland’s agricultural community and dairy producers.
The nation’s highest court has chosen not to take up a significant case involving media rights and press freedom protections.
The legal challenge stemmed from events in 2017 when a Texas-based reporter faced arrest following publication of coverage regarding a border patrol agent’s public suicide and a separate vehicle collision incident.
By declining to review the case, the Supreme Court leaves the lower court’s decision in place, potentially affecting how similar press freedom disputes may be handled in the future.
The case had drawn attention from media organizations and press freedom advocates who were watching to see if the court would weigh in on the boundaries of journalist protections when covering sensitive law enforcement matters.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s highest court declined Monday to hear an appeal from a Texas death row prisoner who has spent decades trying to get DNA testing on evidence he claims would prove his innocence.
The Supreme Court’s decision leaves standing a federal appeals court ruling that went against Rodney Reed for the second time in under three years.
Three liberal justices disagreed with the majority’s decision.
Reed received a death sentence for murdering 19-year-old Stacey Stites in 1996. Texas prosecutors have consistently blocked DNA analysis of the woven belt used to strangle Stites as she traveled to her job at a grocery store in Bastrop, located roughly 30 miles southeast of Austin in a rural area.
While prosecutors claim Reed sexually assaulted Stites, he insists they were involved in a consensual romantic relationship.
Reed has consistently argued that Stites’ fiancé, ex-police officer Jimmy Fennell, committed the murder. According to Reed, Fennell was enraged about the interracial relationship. Stites was white while Reed is Black. Fennell, who completed a prison sentence for sexual assault in 2018, has denied any involvement in Stites’ death.
“The killer held that belt tight against her throat for minutes, and must have left his sweat and skin cells—and thus his DNA—where he gripped the belt, both on the surface and deep within the webbing,” Reed’s attorneys wrote.
Both state courts and lower federal courts have supported prosecutors in blocking the testing, even though Reed’s legal team would cover all costs.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor called it “inexplicable” that prosecutors would prevent testing of the belt, “despite the very substantial possibility that such testing would exculpate Reed and identify the real killer.”
Because the Supreme Court refused to intervene, “the State will likely execute Reed without the world ever knowing whether Reed’s or Fennell’s DNA is on the murder weapon,” Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion supported by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Texas’s highest criminal court determined that the state’s DNA testing statute doesn’t cover potentially contaminated items. However, Reed’s legal team argued that Texas regularly uses contaminated evidence in criminal cases, and regardless, the state bears responsibility for how the evidence was handled.
In 2023, the justices voted 6-3 to return Reed’s case to a lower court regarding his constitutional challenge to Texas’s DNA testing law.
The previous Supreme Court issue centered on whether Reed, who received his death sentence over 25 years ago, had waited too long to file his lawsuit arguing that untested evidence would clear him. Both Texas courts and the New Orleans federal appeals court determined he had missed the filing deadline.
Reed’s campaign to halt his execution has drawn backing from high-profile figures including Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey.
Delaware State Police have taken into custody a 24-year-old New Castle resident in connection with a deadly incident that occurred at Christiana Hospital last November.
Shawn Wootson now faces murder and attempted rape charges related to the death of 42-year-old Amie Bradley from North Carolina. The victim was discovered unresponsive near a retention pond on the hospital grounds at 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road in Newark on November 23, 2024, around 8:30 p.m.
Emergency responders immediately began lifesaving measures when troopers arrived at the scene. Bradley was rushed to the medical facility by ambulance but succumbed to her injuries.
The circumstances surrounding Bradley’s death prompted investigators from the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit and Homicide Unit to launch a comprehensive probe. Their investigation revealed evidence suggesting Wootson had strangled the victim and attempted sexual assault.
Wootson became a suspect but managed to leave Delaware soon after the incident occurred, making it difficult for law enforcement to locate him for months.
A New Castle County Grand Jury reviewed the case findings on March 16, 2026, and issued an indictment against Wootson for Bradley’s killing. The following day, detectives working alongside the DSP Special Operations Response Team successfully arrested Wootson and brought him to Troop 2 headquarters.
During questioning at the police facility, Wootson made a dramatic escape attempt while taking a break from his interview. He managed to access the ceiling tiles in the interview room but was quickly recaptured after officers deployed a taser. The incident prompted authorities to surround the building with additional law enforcement as a safety measure. Police say additional charges related to the escape attempt are forthcoming.
Following his arraignment at Justice of the Peace Court 2, Wootson was ordered held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution under a $2,060,000 cash bond. He faces two counts of Murder in the First Degree and one count of Attempted Rape in the Second Degree.
Marine wildlife officials are drawing attention to the importance of seals and sea lions through a dedicated week of recognition focusing on these ocean mammals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is spotlighting various species including Steller sea lions, spotted seals, bearded seals, Hawaiian monk seals, and ribbon seals as part of their educational outreach efforts.
The awareness campaign emphasizes the critical role these marine mammals play in ocean ecosystems and highlights ongoing conservation work to protect their populations and habitats.
NOAA Fisheries continues to monitor and study these species as part of broader marine conservation initiatives aimed at maintaining healthy ocean environments.
The popular food delivery service DoorDash has launched a temporary assistance initiative to help its drivers manage the burden of escalating fuel costs across the United States and Canada.
The California-based company revealed the relief program on Monday, coinciding with the national gas price average reaching $3.96 per gallon in America, as reported by AAA. This represents a dramatic 35% increase from prices just four weeks earlier.
Under the new program, American drivers who possess a DoorDash debit card will receive enhanced cash back rewards of 10% on all fuel purchases, a significant jump from the standard 2% rate. The company reports that more than half of its driver workforce currently uses these cards.
Additionally, drivers who log 125 miles or more during their delivery shifts will qualify for weekly fuel assistance payments ranging from $5 to a maximum of $15, according to the company’s announcement.
North of the border, Canadian DoorDash drivers will be eligible for weekly payments up to $36 Canadian dollars, calculated based on their delivery mileage.
Both relief programs will continue operating until April 26, DoorDash confirmed. The company recently implemented a comparable fuel assistance program in Australia.
Whether competing delivery services will introduce similar driver support measures remains uncertain. GrubHub indicated last week that it is monitoring fuel price trends closely. Uber has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding potential driver assistance programs.
BRUSSELS — A historic trade agreement linking the European Union with four South American nations will officially launch May 1, following more than 25 years of complex negotiations amid growing global economic tensions from tariffs, mineral restrictions, and ongoing conflicts in Iran.
The European Commission announced Monday that the EU-Mercosur trade pact received its final approval after Brussels received formal notification from Paraguay confirming the country’s ratification. This agreement represents a cornerstone of the 27-member EU’s broader strategy to reduce economic reliance on China and the United States.
Legislative bodies in Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina have all given their approval to the arrangement, which encompasses over 700 million people and represents 25% of worldwide economic output. Bolivia, which recently joined Mercosur, was not part of the original negotiations but may participate in the agreement in future years.
“The priority now is turning this EU-Mercosur agreement into concrete outcomes, giving EU exporters the platform they need to seize new opportunities for trade, growth and jobs,” said European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
Strong resistance from agricultural groups and environmental advocates caused significant delays to the agreement in December. Additional complications arose when EU legislators voted to refer the deal to the bloc’s legal system for review. The EU’s executive branch responded by deciding to implement the agreement on a temporary basis, essentially bypassing the European Parliament.
This approach means commercial activity will commence in May and will only cease if the European Court of Justice issues an unfavorable ruling.
French President Emmanuel Macron described this strategy as “a bad surprise.” France and Poland had spearheaded efforts to block or modify the agreement with additional protections for consumers and farming interests.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has dismissed such objections to an agreement she characterizes as essential for the EU’s future in an increasingly unstable global environment.
“This is about resilience, this is about growth, and Europe shaping its own future,” she told a news conference in February. Recently, she has not taken questions about the issue.
Von der Leyen is currently visiting Australia this week for discussions regarding a possible trade agreement, defense collaboration, and critical mineral supply arrangements.
ROME – Initial polling results from Monday indicate that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration has suffered a close defeat in a crucial referendum regarding judicial system reforms, potentially weakening her governing alliance before next year’s national elections.
Multiple polling organizations, including SWG and Opinio, reported after the March 22-23 voting period that opposition forces supporting the “No” position captured between 49% and 53% of votes, while the administration’s “Yes” supporters received 47% to 51%. YouTrend polling also showed the “No” side leading.
Voter participation exceeded projections and came after a contentious campaign period that exposed significant hostility between Italy’s conservative governing alliance and the country’s judicial branch, creating divisions that may have long-term consequences.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Monday that diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran have produced significant common ground between the two nations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump revealed that negotiations held on Sunday were set to resume Monday, expressing optimism that a diplomatic agreement could be reached quickly if discussions remain productive.
The president disclosed that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner conducted the diplomatic discussions with Iranian representatives.
Trump also revealed he had issued orders to delay planned military strikes targeting Iranian power facilities for a five-day period, just hours before a deadline that could have intensified the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its fourth week.
A Federal Reserve official remains committed to lowering interest rates despite mounting concerns about climbing oil prices and their potential impact on the American economy.
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran told Bloomberg Television on Monday that it’s too soon to determine how recent spikes in energy costs will influence economic conditions moving forward. He emphasized his continued support for additional rate reductions to help bolster employment.
“We should wait for all the information to come in before really changing our outlook,” Miran explained during the television interview. Regarding the significant increase in energy costs, “I think it’s just still premature to have a clear view about what this is going to look like as you look 12 months out,” which represents the timeframe monetary officials must consider.
The Fed governor indicated that “traditionally, you would look through an oil price shock like this, which means that my policy outlook from before is unchanged and my policy outlook from before would be gradual cuts of interest rates.”
During last week’s Federal Reserve meeting, Miran adjusted his projections, reducing his anticipated rate cuts from six to four for the current year while increasing his inflation predictions.
The Federal Open Market Committee maintained interest rates between 3.5% and 3.75% during their recent session, with officials collectively anticipating just one rate reduction this year. President Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran has created uncertainty in economic forecasting, as rising energy costs threaten to increase inflation beyond the Fed’s 2% goal while simultaneously reducing consumer demand.
