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"value": "# Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets advance with 120-101 Game 7 laugher over stunned Los Angeles Clippers\n\nBy Arnie Melendrez Stapleton \nMay 4th, 2025 02:11 AM\n\n---\n\nDENVER (AP) — Not this time.\n\nNikola Jokic got plenty of help from his teammates and Denver's scoring surge held up in a 120-101 blowout of the shellshocked Los Angeles Clippers in a Game 7 laugher on Saturday night.\n\nThe Nuggets led by as many as 35 and while the franchise's biggest blowout in a win-or-go-home scenario won't make up for last year when Denver blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead over Minnesota at home in Game 7 of their Round 2 series, it certainly exorcised some of those demons.\n\n\"It feels good,\" interim Nuggets coach David Adelman said, \"but I also know we're flying to O-K-C tomorrow.\"\n\nThe No. 4 seed Nuggets advanced to take on the No. 1 seeded and well-rested Oklahoma City Thunder, which swept Memphis in the first round and has had a week off heading into the second-round series that begins Monday night.\n\nWhen Adelman reminded a friend recently that the reward for surviving this gritty series with the Clippers was a date with the team that went an NBA-best 68-14, his buddy retored that what actually awaited the winner was a 72-14 team.\n\n\"OK, that's right,\" Adelman replied. \"Appreciate that, bro.\"\n\nThe Nuggets and Thunder split their season series 2-2 and if Denver can reproduce its effort from Saturday night, the next series could be a tight one, too.\n\nJokic had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes but for a change he was overshadowed by his teammates. Aaron Gordon led Denver with 22 points, Christian Braun had 21, Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook chipped in 16 each and Michael Porter Jr. scored 15.\n\n\"In playoffs we know that everybody needs to step up, offensively, defensively, whatever, energy-wise. And everybody who plays needs to contribute something,\" Jokic said. \"It was special today the guys did that.\"\n\nBraun also played terrific defense on James Harden, who was held to 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting.\n\n\"Everybody behind me allowed me to guard him. But I think maybe the biggest part was Russ,\" Braun said. \"He's played against James, he's played with James, so he knows his game. ... The coaches trusted me tonight. We didn't want to switch. They kept me on him all night. So, credit goes to those guys and the coaches.\"\n\nKawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 22 points and Ivica Zubac had his quietest game of the series with 10 points.\n\n\"I don't think this team was 30 points better than us,\" Leonard said. \"We saw that throughout the first six games of this series, but you've got to give them credit. They came out, ran hard in transition, got easy points and they made shots.\"\n\nHanging over the Nuggets all season, one that included the firings of their head coach and their general manaer, was their Game 7 fiasco in Round 2 last year just when it looked like they were primed to defend the franchise's first NBA championship.\n\nAnd after frittering away a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage in Game 4 of this series — only to be saved by the first buzzer-beating dunk in NBA playoff history, courtesy of Gordon — the Nuggets and Ball Arena crowd only grew more energized instead of anxious as the lead kept growing and the Clippers kept missing.\n\nThe Nuggets outscored LA 72-40 over the second and third quarters and blew this one open with a 17-0 run in the third quarter after Leonard started the second half with a 3-pointer to cut LA's deficit to 58-50.\n\n\"The rebounding and defense was amazing,\" Jokic said. \"We had a lot of opportunities to run and a lot of guys stepped up and a lot of guys made baskets.\"\n\nAfter picking up his third, fourth and fifth fouls over a 48-second span late in the third, Jokic went to the bench. The Nuggets began celebrating early in the fourth quarter when Westbrook willingly took a technical for swinging on the rim after a steal and breakaway dunk put Denver up 107-76.\n\nCourtesy of team owner Steve Ballmer, more than 100 Clippers fans were flown to Denver and assembled behind one of the baskets to provide extra noise. They were rowdy when the Clippers took a 26-21 lead after one quarter but were as bewildered as the Los Angeles bench as the Nuggets ran away with it.\n\n___\n\nAP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba"