Miran stood alone as the sole committee member supporting a rate cut during the meeting. The official, who recently served as a Fed governor while taking leave from his White House advisory position under Trump, has consistently pushed for significant rate reductions similar to those preferred by Trump but opposed by other Fed leadership.
“I think the labor market still can use additional support for monetary policy, and that’s why I dissented last meeting,” he stated.
During his interview, Miran observed that “inflation risks have got a little more concerning, but the unemployment risks have gotten more concerning too, because the negative supply shock that is the oil price is also a negative demand shock.”
The Fed official emphasized monitoring whether elevated oil prices start influencing inflation expectations and wage increases, neither of which he reports are currently occurring.
Several Fed officials are considering potential interest rate increases if oil price volatility significantly drives up inflation levels.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has made the boldest territorial claim yet by a senior Israeli official, demanding that his country’s northern boundary be pushed deep into Lebanon to reach the Litani River, as military forces continue their devastating campaign across southern Lebanon.
Speaking on an Israeli radio show Monday, Smotrich delivered what represents the most direct statement from a high-ranking Israeli leader about capturing Lebanese land during the ongoing conflict with Iran-supported Hezbollah forces.
The regional conflict expanded on March 2 when Hezbollah launched missile attacks against Israel. In response, Israeli forces have commanded all civilians to evacuate areas south of the Litani River while conducting relentless aerial bombardments against what they consider Hezbollah’s primary operational zone.
According to Lebanese officials, Israel’s combined air and ground operations have resulted in more than 1,000 deaths, while displacing over one million residents as Israel has demanded mass evacuations across large portions of the nation.
During his radio appearance, Smotrich stated that the Lebanese military operation “needs to end with a different reality entirely, both with the Hezbollah decision but also with the change of Israel’s borders.”
“I say here definitively…in every room and in every discussion, too: the new Israeli border must be the Litani,” Smotrich declared.
As head of a small far-right faction within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Smotrich frequently voices positions that exceed Israel’s stated policies. Netanyahu’s administration has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these territorial demands. However, Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested similar intentions earlier this month, warning Lebanon could experience “loss of territory” unless it dismantles Hezbollah.
These territorial statements carry particular weight in Lebanon, a nation struggling to break free from decades of invasions and occupations by its southern neighbor. Israeli military forces have conducted multiple assaults on Lebanon beginning in 1978 and maintained control over the south from 1982 through 2000.
A Lebanese government representative informed Reuters that Beirut continues hoping international allies will apply sufficient pressure on Israel to halt the warfare, potentially through President Joseph Aoun’s proposal for direct negotiations.
Beyond Lebanon, Smotrich has also advocated for Israeli annexation of Gaza Strip territory currently under Israeli control, extending to the armistice boundary with Hamas. An October ceasefire agreement left Israel controlling 53% of Gaza, where authorities have ordered resident evacuations and demolished structures.
Israeli military officials describe their Lebanese operations as focused ground movements and precision strikes targeting Hezbollah fighters and weapon storage facilities, designed to safeguard northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks.
Lebanon’s government has prohibited Hezbollah military operations and expressed interest in pursuing direct negotiations with Israel.
Throughout the weekend, Israel destroyed a major bridge connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country after directing its military to eliminate all Litani River crossings and intensify the destruction of homes near the southern frontier.
International legal standards typically forbid military forces from targeting civilian infrastructure, and United Nations human rights leadership has condemned Israel’s Lebanese actions, particularly its extensive evacuation directives.
Monday brought additional Israeli strikes against two more Litani River crossings — targeting a roadway near the main bridge hit Sunday and another smaller bridge elsewhere along the river.
Hanna Amil, mayor of the Christian border community Rmeish where residents have declined to abandon their homes, described increasingly challenging conditions to Reuters.
“Once or twice a week, a convoy from the Lebanese army accompanies us as we try to get basic goods from nearby areas,” Amil explained.
“Already, we have no state electricity, no water and we have diesel shortages. If all the routes to the north get cut off, who knows what the future could hold for us,” the mayor added.
The nation’s highest court on Monday rejected an appeal from a Texas citizen journalist who challenged her arrest after publishing information she received from law enforcement sources.
The justices refused to consider Priscilla Villarreal’s case seeking to overturn a lower court decision that shielded police officers and prosecutors from her lawsuit through qualified immunity protections. By declining to hear the appeal, the court allowed the previous ruling to stand.
Only Justice Sonia Sotomayor disagreed with the decision to reject the case.
Villarreal had received backing from major media organizations and advocates for free speech rights.
The legal principle of qualified immunity can protect government workers from being held liable in civil lawsuits concerning their official duties. Villarreal wanted the Supreme Court to rule that this protection shouldn’t apply when officials use state laws in ways that clearly breach First Amendment rights, which she claimed happened during her arrest.
Operating as one of Laredo’s most followed news sources, Villarreal has built an audience of more than 200,000 followers on her Facebook page where she regularly covers criminal cases, local happenings and municipal affairs.
Authorities filed two felony charges against her for improper use of information after she posted the names of people who died in a suicide and vehicle accident on Facebook in 2017, details she confirmed through conversations with a Laredo police officer.
The Texas law used to charge her criminalizes requesting non-public information from government workers with the goal of gaining an advantage. Officials claimed she sought the information to grow her Facebook following.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled 10-5 last year that the officers and prosecutors deserved qualified immunity protection and that police weren’t expected to determine if the Texas statute was constitutional before making the arrest.
In the court’s opinion, Judge Edith Jones stated it was wrong to “portray her as a martyr for the sake of journalism,” noting that Villarreal had circumvented Texas law “to capitalize on others’ tragedies to propel her reputation and career.”
Attorneys from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression representing Villarreal argued to the Supreme Court that the 5th Circuit’s decision “doubled down on granting officials free rein to turn routine news reporting into a felony.”
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press supported her appeal. Leading news organizations including ABC, the New York Times and the Washington Post also encouraged the Supreme Court to review Villarreal’s case.
A strong cold front is sweeping across the Delmarva Peninsula this morning, bringing a period of showers followed by a sharp drop in temperatures and increasing winds that will make for a raw and blustery day.
Early this morning, a disorganized but impactful system stretched from eastern Virginia to just off the coast near Cape May, helping to drive a band of steady showers across the region. This rainfall is expected to persist through the early morning hours before gradually tapering off by mid to late morning. However, the unsettled pattern doesn’t end there, as a secondary round of light showers or drizzle may develop around midday into the early afternoon.
Behind the departing system, a strong surge of cold air is quickly moving into the region. Temperatures will likely peak early in the day before steadily falling, dropping into the 40s and low 50s by late morning and afternoon. This cold air advection, combined with thick cloud cover, will create a noticeably colder feel compared to recent days.
In addition to the cooler air, winds will become a major factor. As the pressure gradient tightens between departing low pressure and building high pressure to the west, north to northwest winds will increase to 15 to 20 mph, with gusts reaching 25 to 35 mph throughout the afternoon. These gusty winds will enhance the chilly conditions, making it feel even colder across the peninsula.
Showers should come to an end by mid-afternoon, but skies are expected to remain mostly cloudy for much of the day, reinforcing the cool and damp feel.
Conditions improve tonight as winds gradually diminish and skies begin to clear. Sunshine returns for Tuesday, though temperatures will remain on the cooler side, signaling a quieter but still brisk stretch of weather across Delmarva.
Two men from Middletown have been handed life sentences plus additional prison time for their involvement in a deadly 2020 shooting that claimed the life of Shiheem Durham.
The Delaware Department of Justice announced that Jason Calhum, 24, and Khalil Dixon received their sentences on March 18th following convictions on several serious charges, with first-degree murder being the most severe.
Calhum was ordered to serve life imprisonment plus an extra 14 years behind bars after being found guilty of the murder charge and other related offenses stemming from Durham’s death four years ago.
Dixon also received a life sentence with additional time added to his punishment for his role in the fatal incident.
The sentencing brings closure to a case that has been working its way through the Delaware court system since the 2020 homicide occurred.
Nature enthusiasts will once again be able to explore the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve beginning April 1st as the facility kicks off its 2026 season.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control facility, operated by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, will welcome guests from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the month of April.
Starting in May and continuing through August, the nature center will expand its operating schedule to include Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in addition to the existing Wednesday and Saturday hours.
Delaware Department of Transportation crews are currently performing litter removal operations along a busy stretch of US-13, working in the median areas of both directions of travel.
The cleanup activities are taking place on US-13 from the point where it splits with US-40 up to the Interstate 495 on-ramp. Workers are operating in both the northbound and southbound median strips as part of the maintenance effort.
According to DelDOT, the litter removal crew will remain active in the area until 5 PM today. Motorists traveling through this section of US-13 should exercise caution and be aware of the ongoing work zone.
Authorities in Wicomico County are looking into a Sunday evening collision that sent six individuals to area hospitals for medical care.
Emergency responders transported two occupants of a Toyota Corolla – ages 17 and 25 – via helicopter to a trauma facility due to the severity of their conditions. Three other Toyota occupants, including the 18-year-old driver and passengers aged 20 and 18, required ambulance transport to a nearby medical center. A 46-year-old woman driving a Ford Fiesta was also taken by ambulance to receive hospital treatment.
Officers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack arrived at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and White Lowe Road at approximately 6:50 p.m. Sunday following reports of the collision. Initial findings suggest the Toyota driver disregarded a red traffic signal while entering the intersection, colliding with the Ford as it attempted a left turn from the eastbound lanes of Route 50. The collision’s force sent the Ford off the roadway into a light pole, while the Toyota also departed the road, rolling over on an embankment before hitting a tree.
Traffic was disrupted for roughly three hours as investigators worked at the scene. The Maryland State Police Crash Team remains in charge of the continuing investigation.
Agricultural education initiatives in Virginia are offering students valuable hands-on experience that prepares them for future careers in farming and related industries.
These educational programs focus on providing practical learning opportunities where students can apply classroom knowledge to real farming situations. Through direct involvement in agricultural activities, young people gain essential skills that extend beyond traditional academic subjects.