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"value": "# Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets advance with 120-101 Game 7 laugher over stunned Los Angeles Clippers\n\nBy Arnie Melendrez Stapleton \nMay 4th, 2025 02:11 AM\n\n---\n\nDENVER (AP) — Not this time.\n\nNikola Jokic got plenty of help from his teammates and Denver's scoring surge held up in a 120-101 blowout of the shellshocked Los Angeles Clippers in a Game 7 laugher on Saturday night.\n\nThe Nuggets led by as many as 35 and while the franchise's biggest blowout in a win-or-go-home scenario won't make up for last year when Denver blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead over Minnesota at home in Game 7 of their Round 2 series, it certainly exorcised some of those demons.\n\n\"It feels good,\" interim Nuggets coach David Adelman said, \"but I also know we're flying to O-K-C tomorrow.\"\n\nThe No. 4 seed Nuggets advanced to take on the No. 1 seeded and well-rested Oklahoma City Thunder, which swept Memphis in the first round and has had a week off heading into the second-round series that begins Monday night.\n\nWhen Adelman reminded a friend recently that the reward for surviving this gritty series with the Clippers was a date with the team that went an NBA-best 68-14, his buddy retored that what actually awaited the winner was a 72-14 team.\n\n\"OK, that's right,\" Adelman replied. \"Appreciate that, bro.\"\n\nThe Nuggets and Thunder split their season series 2-2 and if Denver can reproduce its effort from Saturday night, the next series could be a tight one, too.\n\nJokic had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes but for a change he was overshadowed by his teammates. Aaron Gordon led Denver with 22 points, Christian Braun had 21, Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook chipped in 16 each and Michael Porter Jr. scored 15.\n\n\"In playoffs we know that everybody needs to step up, offensively, defensively, whatever, energy-wise. And everybody who plays needs to contribute something,\" Jokic said. \"It was special today the guys did that.\"\n\nBraun also played terrific defense on James Harden, who was held to 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting.\n\n\"Everybody behind me allowed me to guard him. But I think maybe the biggest part was Russ,\" Braun said. \"He's played against James, he's played with James, so he knows his game. ... The coaches trusted me tonight. We didn't want to switch. They kept me on him all night. So, credit goes to those guys and the coaches.\"\n\nKawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 22 points and Ivica Zubac had his quietest game of the series with 10 points.\n\n\"I don't think this team was 30 points better than us,\" Leonard said. \"We saw that throughout the first six games of this series, but you've got to give them credit. They came out, ran hard in transition, got easy points and they made shots.\"\n\nHanging over the Nuggets all season, one that included the firings of their head coach and their general manaer, was their Game 7 fiasco in Round 2 last year just when it looked like they were primed to defend the franchise's first NBA championship.\n\nAnd after frittering away a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage in Game 4 of this series — only to be saved by the first buzzer-beating dunk in NBA playoff history, courtesy of Gordon — the Nuggets and Ball Arena crowd only grew more energized instead of anxious as the lead kept growing and the Clippers kept missing.\n\nThe Nuggets outscored LA 72-40 over the second and third quarters and blew this one open with a 17-0 run in the third quarter after Leonard started the second half with a 3-pointer to cut LA's deficit to 58-50.\n\n\"The rebounding and defense was amazing,\" Jokic said. \"We had a lot of opportunities to run and a lot of guys stepped up and a lot of guys made baskets.\"\n\nAfter picking up his third, fourth and fifth fouls over a 48-second span late in the third, Jokic went to the bench. The Nuggets began celebrating early in the fourth quarter when Westbrook willingly took a technical for swinging on the rim after a steal and breakaway dunk put Denver up 107-76.\n\nCourtesy of team owner Steve Ballmer, more than 100 Clippers fans were flown to Denver and assembled behind one of the baskets to provide extra noise. They were rowdy when the Clippers took a 26-21 lead after one quarter but were as bewildered as the Los Angeles bench as the Nuggets ran away with it."