The hands-on approach allows students to understand the complexities of modern farming while developing problem-solving abilities and work ethic that will serve them throughout their lives. These programs represent a growing trend toward experiential learning in agricultural education across Virginia.
Motorists traveling on Interstate 95 northbound should expect lane restrictions at the Newark toll plaza due to ongoing drone flight activities.
Delaware Department of Transportation officials report that the shoulder lane has been temporarily closed to accommodate the aerial operation. The restriction is scheduled to lift at 2 PM today.
Drivers are advised to use caution when passing through the area and may experience minor delays during the closure period.
Flight operations came to a temporary standstill at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday morning when air traffic controllers were forced to evacuate their control tower because of a burning odor emanating from an elevator, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The source of the smell remained unclear, though officials confirmed no actual fire took place. The disruption lasted under one hour with no reported injuries.
While flights were suspended, FAA personnel moved operations to an alternate control tower at the facility, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported. Controllers eventually returned to their main tower location.
This incident follows a similar situation from earlier in January when airports in the Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond areas suspended all air traffic for more than an hour due to a powerful chemical odor that affected air traffic control operations. Federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later identified an overheated circuit board as the culprit, which was subsequently replaced.
Monday’s flight suspension at Newark Liberty had no connection to the deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening. That tragic incident resulted in two fatalities and multiple serious injuries when an Air Canada regional aircraft collided with a fire truck during landing, according to authorities.
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Authorities in Zimbabwe have arrested the most prominent critic of proposed constitutional changes designed to extend the presidency of 83-year-old leader Emmerson Mnangagwa beyond his current term limit. Former finance minister Tendai Biti was scheduled to face court proceedings on Monday.
The arrest represents the most significant detention to date among those opposing efforts to allow Mnangagwa to remain in power past 2028, when his current term is set to conclude, for an additional two years. Law enforcement officials have increasingly prohibited gatherings and detained individuals attempting to voice their opposition to the proposed amendments in recent months.
Biti serves as the leader of the Constitutional Defenders Forum, an organization actively campaigning against the constitutional modifications. According to CDF spokesperson Jacob Rukweza, both Biti and the group’s programs director Morgan Ncube face charges of conducting a public gathering without proper police notification. The pair were taken into custody Saturday in Mutare, located in the country’s eastern region.
Zimbabwean officials have not provided any statement regarding the arrests. However, government representatives have previously dismissed claims that they are undermining democratic reform commitments established following the end of Robert Mugabe’s lengthy reign.
Mnangagwa assumed leadership following a widely-supported military intervention that removed Mugabe from power in 2017. He has publicly stated his intention to leave office at the conclusion of his second term in 2028.
Despite these statements, Mnangagwa has not publicly challenged his ruling ZANU-PF party’s efforts to extend his tenure. His administration endorsed the amendment proposal in February before forwarding it to Parliament, where the governing party maintains majority control.
The suggested constitutional modifications would delay upcoming elections until 2030, transfer presidential selection from direct public voting to parliamentary appointment, and increase both presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.
Biti and fellow critics argue that any constitutional change extending presidential terms requires voter approval through a referendum. However, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Mnangagwa allies contend that Parliament can enact these changes without public consultation since the two-term restriction would remain intact, despite longer individual terms.
Resistance to the amendments has intensified, with legal challenges submitted to various courts. Nevertheless, organizing physical opposition gatherings has become increasingly dangerous. Amnesty International has characterized the recent arrests as part of an “escalating crackdown on peaceful dissent.”
Earlier this month, law professor and opposition leader Lovemore Madhuku required hospitalization after being assaulted by unidentified attackers he identified as police officers following a political meeting discussing the proposed amendments. Police officials denied any involvement and stated the gathering had been prohibited.
In the previous year, the offices of SAPES Trust, a research organization, were destroyed by fire just hours before the group planned to host a press conference featuring amendment opponents.
Mnangagwa secured reelection in a contested 2023 vote, though international human rights organizations documented systematic suppression of opposition politicians and their supporters by the ruling party.
ATLANTA — Immigration enforcement officers were observed Monday morning at one of the nation’s busiest airports following President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send federal agents to help the Transportation Security Administration during an ongoing government shutdown.
Associated Press reporters spotted several federal agents positioned near crowded security lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday.
While federal law enforcement personnel regularly work at international airports — with Customs and Border Protection screening international arrivals and Homeland Security Investigations handling smuggling and trafficking cases — their presence at TSA checkpoints represents an unusual shift from standard operations.
The deployment differs from typical airport security procedures, where transportation security officers normally manage passenger screening rather than federal immigration investigators.
Since Congress failed to renew Department of Homeland Security funding last month, hundreds of thousands of agency employees — including TSA workers, Secret Service personnel, and Coast Guard members — have continued their duties without receiving paychecks.
The decision to station immigration agents at airports has raised concerns about potentially heightening existing tensions.
During a Sunday announcement, Trump indicated he would send federal immigration officers to airports for tasks such as monitoring exit areas and verifying passenger identification, unless Democrats approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The agency’s funding expired February 14 when Democrats declined to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection budgets without operational reforms following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Democratic lawmakers maintain their push for significant reforms to federal immigration enforcement, including requirements for ICE agents to obtain judicial warrants before forced home entries, prohibition of face coverings, and mandating clear identification on uniforms.
In a Monday social media statement, Trump instructed ICE officers to remove face coverings while working at airports. Trump indicated support for mask-wearing when agents deal with “hardened criminals” but suggested such measures were unnecessary when addressing the “MESS at the airports.”
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has entered the competitive artificial intelligence market with a new business-focused platform called Accio Work, designed to help small and medium-sized companies automate their operations.
The international commerce arm of Alibaba rolled out this “AI taskforce” system in Shanghai on March 23, positioning it as a ready-to-use solution that can independently handle complicated business processes without requiring users to write code or perform technical setup.
This development occurs during a surge of interest in China surrounding AI agents, sparked by OpenClaw technology, which has created a consumer craze nicknamed “lobster raising” that has attracted everyone from college students to senior citizens. This trend has prompted businesses to rapidly develop OpenClaw-based applications while raising cybersecurity worries.
Unlike the consumer-focused excitement, Accio Work targets business clients by providing specialized AI teams that operate across different company functions.
“We distinguish ourselves by being a specialized B2B tool rather than a generalist platform,” stated Kuo Zhang, Vice President of Alibaba International. “We draw a very clear line at high-stakes operations … any action involving financial transactions, payment execution, or access to private files requires explicit, granular permission from the user.”
This announcement follows closely after another Alibaba department unveiled Wukong just days earlier, an enterprise-oriented AI system capable of managing multiple artificial intelligence agents to handle various business functions like document preparation, data analysis, meeting notes, and research through one unified system.
Additionally, Alibaba announced plans last week to split its artificial intelligence operations from its cloud services division. The company established the new Alibaba Token Hub business unit under CEO Eddie Wu’s leadership, signaling a strategic pivot toward AI-powered digital assistants that consume significantly more data tokens compared to standard question-and-answer chatbots.
Zhang emphasized that the global competition to develop AI agents presents significant dangers that require careful management through specialized, controlled systems that maintain a balance between automation and protection.
“We believe the greatest risk lies in using horizontal, generalist models for vertical business tasks. By focusing on specialized B2B agents and implementing AI alongside human approval layers, we can deliver the benefits of an autonomous workforce without the traditional risks associated with unconstrained AI,” Zhang explained.
Leo Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American businessman who controlled the adult content platform OnlyFans, passed away Monday at 43 years old after battling cancer, according to a company announcement.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer,” a company representative stated. “His family have requested privacy at this difficult time.”
The entrepreneur purchased Fenix International Limited, which owns OnlyFans, back in 2018 and held the position of director while maintaining majority ownership of the business.
Beyond OnlyFans, Radvinsky operated Leo, his own venture capital firm established in 2009 that specializes in backing technology startups.
The subscription-based platform, originally launched in 2016 by British businessman Tim Stokely, experienced explosive growth during the coronavirus pandemic as stay-at-home orders pushed both content creators and users to digital platforms, transforming it into a widely recognized source of income and entertainment worldwide.
Earlier this year in January, reports emerged that OnlyFans was considering selling a controlling interest to Architect Capital, an investment company, in a transaction that would value the platform at approximately $5.5 billion when including debt.
A European artificial intelligence infrastructure company announced Monday it has successfully completed a massive $4.34 billion convertible debt funding round, positioning itself as a major player in the rapidly expanding AI market.
Nebius executives say the substantial financing gives the company sufficient resources to execute capital spending plans ranging from $16 billion to $20 billion through 2026. The funding milestone caps off a remarkable month for the Amsterdam-based firm, which also completed a $2 billion share warrant sale to Nvidia and finalized a contract potentially worth $27 billion to provide data center services to Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
The recent financial activities highlight strong investor confidence in AI infrastructure development as demand continues surging across multiple industries.
Tom Blackwell, the company’s Chief Communications Officer, indicated Nebius plans to pursue additional large-scale agreements similar to the Meta partnership, which came after securing a $17.3 billion supply contract with Microsoft last September.
“We’ll continue to consider these types of deals as we go, just because if they’re structured in the right way, they can be a very efficient source of capital,” Blackwell explained.
Beyond securing immediate funding, Blackwell emphasized that these major contract victories demonstrate the company’s technical capabilities while providing financial foundation for long-term business sustainability. The strategy focuses on developing AI cloud services for corporate clients, building upon the physical infrastructure foundation the company already provides.
Addressing concerns about rapid expansion potentially creating vulnerability during economic downturns, Blackwell dismissed such worries. “As long as enterprise AI adoption does continue to increase… the need for what we’re doing is going to make sense,” he stated.
The company’s growth financing strategy involves funding 60% of expansion through customer advance payments, primarily from Microsoft and Meta partnerships, while covering the remaining 40% through combined equity and debt financing, according to Blackwell.
Earlier this month, Nebius completed the sale of $2 billion in share warrants to Nvidia at $94.94 per share. Monday’s convertible bond offering exceeded initial expectations due to strong investor demand, Blackwell reported.
The bond package features a 2.63% interest rate for notes maturing in 2033, with conversion terms set at approximately 90% above the company’s Friday closing stock price of $117.62.
“We’ve managed to achieve a significant amount of funding while really minimizing the dilution,” Blackwell noted regarding the financing structure.
Authorities in Hong Kong have been granted expanded powers allowing them to compel individuals suspected of violating national security laws to surrender passwords for mobile devices and computers, marking another step in the territory’s ongoing restrictions on opposition activities.
Those who refuse to cooperate face imprisonment of up to one year along with fines reaching HK$100,000 ($12,773), while individuals who provide false or deceptive information could receive three-year prison sentences and penalties up to HK$500,000.
Hong Kong’s administration officially published these new modifications to the national security law’s enforcement regulations on Monday, utilizing authority that circumvents the territory’s legislative body. The comprehensive security legislation was implemented by Beijing in 2020.
Government officials are scheduled to inform legislators about these changes on Tuesday, according to an official announcement.
The broad-reaching legislation imposes penalties for various offenses, including undermining state authority and collaborating with international entities, carrying potential life sentences.
While the law drew condemnation from Western nations and human rights organizations, authorities in both Beijing and Hong Kong defended its necessity for restoring order following extensive pro-democracy demonstrations that disrupted the city throughout 2019.
Under the updated regulations, law enforcement officers can require individuals under investigation for potential national security violations to supply passwords or decryption keys for electronic equipment and offer police “any reasonable and necessary information or assistance.”
The modifications also grant customs officials authority to confiscate materials considered to contain “seditious intention,” even without arrests being made in connection with national security violations related to those items.
Urania Chiu, a legal academic in the United Kingdom who studies Hong Kong affairs, criticized the new measures as interfering with basic freedoms, including communication privacy and fair trial rights.
“The sweeping powers given to law enforcement officers without any need for judicial authorisation are grossly disproportionate to any legitimate aim the bylaw purports to achieve,” Chiu stated.
A representative for Hong Kong’s government maintained that the revised regulations comply with the territory’s constitutional framework, known as the Basic Law, and its human rights protections, adding they “will not affect the lives of the general public or the normal operation of institutions and organisations.”
The Security Bureau reports that 386 individuals have been detained for national security violations to date, with 176 people and four corporations receiving convictions.
Media executive Jimmy Lai received a 20-year prison sentence in February for collaborating with foreign entities and sedition, drawing international condemnation.
WASHINGTON – Federal immigration enforcement officers started arriving at major airports across the country Monday to assist with security operations as widespread absences among unpaid TSA workers create extensive flight delays.
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed the deployment of hundreds of ICE personnel to help with airport security screening at facilities experiencing severe staffing shortages.
Officials report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents along with Homeland Security Investigations personnel are being sent to 14 airports nationwide. The affected locations include major hubs such as Atlanta, New York’s JFK, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and Fort Myers.
Meanwhile, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – which handles more passenger traffic than any other U.S. airport – issued advisories Monday recommending travelers plan to arrive a minimum of four hours before their scheduled departure times.
Delaware Department of Transportation officials have implemented a temporary lane closure on a busy section of Route 1 for ongoing construction work.
The right shoulder along Coastal Highway is currently blocked to traffic between Sea Air Avenue and Shuttle Road while crews complete roadwork in the area.
According to DelDOT, the shoulder closure is expected to be lifted by 4 PM today. Motorists traveling through this corridor should expect potential delays and are advised to allow extra time for their commute.
Drivers are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone and to follow posted signage and traffic control measures.
Motorists traveling on Route 1 near Rehoboth Beach should expect delays as the Delaware Department of Transportation has implemented a right shoulder closure for ongoing construction activities.
The lane restriction affects the northbound direction of Coastal Highway between Sea Air Avenue and Shuttle Road. DelDOT officials indicate the shoulder closure will remain active until 4:00 PM today.
Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the construction zone and allow extra time for their commute. Traffic may experience slower speeds and potential backups during peak travel hours.
Motorists traveling along Pike Creek Road are experiencing periodic lane restrictions today as construction work continues in the area.
According to DelDOT, the traffic disruptions are occurring on the stretch of Pike Creek Road that runs from Kirkwood Highway (Route 2) to Abbey Lane. The construction activity is causing lanes to close intermittently throughout the day.
Officials say the lane restrictions are expected to remain in effect until 5 PM today. Drivers are advised to plan for potential delays and consider alternate routes if possible during the affected timeframe.
Motorists traveling through Sussex County should prepare for traffic delays on Park Avenue today as construction crews continue their work along the roadway.
According to DelDOT officials, intermittent lane closures are affecting Park Avenue (Route 431) in the stretch between Lewes Georgetown Highway (Route 9) and Springfield Road. The temporary traffic restrictions began earlier today and are expected to continue until 5:00 PM this evening.
Drivers using this route are advised to allow extra travel time and exercise caution when approaching the work zone. Officials recommend considering alternate routes if possible to avoid potential delays during the construction period.
Drivers traveling on southbound Foulk Road should plan for potential delays today as construction crews have temporarily shut down the right lane near Wynnwood Drive.
According to DelDOT, work activity in the area has necessitated the lane restriction, which is expected to continue until 3 PM this afternoon.
Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and use caution when passing through the construction zone.
Drivers using Foulk Road should plan for potential delays this afternoon as Delaware Department of Transportation crews continue work that has shut down the right lane of southbound traffic near Wynnwood Drive.
The lane restriction is expected to remain in place until 3 PM today while workers complete their project in the area.
Motorists are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and allow extra time for their commute. Traffic may be moving slower than usual as vehicles merge from the closed lane.
Drivers using Route 9 are experiencing traffic delays today as construction crews work on the Reedy Point Bridge crossing the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
DelDOT reports that one southbound lane on the bridge remains closed to traffic while the work continues. The construction activity is expected to wrap up by 3 PM this afternoon.
Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes if possible while the lane restriction remains in place.
Drivers heading north on Interstate 95 should expect delays Tuesday as Delaware Department of Transportation officials report a lane closure near the Salem Church Road overpass.
The right lane of northbound I-95 remains blocked due to a traffic incident in the area, according to DelDOT’s traffic management system.
Transportation officials have not provided details about the nature of the incident or an estimated time for reopening the affected lane.
Motorists are advised to use caution when traveling through the area and consider alternate routes if possible to avoid potential backups.
Motorists should expect delays on Nassau Road today as construction crews have closed one southbound lane between New Road and Coastal Highway (Route 1).
According to DelDOT traffic reports, the lane restriction is currently in effect and will continue through 5 PM this afternoon.
Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and consider alternate routes if possible to avoid potential delays during the closure period.
Motorists traveling on Nassau Road are experiencing lane restrictions today as construction crews continue work in the area.
According to DelDOT, one southbound lane on Nassau Road is currently closed between New Road and Coastal Highway northbound (Route 1). The lane closure is expected to remain in effect until 5 PM today.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and use caution when passing through the construction zone. Traffic may experience delays during peak travel hours.
Motorists traveling through a section of Peachtree Run will need to navigate around ongoing construction work that has shut down the southbound lane.
The lane closure affects the stretch of roadway between Lochmeath Way and Mifflin Meadows Drive, according to traffic officials.
The construction-related closure is scheduled to remain in effect until 5 PM today, and drivers should plan for possible delays while traveling through the area.
Authorities recommend seeking alternate routes if possible to avoid congestion in the affected zone.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli military forces successfully exploited Iran’s comprehensive street surveillance system to locate and eliminate the nation’s supreme leader, demonstrating how modern warfare increasingly targets digital infrastructure originally built for domestic control.
Across the globe, hundreds of millions of surveillance devices monitor storefronts, residential areas, and public spaces, with many connected to internet networks lacking adequate security measures. Military and intelligence organizations now leverage artificial intelligence breakthroughs to analyze massive volumes of surveillance data and locate specific targets.
Israeli operations on February 28 showcased the devastating potential when adversaries compromise such networks, successfully tracking Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei using Tehran’s own monitoring equipment — this despite multiple prior alerts about security breaches in Iran’s surveillance infrastructure, based on interviews and Associated Press analysis of leaked intelligence, official statements, and media coverage.
Two intelligence sources familiar with the mission described to AP how compromised surveillance cameras contributed to the operation that resulted in Khamenei’s death. Both sources requested anonymity as they lacked authorization for media interviews.
Iranian authorities deployed thousands of monitoring devices throughout their capital following successive protest movements, including massive January demonstrations that concluded with violent government suppression resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
The compromise of Tehran’s camera systems was widely acknowledged: hackers had repeatedly breached the city’s surveillance network beginning in 2021, and the previous year, a prominent Iranian official publicly acknowledged Israeli infiltration of the camera system, calling it a threat to national security.
Conor Healy, research director at surveillance publication IPVM, noted that Khamenei’s assassination reveals a critical security paradox facing governments attempting to suppress opposition movements.
“The infrastructure authoritarian states build to make their rule unassailable may be what makes their leaders most visible to the people trying to kill them,” Healy said. “Do you trust who is watching?”
Cybersecurity professionals have long cautioned about cameras becoming warfare tools.
Security engineer Paul Marrapese discovered in 2019 that he could breach millions of camera systems from his California home office.
Despite his continued warnings, vulnerable camera installations keep expanding. Recent scans revealed nearly three million unprotected camera feeds globally, including approximately 2,000 Iranian devices, Marrapese informed AP.
“There are millions and millions and millions of these throughout the world,” Marrapese said. Many remain extremely vulnerable to attack: “They’re just dumb little things. … It’s fish in a barrel.”
Manufacturers market internet-connected cameras accessible through mobile devices, with feeds easily redirected by malicious actors. Many installations lack proper security protocols, with unsophisticated users failing to establish passwords or apply security updates. While camera protection requires ongoing attention, successful hacking needs only one weakness, such as outdated systems or simple passwords like “1234.”
Even government surveillance networks isolated from public internet remain at risk: a single insider with malicious intent can compromise entire systems.