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"value": "# What's in a name? Pope Leo XIV's choice signals a commitment to social justice\n\nBy Colleen Barry \nMay 8th, 2025 06:57 PM\n\n---\n\nSCHIAVON, Italy (AP) — Pope Leo XIV 's choice of name signals a commitment to social justice that is very much in line with the late Pope Francis ' global ministry.\n\n\"I think a lot us had a question mark when they elected an American, and then he selected the name Pope Leo XIV,\" said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. \"It really means to me he will continue the work of Leo XIII.\"\n\nPope Leo XIII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers' rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. He criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.\n\nThe name \"is a deep sign of commitment to social issues,\" said Imperatori-Lee. \"I think this (new) pope is saying something about social justice, by choosing this name, that it is going to be a priority. He is continuing a lot of Francis' ministry.\"\n\nVatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that choice of the name Leo was a reference to Leo XIII and the social doctrine of the church, in particular the Rerum Novarum encyclical, considered the Catholic Church's first social encyclical.\n\nAnother predecessor, Pope Leo I, was known for repelling the barbarian invasion of Attila the Hun in 452 A.D. and dissuading him from sacking Rome through diplomacy, Italian Cardinal Mauro Piacenza told RAI Italian state TV. He also noted that Pope Leo XIII elevated the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii to a papal basilica in 1901.\n\nLeo could also refer to Brother Leo, the 13th century friar who was a great companion of St. Francis of Assisi. By choosing such a name, the new pope could be signaling also a very strong continuity with Francis, who named himself after the saint.\n\nFor most of the Catholic Church's first millennium, popes used their given names. The first exception was the 6th century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and chose the more appropriate name of John II.\n\nThe practice of adopting a new name became ingrained during the 11th century, a period of German popes who chose names of early church bishops out of \"a desire to signify continuity,\" according to Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.\n\nFor many centuries, new popes tended to choose the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. John was the most popular, chosen by 23 popes, followed by Benedict and Gregory, each with 16.\n\nIt was from the mid-20th century that new popes began to choose names signaling the aim of their papacy, Regoli said.\n\n_____\n\nAP writers Nicole Winfield and Vanessa Gera contributed from Rome.\n\n____\n\nAssociated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content."
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"value": "# What's in a name? Pope Leo XIV's choice signals a commitment to social justice\n\nBy Colleen Barry \nMay 8th, 2025 06:57 PM\n\n---\n\nSCHIAVON, Italy (AP) — Pope Leo XIV 's choice of name signals a commitment to social justice that is very much in line with the late Pope Francis ' global ministry.\n\n\"I think a lot us had a question mark when they elected an American, and then he selected the name Pope Leo XIV,\" said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. \"It really means to me he will continue the work of Leo XIII.\"\n\nPope Leo XIII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers' rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. He criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.\n\nThe name \"is a deep sign of commitment to social issues,\" said Imperatori-Lee. \"I think this (new) pope is saying something about social justice, by choosing this name, that it is going to be a priority. He is continuing a lot of Francis' ministry.\"\n\nVatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that choice of the name Leo was a reference to Leo XIII and the social doctrine of the church, in particular the Rerum Novarum encyclical, considered the Catholic Church's first social encyclical.\n\nAnother predecessor, Pope Leo I, was known for repelling the barbarian invasion of Attila the Hun in 452 A.D. and dissuading him from sacking Rome through diplomacy, Italian Cardinal Mauro Piacenza told RAI Italian state TV. He also noted that Pope Leo XIII elevated the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii to a papal basilica in 1901.\n\nLeo could also refer to Brother Leo, the 13th century friar who was a great companion of St. Francis of Assisi. By choosing such a name, the new pope could be signaling also a very strong continuity with Francis, who named himself after the saint.\n\nFor most of the Catholic Church's first millennium, popes used their given names. The first exception was the 6th century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and chose the more appropriate name of John II.\n\nThe practice of adopting a new name became ingrained during the 11th century, a period of German popes who chose names of early church bishops out of \"a desire to signify continuity,\" according to Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.\n\nFor many centuries, new popes tended to choose the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. John was the most popular, chosen by 23 popes, followed by Benedict and Gregory, each with 16.\n\nIt was from the mid-20th century that new popes began to choose names signaling the aim of their papacy, Regoli said."
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"value": "# Red Sox 1B Romy Gonzalez leaves game after collision at first, running out grounder\n\nMay 8th, 2025 01:19 AM\n\n---\n\nBOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez left the game after colliding with Texas Rangers first baseman Josh Smith while trying to beat out an infield hit on Wednesday night.\n\nBoth players were down on the ground for a bit, being attended to by their team's trainers. Gonzalez was down the right-field line, while Smith was next to the bag.\n\n\"Just sore,\" Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after their 6-4 victory. \"The way he landed, his back got tight. I think he's day to day. He should be OK.\"\n\nSmith backed up a bit to handle a throw from third and collided with Gonzalez's left leg as he reached the bag, sending the Boston player tumbling.\n\nGonzalez was originally ruled safe on the play that scored a run to push the Red Sox ahead, 4-3, but it was overturned after the Rangers challenged, taking the run off the board and ending the inning.\n\nThe position is shorthanded for Boston now after Triston Casas was lost for the season when he ruptured a tendon in his left knee last week running to first. Gonzalez is expected to see the bulk of play at the position.\n\nGonzalez was replaced Wednesday by Abraham Toro, who was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.\n\nThe club has been reluctant to think about moving Rafael Devers to first after he was moved from third to DH when they signed free agent Alex Bregman to a $120-million, three-year deal during spring training.\n\n\"Like I told you guys in spring training, he's my DH,\" Cora said Saturday of Devers.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Red Sox 1B Romy Gonzalez leaves game after collision at first, running out grounder\n\nMay 8th, 2025 01:19 AM\n\n---\n\nBOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez left the game after colliding with Texas Rangers first baseman Josh Smith while trying to beat out an infield hit on Wednesday night.\n\nBoth players were down on the ground for a bit, being attended to by their team's trainers. Gonzalez was down the right-field line, while Smith was next to the bag.\n\n\"Just sore,\" Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after their 6-4 victory. \"The way he landed, his back got tight. I think he's day to day. He should be OK.\"\n\nSmith backed up a bit to handle a throw from third and collided with Gonzalez's left leg as he reached the bag, sending the Boston player tumbling.\n\nGonzalez was originally ruled safe on the play that scored a run to push the Red Sox ahead, 4-3, but it was overturned after the Rangers challenged, taking the run off the board and ending the inning.\n\nThe position is shorthanded for Boston now after Triston Casas was lost for the season when he ruptured a tendon in his left knee last week running to first. Gonzalez is expected to see the bulk of play at the position.\n\nGonzalez was replaced Wednesday by Abraham Toro, who was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.\n\nThe club has been reluctant to think about moving Rafael Devers to first after he was moved from third to DH when they signed free agent Alex Bregman to a $120-million, three-year deal during spring training.\n\n\"Like I told you guys in spring training, he's my DH,\" Cora said Saturday of Devers."
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"value": "# How to make a colorful romaine and radicchio salad\n\nBy Christopher Kimball \nMay 5th, 2025 04:06 AM\n\n---\n\nThis crisp, colorful salad gets meaty, briny flavor from oil-cured olives and fruity tang from pomegranate molasses. It's light and fresh, but hearty enough to serve for brunch or a light supper.\n\nIn this recipe from our cookbook, \"Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,\" we supplement sweet romaine lettuce with pleasantly bitter radicchio and also toss in some parsley (or mint, or a combination of the two) for added aroma and herbal notes. Don't forget to pull off and discard the bruised outer leaves from the head of romaine. Closer to the core, the leaves are sweeter.\n\nHard-cooked eggs cut into wedges lend substance to the salad. When cooking the eggs, be sure to add them to already boiling water, let them simmer vigorously, then shock in an ice bath. The eggs will emerge not only perfectly cooked, but the shells will peel away cleanly and easily.\n\nEither whole-grain or Dijon mustard works nicely in the dressing, balancing the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses, so use whichever you prefer or what you have on hand. Orange juice adds citrusy brightness.\n\nPlate the salad on a serving platter and top with the quartered eggs. Garnish with pomegranate seeds for extra pops of sweet-tart flavor.\n\nRomaine and Radicchio Salad with Olives, Eggs and Pomegranate Vinaigrette\n\nStart to finish: 20 minutes\n\nServings: 4 to 6\n\n## Ingredients:\n\n3 tablespoons orange juice OR white wine vinegar\n\n2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses\n\n2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil\n\n4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard OR 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard\n\nKosher salt and ground black pepper\n\n1 small head romaine lettuce (about 12 ounces), cut crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces\n\n1 small head radicchio (about 8 ounces), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces\n\n½ cup lightly packed fresh parsley OR mint OR a combination, torn if large\n\n⅓ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, chopped\n\n2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, each cut into 6 wedges\n\n## Directions:\n\nIn a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, molasses, oil, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.\n\nTo the bowl, add the romaine, radicchio, parsley and olives; toss until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the eggs.\n\nOptional garnish: Pomegranate seeds\n\n___\n\nEDITOR'S NOTE: For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball's Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap"