“Humans are kind of the weakest link,” Marrapese said. “There’s really only so much you can do.”
Eyal Hulata, Israel’s former national security adviser now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, confirmed Israel faces constant Iranian cyberattacks but maintains effective defenses.
“There is high alert on all cyber fronts,” he said.
Military camera hacking remained largely theoretical until 2023, when Hamas compromised southern Israeli surveillance systems before their October 7 assault, enabling monitoring of Israeli military patrols and facilitating their attack, according to Israeli media reports. That year also saw Ukrainian officials report Russian attempts to hijack cameras near missile targets, continuing into 2024 with Russians breaching Kyiv cameras and border crossing surveillance systems.
Artificial intelligence advances now enable military forces to overcome a major obstacle in weaponizing stolen footage: processing enormous video volumes to identify individuals, vehicles, and targets — work that previously required analyst teams working for weeks or months but now occurs instantly. Simple keyword searches allow AI systems to scan feeds and deliver immediate results.
“It used to be that you could hack the cameras, but humans had to do the real work of figuring out where the person was,” said cryptographer and security expert Bruce Schneier. “With AI systems … you can do a lot more automatically.”
Iranian cameras have faced repeated breaches in recent years.
In 2021, an Iranian exile organization released footage showing abuses at Tehran’s infamous Evin prison. The following year, another group claimed responsibility for hacking over 5,000 Tehran cameras, releasing gigabytes of surveillance material and internal documents through a Telegram channel.
During a 12-day conflict last summer, Israel utilized Tehran’s camera network to locate and bomb an Iranian Supreme National Security Council meeting, wounding Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to Iranian legislators and Israeli documentary evidence.
“All the cameras at our intersections are in the hands of Israel,” Mahmoud Nabavian, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, told Iranian media in September. “Everything on the internet is in their hands … if we move, they will find out.”
These security weaknesses emerged as Iran expanded surveillance camera usage following nationwide protests. Metro system cameras, for instance, detect women not wearing mandatory hijabs, using facial recognition technology to identify violators.
However, data gathered for government control creates attractive targets for hackers, said researcher Michael Caster, who studied Chinese surveillance technology sales to Iran.
“Malicious parties can more easily gain access,” Caster said.
Iran, facing long-term Western sanctions, struggles to obtain current hardware and software, frequently depending on Chinese-manufactured electronics or legacy systems. Pirated Windows and other software versions are widespread, making the country more vulnerable to potential hackers.
The Financial Times previously reported camera usage in Khamenei’s assassination.
The operation source who spoke with AP revealed that Israeli forces had compromised nearly all Tehran traffic cameras for years, transferring information to Israeli servers. At least one camera angle enabled Israel to monitor daily routines of individuals, including parking locations near Iran’s leadership facilities, both sources confirmed.
Algorithmic analysis provided intelligence including residential addresses, commuting routes, and security details, according to the briefed source. The same individual said the attack required months of planning, but execution accelerated once intelligence confirmed Khamenei and senior officials would be at the leadership compound that morning.
Israel’s prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Colonel Amit Assa, former Israeli Shin Bet domestic security official, explained that such operations rely on multiple intelligence sources, including undercover operatives and intercepted communications.
However, Assa emphasized cameras play crucial roles by enabling intelligence officers to identify individuals, providing essential confirmation for strike decisions.
When officers observe a person’s face on command center screens, it assists in deciding to “put your finger on the yellow button, as we say,” he said.
Check Point Research, a cyber threat intelligence organization, reports Iranian camera hacking attacks have increased since the war began, with activity surges in Israel and Gulf nations including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Such breaches could help Iran monitor targets and evaluate damage following missile attacks, according to Gil Messing, Check Point Research’s chief of staff.
“The more people are installing cameras … the more area is being covered by these cameras,” Messing said. “It is very easy to use in order to get extra eyes into different places.”
Analysts estimate over one billion security cameras operate worldwide, triple the number from ten years ago. Hundreds of millions more are installed annually.
Muhanad Seloom, assistant professor in security studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, noted that wealthy Gulf nations like Qatar have long secured their petroleum facilities against wartime targeting. However, officials only recently recognized that street cameras could also become weapons.
“I don’t think anyone anticipated that these traffic cameras would become targeting tools … there is alarm all over,” Seloom said. “How come Iran’s whole leadership has been decapitated on the first day? … It is a topic that is being talked about.”
Gulf monarchies have prohibited residents from recording or livestreaming Iranian strike footage, with the UAE arresting dozens for sharing conflict videos online. While partly protecting national reputation, these restrictions also reflect concerns about Iranian military exploitation of such material, Seloom explained.
Earlier this month, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate announced warnings to hundreds of camera owners targeted by Iran, urging password changes and software updates to prevent attacks.
Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, described the increased hacking since the war began as “a wake-up call,” though acknowledging limited solutions for addressing vulnerabilities.
SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, declared Monday that any potential meeting between her brother and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is impossible unless Japan abandons what she termed outdated policies.
Her remarks followed Takaichi’s recent comments to the press about her discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, where she expressed having “a very strong desire” to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong Un.
“But this is not the one that comes true, as wanted or decided by Japan,” Kim Yo Jong stated. “In order for the top leaders of the two countries to meet each other, Japan should first be determined to break with its anachronistic practice and habit.”
While Kim Yo Jong, who holds a high-ranking position in the regime, didn’t specify exactly what Japan’s outdated practices entail, she previously indicated in 2024 that North Korea would only consider diplomatic meetings if Japan accepted the country’s nuclear weapons development and stopped pursuing the issue of kidnapped Japanese citizens. That proposed meeting never took place.
In Monday’s statement released through North Korean state media, Kim Yo Jong declared: “I don’t want to see the prime minister of Japan coming to Pyongyang.” However, she characterized her opposition as “just my personal position,” which analysts interpret as an attempt to pressure Japan into making diplomatic concessions.
Experts believe North Korea seeks improved relations with Japan as a strategy to create division between the United States and its regional partners. Japan, meanwhile, remains focused on resolving the cases of its citizens who were kidnapped by North Korean operatives during the 1970s and 1980s.
Following years of denying involvement, North Korea admitted during a 2002 meeting between Kim Jong Il, the current leader’s deceased father, and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that its agents had abducted 13 Japanese citizens. The regime permitted five of those individuals to return to Japan. Japanese officials maintain that additional people may have been taken and some could remain alive.
Koizumi traveled to North Korea a second time in 2004 for another meeting with Kim Jong Il, marking the final diplomatic talks between the two nations.
The prospects for a North Korea-Japan summit appear unlikely given that North Korea has avoided diplomatic engagement with both the United States and South Korea since 2019. While Trump, who conducted three meetings with Kim Jong Un from 2018 to 2019, has repeatedly stated his intention to restart negotiations with Kim, the North Korean leader has suggested he would only resume discussions if the U.S. abandons “its delusional obsession with denuclearization” of North Korea.
According to Takaichi, Trump voiced his support for quickly resolving the abduction cases and indicated he would “provide cooperation in various ways” regarding potential meetings with Kim Jong Un.
The nation’s highest court heard oral arguments Monday in a case that could reshape how mail-in ballots are handled across the country, with justices weighing whether states should be allowed to accept and tally ballots that arrive after Election Day.
While every state mandates that ballots must be cast or bear a postmark by Election Day, 14 states currently provide extended timeframes for receiving and processing mailed ballots, with some allowing up to several weeks past the election for counting.
The court’s decision, expected by the end of June, will be implemented in time to affect ballot counting procedures for the 2026 midterm elections.
Leading the argument against late ballot counting, Solicitor General D. John Sauer made his eighth appearance before the high court, advocating for eliminating grace periods except for military personnel and overseas voters. Sauer previously secured a major victory with the presidential immunity ruling that protected Trump from prosecution related to 2020 election challenges.
Defending state laws, former Bush administration Solicitor General Paul Clement presented his eighth case this term, adding to his extensive record of over 125 Supreme Court arguments since 2001. Mississippi’s Solicitor General Scott Stewart, who previously convinced the court to overturn abortion rights in the 2022 Dobbs decision, defended his state’s ballot laws in his second high court appearance.
Data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission reveals that mail-in voting expanded in 2024, with three Trump-supporting states – Indiana, South Dakota, and Utah – along with Washington showing increased mail ballot usage compared to 2020. Approximately 30% of voters nationwide used mail ballots in 2024, up from the typical 25% in pre-pandemic elections, though below the 43% recorded during the 2020 election.
California election officials expressed concerns about potential impacts beyond mail ballots. Jesse Salinas, who leads the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, warned that eliminating grace periods could force all ballot counting to conclude by midnight on Election Day.
“So all of those folks who will want to register and vote on Election Day, we just simply won’t have the ability to process all those” ballots before midnight, he said. This would particularly affect young voters who frequently use California’s same-day registration option.
Alaska faces unique challenges due to its vast geography and remote communities accessible only by plane or boat. The state’s 10-day grace period proves crucial given limited postal services in rural areas, with Native voting rights advocates emphasizing its importance.
Statistics from Alaska’s 2022 general election show that roughly 20% of absentee ballots arrived after Election Day, with even higher percentages from the state’s most isolated communities. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski highlighted the potential consequences, stating “there’s probably no other state where this ruling could have a more detrimental impact than ours.”
Both Alaska Native voting advocates and state legal officials submitted briefs to the Supreme Court outlining the critical need for extended ballot receipt periods given the state’s geographic realities.
A growing number of Americans are embracing weight loss medications, with both injectable and oral forms gaining widespread acceptance as tools for shedding pounds and improving overall wellness.
Recent survey data from health research organization KFF reveals that approximately one in eight adults across the United States are currently using GLP-1 medications.
The popularity surge is evident in prescription numbers, with Novo Nordisk reporting over 600,000 prescriptions filled for their new oral Wegovy formulation since the beginning of January alone. Health data firm Truveta’s preliminary analysis indicates that more than one-third of these users are first-time patients trying these medications.
However, medical professionals stress that simply taking medication won’t deliver optimal results without accompanying changes to daily routines, including nutritious eating patterns, regular physical activity, sufficient rest, and effective stress reduction techniques.
“The biggest mistake people make with GLP-1 medications is thinking the prescription is the treatment,” explained Dr. Katherine Saunders, who specializes in obesity medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and serves as co-founder of weight-loss treatment company FlyteHealth.
Research analyzing nearly three dozen studies demonstrates that while GLP-1 medications can produce weight reduction and health improvements independently, the results are more substantial and enduring when patients also implement lifestyle modifications.
Medical experts want patients to understand several key points about combining GLP-1 drugs with healthy behaviors:
While obesity contributes significantly to chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, Dr. Jody Dushay, who practices endocrinology and obesity medicine at Harvard Medical School, emphasizes that overall wellness should take priority over scale readings alone.
“Health is what you eat, how much you move your body, what is your blood sugar, what is your blood pressure, what is your cholesterol,” Dushay explained. “All of those things are really important.”
These medications function by influencing hormones throughout the digestive system and brain, which reduces digestion speed while affecting hunger signals and satiety sensations. This mechanism “levels the playing field,” according to Saunders, creating better conditions for establishing healthier behaviors like portion control and increased physical activity.
“Social media and advertising sometimes create the impression that these medications are a quick fix, but obesity is a complex, chronic, progressive disease” requiring continuous medical oversight, Saunders noted.
Research studies testing weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound incorporated organized lifestyle intervention programs alongside medication administration, with these comprehensive approaches recommended for every new patient.
This combined strategy produces not only meaningful weight reduction but also enhanced health indicators.
A study published in February examining more than 98,000 military veterans in the United States discovered that participants who used GLP-1 drugs while maintaining six to eight healthy lifestyle practices experienced a 43% reduction in risk for major cardiovascular incidents like strokes and heart attacks compared to those who avoided the medications and followed three or fewer healthy behaviors.
These lifestyle practices “can substantially amplify the benefits of modern medications,” observed Dr. Frank Hu, the study’s primary author and department chair for nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
To optimize GLP-1 benefits while minimizing adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, and muscle deterioration, Dushay and fellow specialists provide targeted recommendations.
Preserve muscle mass by consuming 20 to 30 grams of protein with each meal through sources like fish, poultry, yogurt, and legumes. Increase fiber consumption and water intake to 8-12 cups daily. For patients experiencing heartburn or nausea, eliminate fried and spicy foods from meals and avoid lying down immediately after eating.
Target 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise weekly, or optimally around one hour daily. Include 30 minutes of resistance training two to three times per week through activities like weightlifting or resistance band exercises.
Prioritize adequate rest with seven to nine hours of sleep nightly for healthy adults. Implement strategies to minimize psychological and emotional stress.
Most importantly, maintain regular communication with healthcare providers regarding treatment progress. Medical experts point out that GLP-1 drugs can cause uncommon but severe adverse reactions.
“Someone really does need to keeping track of: What is the pace of your weight loss? What are your side effects? And not just mailing you a prescription every month,” Dushay emphasized.
BERLIN – Following what party officials described as a devastating electoral defeat over the weekend, Germany’s Social Democratic Party leadership announced Monday they will prioritize policy changes over leadership restructuring.
The SPD suffered a major blow in Rhineland-Palatinate’s state election, losing control of a region they had governed for three and a half decades. This marks the second significant electoral setback in a series of five state contests that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition government faces this year.
The victory provided a political boost for Merz’s Christian Democratic party while further undermining his coalition partner’s position and threatening governmental stability.
SPD co-leaders Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Baerbel Bas acknowledged the need for serious discussions within party leadership regarding accountability for the loss. However, they emphasized that Germany’s current challenges require immediate attention to policy matters rather than internal restructuring.
“The situation facing Germany was too serious for ‘self-lacerating’ internal debates about personnel issues while a major package of reforms had to be agreed with their coalition partners,” the leaders stated, stressing the importance of advancing promised tax and social welfare changes.
This electoral defeat compounds problems stemming from an equally disappointing result in Baden-Wuerttemberg on March 8, intensifying the crisis that has plagued the SPD since their coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed in 2024.
Current polling data shows the party trailing behind the far-right Alternative for Germany nationally, increasing pressure on party leadership, though no serious internal challengers have emerged.
Describing the Rhineland-Palatinate outcome as devastating, Klingbeil explained that party executives unanimously agreed their response should focus on “setting a clear programmatic and strategic course” rather than changing personnel.
Party leadership plans to convene Friday with SPD ministers, state governors, and senior officials to develop a comprehensive reform package for subsequent negotiations with coalition partners.
A congressional advisory panel issued a warning Monday that Chinese artificial intelligence companies are establishing a powerful competitive position through open-source technology, potentially undermining America’s leadership in the field despite ongoing restrictions on chip exports to China.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission released findings showing that affordable Chinese language models from companies like Alibaba, Moonshot and MiniMax now lead global usage statistics on major platforms including HuggingFace and OpenRouter.
According to the commission’s analysis, China’s strategy of implementing AI across multiple industries – from manufacturing plants to logistics systems and robotics – is creating valuable real-world information that helps improve their models.
“This open ecosystem enables China to innovate close to the frontier despite significant compute constraints,” the commission stated in Monday’s report.
The panel added that “Chinese labs have narrowed performance gaps with top Western large language models.”
Since 2022, American legislators have implemented multiple waves of export controls targeting China, preventing the country from obtaining the most sophisticated AI processing chips. However, Washington did authorize sales of Nvidia’s second-tier chip technology in December.
Meanwhile, American firms such as OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, and Anthropic, the company behind Claude, along with established technology corporations, have poured billions into maintaining their technological edge.
However, their market position may face challenges.
“Open model proliferation creates alternative pathways to AI leadership,” according to the report’s findings.
Research indicates that approximately 80 percent of American AI startup companies now utilize Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models.
DeepSeek’s innovative R1 model, released in the previous year, rapidly surpassed ChatGPT to become the top downloaded application on America’s App Store. Additionally, Alibaba’s Qwen model series has exceeded Meta’s Llama in worldwide download totals, based on HuggingFace data.
The report suggests that as artificial intelligence evolution moves beyond language models toward autonomous AI systems and physical robotics applications, China may be better positioned to leverage its extensive data gathering capabilities for developing humanoid robots, self-driving vehicle technology, and dual-use applications.
“There’s a bit of a deployment gap in the embodied AI space between the U.S. and China. That’s something that over time compounds itself … We’re starting to see that compounding now,” Michael Kuiken, the commission’s vice-chair, explained in a Reuters interview.
Kuiken noted that the commission is also monitoring China’s AI applications in biotechnology, quantum computing, and advanced materials sectors.
Chinese leadership has identified embodied AI as a critical strategic industry for the future, with numerous prominent Chinese robotics companies planning to go public this year.
Despite concerns raised by Western research institutions about potential security vulnerabilities and political biases in Chinese open-source AI systems that favor Beijing’s governmental positions, many corporations continue adopting these technologies.
Siemens CEO Roland Busch stated Monday that his company sees “no disadvantages” in using Chinese open-source AI for training their industrial automation models, highlighting cost benefits and flexible customization options.
The head of investment powerhouse BlackRock delivered a message of patience to investors on March 23, encouraging them to maintain their positions despite recent market turbulence while pointing to artificial intelligence as a game-changing force in finance and beyond.
Recent weeks have brought significant challenges to worldwide financial markets through a combination of international tensions and economic pressures. The growing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has caused petroleum costs to surge and created disruptions in crucial transportation corridors, sparking concerns about rising prices and unsettling market confidence.
Meanwhile, worries that artificial intelligence technology might diminish the worth of traditional software companies have put pressure on certain technology stocks. These concerns are emerging as consumer expenditures show signs of weakening and fears grow about potential economic deceleration while borrowing costs remain high.
In his yearly message to company shareholders, CEO Larry Fink described the current environment: “We are living through a period where things that would’ve defined a decade have become routine: wars with global repercussions, trillion-dollar companies, a fundamental reordering of international trade, and the advent of the most significant technology since, at least, the computer.”
Fink emphasized the importance of maintaining investment positions rather than attempting to time market movements perfectly. “Over time, staying invested has mattered far more than getting the timing right. Over the past two decades, every dollar invested in the S&P 500 grew more than eightfold,” he stated.
Industry experts note that artificial intelligence is quickly transforming various sectors, changing employment patterns and corporate operations, with expectations of major market and economic shifts in coming years.
Regarding AI’s economic impact, Fink expressed confidence: “One thing is clear: AI will create significant economic value. Ensuring that participation in that growth expands alongside it is both the challenge and the opportunity.”
The BlackRock leader stressed that artificial intelligence technology is permanent and continues to be a focal point of strategic rivalry between America and China.
“History suggests that transformative technologies create enormous value – and much of that value accrues to the companies that build and deploy them, and to the investors who own them,” Fink concluded.
A biotechnology company specializing in next-generation treatments has struck a significant partnership deal with one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers to advance a promising autoimmune therapy.
Kali Therapeutics announced Monday that it has formed a licensing partnership with Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical giant, to further develop the company’s experimental autoimmune disease treatment called KT501.
The financial terms of the agreement are substantial. Kali Therapeutics will collect $180 million in immediate and short-term payments, with the potential to earn an additional $1.05 billion through various development and sales milestones. Should the treatment receive regulatory approval, the company will earn royalty payments ranging from high single-digit to double-digit percentages on product sales.
Through this partnership, Sanofi gains worldwide rights to KT501, which represents a tri-specific antibody created using Kali Therapeutics’ proprietary research platform. The experimental drug is currently undergoing early-phase clinical testing in rheumatoid arthritis patients to evaluate safety and patient tolerance levels.
According to Kali Therapeutics, the treatment is engineered to target and regulate immune cells responsible for triggering autoimmune conditions, including diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Laboratory studies conducted on non-human primates demonstrated that KT501 significantly decreased B cell populations—a type of white blood cell—while minimizing the dangerous immune responses sometimes associated with comparable therapies.