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"value": "# How to make a colorful romaine and radicchio salad\n\nBy Christopher Kimball \nMay 5th, 2025 04:06 AM\n\n---\n\nThis crisp, colorful salad gets meaty, briny flavor from oil-cured olives and fruity tang from pomegranate molasses. It's light and fresh, but hearty enough to serve for brunch or a light supper.\n\nIn this recipe from our cookbook, \"Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,\" we supplement sweet romaine lettuce with pleasantly bitter radicchio and also toss in some parsley (or mint, or a combination of the two) for added aroma and herbal notes. Don't forget to pull off and discard the bruised outer leaves from the head of romaine. Closer to the core, the leaves are sweeter.\n\nHard-cooked eggs cut into wedges lend substance to the salad. When cooking the eggs, be sure to add them to already boiling water, let them simmer vigorously, then shock in an ice bath. The eggs will emerge not only perfectly cooked, but the shells will peel away cleanly and easily.\n\nEither whole-grain or Dijon mustard works nicely in the dressing, balancing the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses, so use whichever you prefer or what you have on hand. Orange juice adds citrusy brightness.\n\nPlate the salad on a serving platter and top with the quartered eggs. Garnish with pomegranate seeds for extra pops of sweet-tart flavor.\n\nRomaine and Radicchio Salad with Olives, Eggs and Pomegranate Vinaigrette\n\nStart to finish: 20 minutes\n\nServings: 4 to 6\n\n## Ingredients:\n\n3 tablespoons orange juice OR white wine vinegar\n\n2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses\n\n2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil\n\n4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard OR 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard\n\nKosher salt and ground black pepper\n\n1 small head romaine lettuce (about 12 ounces), cut crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces\n\n1 small head radicchio (about 8 ounces), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces\n\n½ cup lightly packed fresh parsley OR mint OR a combination, torn if large\n\n⅓ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, chopped\n\n2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, each cut into 6 wedges\n\n## Directions:\n\nIn a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, molasses, oil, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.\n\nTo the bowl, add the romaine, radicchio, parsley and olives; toss until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the eggs.\n\nOptional garnish: Pomegranate seeds"
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"value": "# Wolfsburg fires Ralph Hasenhüttl as coach after 8 games without a win\n\nMay 5th, 2025 09:34 AM\n\n---\n\nWOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Wolfsburg has fired Ralph Hasenhüttl as coach two games before the end of the season after eight matches without a win in the Bundesliga.\n\nThe Volkswagen-backed club said late Sunday that Hasenhüttl was \"relieved of his duties as Wolves head coach with immediate effect\" along with assistant coaches Craig Fleming and Patrick Hasenhüttl, and others.\n\n\"Results and developments in recent months have led us to the decision to act now,\" Wolfsburg CEO Peter Christiansen said.\n\nHasenhüttl's last game was Wolfsburg's 4-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.\n\nDaniel Bauer, who was previously in charge of Wolfsburg's Under-19s, is taking charge for the last two games against Hoffenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 42-year-old Bauer was to take charge of his first training session on Monday.\n\n___\n\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer"
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"value": "# Wolfsburg fires Ralph Hasenhüttl as coach after 8 games without a win\n\nMay 5th, 2025 09:34 AM\n\n---\n\nWOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Wolfsburg has fired Ralph Hasenhüttl as coach two games before the end of the season after eight matches without a win in the Bundesliga.\n\nThe Volkswagen-backed club said late Sunday that Hasenhüttl was \"relieved of his duties as Wolves head coach with immediate effect\" along with assistant coaches Craig Fleming and Patrick Hasenhüttl, and others.\n\n\"Results and developments in recent months have led us to the decision to act now,\" Wolfsburg CEO Peter Christiansen said.\n\nHasenhüttl's last game was Wolfsburg's 4-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.\n\nDaniel Bauer, who was previously in charge of Wolfsburg's Under-19s, is taking charge for the last two games against Hoffenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 42-year-old Bauer was to take charge of his first training session on Monday."
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"value": "# Kentucky boy uses mother's phone to order 70K Dum-Dum suckers\n\nMay 6th, 2025 03:31 PM\n\n---\n\nLEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky woman was in a sticky mess when she found stacks of boxes containing lollipops on her front doorstep. The surprise delivery was ordered by her young son while he played on her phone.\n\nHolly LaFavers says she tried stopping 8-year-old Liam's Amazon order for about 70,000 Dum-Dum suckers before the treats arrived but it was too late.\n\nAmazon had already delivered 22 cases to her home.\n\n\"He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival,\" LaFavers said. \"Again, he was being friendly, he was being kind to his friends.\"\n\nThe surprise got worse after a quick check of her bank account. She owed about $4,000 for the order.\n\n\"When I saw what the number was, I just about fainted,\" LaFavers said.\n\nThen she found out that eight more cases from the order were unaccounted for, she said. After a trip to the post office, those cases were returned to sender, she said.\n\nHer efforts to get a refund took a bit more time but she got her money back.\n\n\"After a long day of working with the bank and talking to a few news stations Amazon called and they are refunding my money,\" she said in a social media post.\n\nLaFavers said she was changing some settings on her phone to make sure there's never another surprise delivery at home."
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"value": "# Kentucky boy uses mother's phone to order 70K Dum-Dum suckers\n\nMay 6th, 2025 03:31 PM\n\n---\n\nLEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky woman was in a sticky mess when she found stacks of boxes containing lollipops on her front doorstep. The surprise delivery was ordered by her young son while he played on her phone.\n\nHolly LaFavers says she tried stopping 8-year-old Liam's Amazon order for about 70,000 Dum-Dum suckers before the treats arrived but it was too late.\n\nAmazon had already delivered 22 cases to her home.\n\n\"He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival,\" LaFavers said. \"Again, he was being friendly, he was being kind to his friends.\"\n\nThe surprise got worse after a quick check of her bank account. She owed about $4,000 for the order.\n\n\"When I saw what the number was, I just about fainted,\" LaFavers said.\n\nThen she found out that eight more cases from the order were unaccounted for, she said. After a trip to the post office, those cases were returned to sender, she said.\n\nHer efforts to get a refund took a bit more time but she got her money back.\n\n\"After a long day of working with the bank and talking to a few news stations Amazon called and they are refunding my money,\" she said in a social media post.\n\nLaFavers said she was changing some settings on her phone to make sure there's never another surprise delivery at home."