Sanofi brings existing expertise in autoimmune treatments to the partnership, currently selling Kevzara, an approved rheumatoid arthritis medication developed in collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The company is simultaneously working on additional anti-inflammatory drug candidates in its pipeline.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has initiated an investigation into allegations that his foreign minister was under surveillance amid reports of secret communications with Russian officials.
The controversy erupted following a Washington Post report claiming that Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto regularly contacted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during European Union meetings to share confidential discussions.
“We are dealing with two serious issues: there is evidence that Hungary’s Foreign Minister was wiretapped, and we also have indications of who may be behind it. This must be investigated immediately,” Orban posted on social media Monday.
The timing proves particularly challenging for Orban, who is facing his most difficult reelection campaign since taking office in 2010. With Hungary’s April 12 election approaching, polls show the center-right opposition Tisza party holding a significant lead.
According to the Washington Post report, which cited a European security official, Szijjarto allegedly provided Lavrov with “live reports on what’s been discussed” during breaks in EU meetings over several years.
Szijjarto quickly rejected these claims, calling the report “fake news” on Sunday.
The situation intensified when Hungarian conservative publication Mandiner released audio recordings featuring investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi discussing how he provided Szijjarto’s phone numbers to “a state organ of an EU country” for verification purposes.
Panyi acknowledged the conversation’s authenticity on Facebook, explaining he was cross-referencing the numbers with intelligence from a European security service while investigating potential information sharing between Szijjarto and Russia.
Speaking to Reuters, Panyi accused the government of employing intelligence tactics to expose his source communications while he investigated sensitive matters.
Szijjarto expressed outrage over the Mandiner revelations, describing them as “shocking.”
“It is astonishing that with the active cooperation of a Hungarian journalist one or more foreign intelligence services have wiretapped me,” Szijjarto stated in a Facebook video.
The foreign minister has maintained regular contact with Moscow since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including a March 4 meeting with President Vladimir Putin to discuss oil supply arrangements.
Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Orban has preserved close relationships with Putin and continued Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy resources. Last week, citing disagreements with Kyiv over a damaged oil pipeline, Orban prevented the European Union from implementing a loan package for Ukraine that was approved in December.
Motorists traveling eastbound on Lighthouse Road are experiencing delays today due to ongoing construction work that has forced the closure of one lane.
The affected area spans from Dukes Avenue to Madison Avenue, creating a bottleneck for drivers heading east on the busy roadway. Construction crews are actively working in the zone, requiring traffic to merge into fewer available lanes.
According to Delaware Department of Transportation officials, the lane restriction is scheduled to be lifted by 5 PM this evening. Drivers are advised to seek alternate routes or allow extra travel time when passing through the construction zone.
The work is part of ongoing infrastructure improvements in the area, though specific details about the nature of the construction project were not immediately available.
Drivers traveling through the area this morning will encounter lane restrictions on Old Orchard Road due to ongoing construction activities.
DelDOT reports that the southbound lane is currently blocked between East Austin Street and the Lewes Georgetown Trail. The construction work is expected to wrap up by 10 AM today.
Motorists are advised to plan for potential delays and consider alternate routes if traveling through this section of Old Orchard Road during the morning hours.
Motorists traveling on Delaware Route 9 should expect periodic lane restrictions today as road work continues along a section of Wilmington Road.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reports that intermittent lane closures are affecting the stretch of RT-9 between Baldt Avenue and West 6th Street. These temporary restrictions are expected to remain in place until 5 p.m. this afternoon.
Drivers are advised to plan for potential delays and consider alternate routes if possible during the affected timeframe.
Drivers traveling through downtown Wilmington will need to plan for delays and lane restrictions on South Walnut Street today.
According to DelDOT, the left lanes of South Walnut Street are currently shut down between New Sweden Street and A Street while construction crews complete work in the area. The lane closures are scheduled to remain in effect until 5 PM today.
Motorists are advised to use alternate routes or allow extra travel time when navigating through this section of the city. Traffic is being directed around the construction zone using the remaining open lanes.
Drivers traveling on westbound Walker Road in New Castle County should expect delays this afternoon due to construction activity.
Delaware Department of Transportation reports that one lane is currently blocked between Independence Boulevard and Kenton Road while crews perform construction work in the area.
The lane restriction is expected to be lifted by 3:30 PM today, according to DelDOT traffic advisories.
Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes if possible while the construction work continues.
Former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, the Socialist leader who introduced France’s 35-hour work week and championed progressive social policies, has passed away at the age of 88.
Current Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced Jospin’s death, which occurred on Sunday according to family sources reported by Agence France-Presse.
In a statement posted on X, Lecornu praised Jospin’s legacy, saying he “served France with constancy, rigor and a sense of responsibility” and that “his actions, guided by a certain vision of social progress and republican values, leave a lasting mark and a model of commitment.”
With his distinctive white curly hair and thick glasses, Jospin maintained the scholarly appearance of the economics professor he had been before François Mitterrand unexpectedly appointed him to lead the Socialist Party in 1981.
Following corruption scandals that devastated the Socialists in the 1993 parliamentary elections, Jospin helped restore the party’s reputation, remaining free from the bribery and fraud allegations that had tainted other leaders.
From 1997 to 2002, Jospin served as prime minister under conservative President Jacques Chirac in an unusual power-sharing arrangement known as “cohabitation,” heading a coalition of left-wing parties.
During his tenure, Jospin rejected the free-market reforms that were gaining popularity in Britain and other nations, instead pursuing distinctly leftist policies.
His major accomplishments included implementing France’s gender parity law requiring equal numbers of male and female candidates in national elections, establishing civil unions for both same-sex and heterosexual couples, and reducing the standard work week from 39 to 35 hours—a change celebrated by labor advocates but denounced by business leaders as economically harmful.
Despite his political success, Jospin struggled with public appearances, his naturally reserved demeanor becoming even more rigid when facing television cameras.
His political career ended abruptly following a devastating defeat in the 2002 presidential election’s first round, where he unexpectedly lost to far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen.
In that shocking result, Le Pen narrowly edged out Jospin for second place by fewer than 200,000 votes, both receiving over 16% of the total. This allowed Le Pen, the anti-immigration National Front founder, to advance to the runoff against incumbent Chirac, delivering a major blow to mainstream French politics.
French voters ultimately united behind Chirac in the second round to prevent Le Pen from reaching the Élysée Palace, giving Chirac a decisive victory.
Born on July 12, 1937, Jospin came into the world under unusual circumstances—his midwife mother reportedly elevated her pelvis using volumes of Voltaire’s writings during labor.
“She believed I would have the spirit of Voltaire,” Jospin once recalled.
His formative years in Nazi-occupied Paris left a lasting impression on his personality and political approach.
“I have the memory of the importance of silence. If you weren’t quiet, you ran the risk of putting people in danger. Certainly in political life I’ve retained a certain horror of talkativeness,” he reflected.
Raised in a Protestant household, Jospin attended the elite École d’Administration Nationale, which has produced numerous French political leaders and intellectuals.
The leftist student movements of 1968 drew him into politics, and after initially associating with Trotskyist groups, he eventually joined the Socialist Party.
Throughout his career, even as his views evolved, Jospin maintained his skepticism of unchecked capitalism, frequently repeating his signature slogan: “Yes to the market economy, no to a market society.”
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Following a razor-thin electoral outcome that left no party with a governing majority, Slovenia’s president called Monday for immediate coalition discussions among the nation’s political parties.
According to preliminary tallies covering 99.85% of ballots, Prime Minister Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement secured 29 seats in the 90-member parliament, while the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) captured 28 seats — a margin of victory of less than one percent.
The narrow results mean neither major party can govern alone, leaving smaller parties to play the decisive role in determining Slovenia’s next government. The potential shape of future political alliances remains unclear.
President Natasa Pirc Musar took to social media platform X to encourage rapid negotiations, stating “I urge them to sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible.” She offered congratulations to what she termed the “relative winner” — Golob’s pro-European Union Freedom Movement.
Sunday’s election was viewed as a critical moment for determining whether this EU member nation would continue its liberal trajectory or shift rightward. The inconclusive results highlight the sharp political divide among Slovenia’s 1.7 million registered voters.
Under Golob’s leadership, the current administration has championed liberal policies within the 27-member European Union. In contrast, SDS leader Janez Jansa represents a populist approach and maintains close ties with Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A Jansa victory would strengthen Europe’s right-wing political movements.
Despite the narrow victory, Golob expressed optimism about forming the next administration while recognizing that “tough negotiations” await his party.
Jansa, known for his admiration of U.S. President Donald Trump, indicated his party’s reluctance to participate in what he considers an unstable coalition. He warned that the current “balance of political powers … based on what we see now, will not provide much stability.”
The election followed an intense campaign marked by accusations of foreign meddling and corruption scandals, intensifying existing tensions between the competing political factions.
Since gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia has regularly alternated between right-wing and left-leaning governments. The mountainous country of 2 million citizens joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004.
WASHINGTON — Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin appears headed for Senate confirmation as the nation’s next Homeland Security Secretary, stepping into President Donald Trump’s cabinet after the controversial firing of Kristi Noem amid mounting criticism over immigration policies and mass deportation efforts.
The former mixed martial arts fighter and longtime Trump ally has positioned himself as someone who can bring stability to the troubled agency, stating his objective would be removing the department from negative headlines. However, Mullin faced sharp questioning about his character and judgment during a contentious confirmation hearing last week, including criticism from Republican Senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee.
During an unusual Sunday session, senators moved Mullin’s nomination forward on a mostly partisan 54-37 vote, with final confirmation anticipated Monday evening. Democratic Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico broke ranks to support the nomination alongside most Republicans.
Mullin inherits a department in crisis, with funding frozen since mid-February, creating extensive delays at airports nationwide during peak spring break travel. The funding standoff stems from Democratic demands for stricter oversight of immigration enforcement following the deaths of two American citizens during Minneapolis protests this year.
Adding to airport tensions, Trump announced plans over the weekend to deploy immigration agents to assist Transportation Security Administration workers, a move that lawmakers and experts warn could heighten conflicts in already crowded terminals.
Despite serving over a decade in Congress and managing his family’s expanding Oklahoma plumbing operation, Mullin has not been considered a major player on immigration policy. The former collegiate wrestler, known for organizing early morning workout sessions in the House gym, built relationships across party lines and earned a reputation as someone who could bridge political divides.
His selection stems primarily from his unwavering support for Trump, and observers expect him to faithfully implement the president’s immigration strategy. Mullin backed Trump’s previous immigration initiatives and supported ICE operations before receiving the cabinet nomination.
“I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of homeland I’ll be protecting everybody,” Mullin stated during his confirmation proceedings.
Restoring department funding represents Mullin’s most pressing challenge, blocked by Democrats seeking enhanced restrictions on immigration officers. Their demands include requiring agents to identify themselves without masks, avoiding enforcement near schools, churches, and hospitals, using body cameras, and obtaining judicial approval before entering private residences.
Paul opposed Mullin in committee proceedings and abstained from Sunday’s advancement vote, while Democrats remain doubtful, viewing him as another Trump loyalist who will execute the administration’s agenda without question.
Public backing for Trump’s immigration approach has declined following a year of high-visibility operations across multiple cities. Under Noem’s leadership, officers faced accusations of excessive force, maintaining substandard detention conditions, and circumventing legal procedures to expedite deportations.
During his hearing, Mullin acknowledged errors in his previous criticism of Alex Pretti, a protester killed by an ICE officer, promising to avoid prejudging situations before investigations conclude.
Mullin outlined potential policy modifications, including requiring court-signed warrants rather than administrative ones for home entries, except in emergency situations. He recognized community concerns about large ICE detention centers and described cutting federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions as a final option.
However, the White House ultimately directs immigration enforcement strategy, and Mullin is expected to follow presidential guidance. Trump faces pressure from Republican supporters to fulfill his campaign pledge of deporting one million people annually.
The incoming secretary must also address problems at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has faced criticism for its disaster response in hurricane-affected regions. Critics, including fellow Republicans, blamed Noem’s policy requiring personal approval for contracts exceeding $100,000 for slowing relief efforts, while the agency still lacks permanent leadership.
Mullin proposed changes to federal emergency management during his confirmation, rejecting calls to eliminate FEMA and pledging to reverse Noem’s contract approval requirement.
SANTA FE, N.M. — A historic courtroom battle in New Mexico is coming to a close as jurors prepare to decide whether social media giant Meta deceived users about the dangers its platforms pose to young people.
Final arguments are set for Monday following six weeks of witness testimony that featured educators, mental health professionals, state investigators, high-ranking Meta executives, and former company insiders who became whistleblowers.
This New Mexico state court proceeding represents one of the first cases to go to trial amid a surge of legal challenges targeting social media companies and their effects on minors.
State prosecutors contend that Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — put financial gain ahead of user protection, violating New Mexico’s consumer protection statutes. Officials have highlighted concerns regarding sophisticated recommendation systems and various communication tools and privacy controls.
Meta’s legal team contests these allegations, arguing the corporation implements safeguards for young users and removes dangerous material, while conceding that some problematic content occasionally bypasses their security measures.
Following the jury’s decision, a second trial phase will commence where a judge will determine if Meta created a public health hazard and should provide financial support for programs addressing purported harm to children.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez launched the lawsuit in 2023, claiming Meta established a platform that serves as a “breeding ground” for individuals seeking to sexually exploit minors while concealing knowledge of these damaging consequences. State officials established fake social media profiles mimicking children to track online predatory behavior and Meta’s response.
Meta’s lawyers maintain the company provides transparent information about its comprehensive yet imperfect efforts to eliminate child sexual abuse content. They also claim prosecutors selected evidence selectively and performed inadequate research.
During testimony, Meta leadership stressed the company’s ongoing commitment to enhancing safety measures and combating addictive social media behavior while respecting free expression and avoiding excessive content removal.
A jury composed of Santa Fe County residents, including those from the liberal-leaning capital city, will determine whether Meta breached the state’s Unfair Practices Act on three charges, including “unconscionable” business conduct.
If jurors find intentional violations occurred, Meta could face penalties reaching $5,000 per infraction. State officials suggest this could total billions considering Meta’s user base in New Mexico, though the company would likely challenge such calculations.
Technology firms have historically enjoyed legal protection from user-generated content liability through Section 230, a three-decade-old component of federal communications law, along with First Amendment defenses.
However, New Mexico officials clarify they’re not holding Meta responsible for platform content itself, but rather the company’s role in distributing material through sophisticated algorithms that spread potentially addictive and harmful content to young users.
Meanwhile in California, another jury is currently deliberating whether Meta and YouTube bear responsibility for damages caused to children using their services. This key case could influence the outcome of thousands of similar legal actions against social media corporations.
As concerns about cost of living continue to weigh heavily on American families, Democratic lawmakers are embracing a strategy typically associated with Republicans: reducing taxes to help people keep more money in their wallets.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has introduced legislation that would essentially eliminate federal income taxes for individuals earning $46,000 or less per year, while also providing reductions for those making up to approximately $106,000 annually. Meanwhile, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is pushing for households to pay zero income tax on their first $75,000 in earnings.
This shift represents an early indication that Democrats are attempting to reshape their image by borrowing from President Donald Trump’s successful campaign strategy, which featured easily understood promises such as eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay.
However, these proposals could create conflicts with other Democratic priorities by removing substantial revenue sources that might otherwise fund efforts to reverse Trump’s tax benefits for wealthy Americans or restore Medicaid funding. The plans could also restrict resources available for new programs Democrats typically champion during campaigns.
Booker dismissed any comparisons to Trump’s approach, explaining he was responding to constituents who want “somebody to start fighting for them in a way that is bigger, bolder and more ambitious.”
Similar tax reduction ideas are emerging in state-level campaigns as well. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor seeking Georgia’s governorship, proposes eliminating state income taxes for public school educators.
California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Katie Porter advocates for eliminating state income taxes for families earning under $100,000. She criticized Democrats for historically taking overly complex approaches to policy creation, citing President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act as an example with its credit for those earning less than 150% of their area’s median income. “I don’t even know what 150% the median income is in my area,” Porter remarked.
“I like this proposal more than a complex web of reductions because it’s more straightforward,” Porter explained. “This is a conversation that I think Democrats should have been owning for the last decade.”
During the 2024 presidential race, Trump dominated this messaging territory. While tax policy experts criticized his ideas as ineffective and wasteful, they connected with voters effectively.
Van Hollen remembered hearing hairdressers at his neighborhood barbershop enthusiastically discussing potential savings from Trump’s tip tax elimination proposal, which later became part of the Republican budget legislation that primarily benefited wealthy Americans while cutting Medicaid substantially.
“What our bill does is make sure all those people benefit,” Van Hollen stated.
Despite these new tax reduction proposals, Democrats continue advocating for increased taxes on extremely wealthy Americans.
Van Hollen’s plan includes an additional tax on income exceeding $1 million to fund the lower-income tax cuts. Both Booker and Porter propose raising corporate tax rates at federal and state levels respectively.
According to Yale Budget Lab analysis, Booker’s proposal would still create approximately $7 trillion in deficit spending, though Booker argues the study underestimates savings from eliminating wealthy Americans’ “tax avoidance schemes.”
Tax reductions targeting one income group often benefit higher earners as well, which has been Democrats’ primary criticism of Republican tax policies that typically provide modest savings for working families while delivering larger benefits to affluent taxpayers who already pay more.
Booker’s plan would raise the standard deduction for married couples from $31,500 to $75,000, eliminating taxes for working-class families while providing the largest benefits to those with higher incomes. Yale Budget Lab research shows his proposal would result in those earning up to the 80th income percentile—roughly $106,000 for individuals—saving 5.3% on their taxes, slightly more than those in the 20th-40th percentile range.
While Van Hollen’s cuts decrease as income rises, Yale Budget Lab analysis found they would only reduce the top 20% of earners’ taxable income by about 2%, with the most significant impact—approximately 12%—affecting the top 1%.
Since lower and some middle-income Americans already pay relatively little in taxes, the savings for higher middle-class earners could be more substantial under these proposals, according to policy analysts.
“The breaks that middle-income people are getting out of these proposals is not impressive,” said Vanessa Williamson from the Tax Policy Center.
Democrats’ decision to focus on ultra-wealthy Americans while largely excluding upper-middle-class taxpayers reflects the party’s increasingly affluent voter base, which includes educated urban residents who aren’t billionaires but earn more than most Americans.
“The Democratic approach is different than anything in the past, in that it’s trying to splice away the very wealthiest from people who are also wealthy,” explained Alan Cole, an economist with the conservative Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C. “Democratic priorities mirror what their coalition looks like.”
Chuck Marr, vice president at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, emphasized that Democrats will need substantial revenue to reverse Trump’s tax cuts. “Reversing those costs a lot of money,” he noted.
Budget deficits, already elevated following the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased significantly during Trump’s second term, contributing to higher interest rates that worsen voters’ affordability concerns. Marr expressed concern that these proposals might benefit wealthier taxpayers more than intended. “I just don’t think the execution works as well as the intention,” Marr said.
Democratic lawmakers, however, remain enthusiastic about these initiatives. Van Hollen’s legislation has attracted 19 Democratic Senate co-sponsors plus the two independents who align with the party. Major labor organizations, including the AFL-CIO, have also endorsed the proposal.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler contrasted this legislation with previous Democratic worker assistance efforts during a recent press conference introducing the bill. “We need ideas that are as clear and simple as the demands workers have given us,” Shuler stated. “That’s how we restore faith — give people real relief.”
Porter argued her party must reconsider their tax philosophy, acknowledging concerns that California is losing residents to more conservative states like Texas.
“Democrats need to recognize that taxes are a tool, yes, for funding programs to help people,” she said, “but they are also a driver of unaffordability.”
Two flight crew members died in a tragic runway accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday evening. The fatal incident occurred when an Air Canada regional aircraft crashed into an emergency fire vehicle on the tarmac following a completed landing.
The collision claimed the lives of both the aircraft’s pilot and co-pilot. Airport authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the deadly crash between the passenger jet and the fire truck on the runway.