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"value": "# This Met Gala is filled with pro athletes. Dressing them is a unique challenge\n\nBy Kristie Rieken \nMay 3rd, 2025 04:09 AM\n\n---\n\nHOUSTON (AP) — When Brittney Griner became the first WNBA player to attend the Met Gala in 2023, just months after being released from a Russian prison in a high-profile prisoner swap, she looked effortlessly cool and chic in a custom-made Calvin Klein suit.\n\nBehind the look was celebrity stylist Courtney Mays, who has dressed some of sports' biggest stars for more than a decade. Putting together a glamorous gala look for any celebrity is a tall task, but, when working with the unique proportions of professional athletes — Griner is 6'9\" — the job becomes much more complicated.\n\nCouple that with working under the constraints put forth by Vogue editor Anna Wintour: The Met Gala chair provides a list of designers she envisions the guest in — then it's up to the stylist to put together a look within those parameters.\n\n\"It was a learning experience for me,\" Mays said. \"I had a voice in that world, in a way, but also when Anna says: 'I want you to wear this,' you kind of have to go along with it.\"\n\nMays said they chose Calvin Klein to celebrate an American designer and tap into the patriotism of Griner's emotional return.\n\n\"And also, somebody that was a little bit minimalist and could really execute something that wasn't necessarily about the clothes, but really about the homecoming and her journey and the union between she and her wife,\" Mays said. They opted for a champagne-colored look for Griner and a white, corseted dress for her wife Cherelle, \"sort of like a fresh start, a new lease kind of metaphor.\"\n\nMays and the team pulled the look together in three weeks, flying to Phoenix once a week for \"long and intense\" fittings with several tailors. Then Mays tapped Los Angeles shoemaker George Esquivel, who had previously made shoes for NBA stars Kevin Love and DeAndre Jordan, to craft a custom men's size 18 pair for Griner.\n\nMays' personal experience as a 6-foot-tall woman has helped her relate to the dressing struggles of many of the athletes she works with.\n\n\"I am a plus-size woman, and so fashion for me has always been sort of bittersweet, but also an opportunity for me to be creative in how I found pieces to wear,\" she said. \"And so, the fact that I've been able to work in the sports world, which means I have clients that are 6'9,\" ... women that wear size men's 12 and 13 shoe, I have to really think outside the box.\"\n\n## Athletes at the Met\n\nOver the last few years, more and more athletes have received coveted invites to the annual fundraiser. This year, sports are at the forefront of the gala with Formula One star Lewis Hamilton as a co-chair, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as an honorary chair and several other athletes on the host committee.\n\nHamilton was asked Thursday what he'd be wearing to the gala.\n\n\"I don't even know,\" he said. \"Not putting much thought to it.\"\n\nBut he gushed about his work with Wintour.\n\n\"It's amazing working with Anna and her team,\" he said. \"It's been a privilege to be able to continue to do stuff with fashion. It's fun. But Anna's been really understanding. I haven't had a lot of time to deal with it a huge amount … but the work has been in drips over the past like two years already with us, so, yeah, excited for people to see it.\"\n\nWintour told \"Good Morning America\" on Friday that she \"still doesn't know what Lewis is wearing\" but trusts him.\n\nMonday's Met Gala kicks off this year's Metropolitan Museum of Art spring costume exhibit, \"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,\" and the accompanying dress code is \"Tailored For You.\" Mays has long pushed for increased representation of athletes, especially those who are Black, in luxury fashion spaces.\n\n\"I'm hoping that this sort of turns a leaf in the way that fashion respects the Black community, but also just underrepresented people, because you're going to see so many people at the Met that are going to champion Black designers,\" she said. \"I'm hoping that you see people that you haven't seen before. I'm hoping that it sort of opens up the conversation so that we're not having to fight so hard to get approval from the luxury space, that we're supposed to be here.\"\n\n## Tunnel fits and basketball style\n\nThough styling Griner was her first experience with the Met Gala, Mays' work has long been a mainstay of professional basketball's unofficial runway known as tunnel fits.\n\nNBA players started the trend, arriving at the arena dressed to the nines and being photographed walking through the tunnel to the locker room. In recent years, WNBA stars have followed suit, with their style getting much more attention.\n\nMays, who has styled Love, Jordan and 20-year NBA veteran Chris Paul, also has a heavy imprint on WNBA style. She's dressed the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart, the Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles and retired star Sue Bird.\n\n\"What she does best is she makes it so that I feel my best in the clothes that I'm wearing,\" Stewart said. \"And really, that's the biggest thing behind it. Because when you see all these tunnel fits and people walking, you want them to portray who they are and feel their best.\"\n\nMays sees her work with WNBA players as a perfect way to showcase her passion for championing diversity and inclusion.\n\n\"As the media starts to lock into tunnel fits and what the girls are wearing, I hope we get to see more of a wider lens cast on some of the style sensibility,\" she said. \"We locked really heavily into women that men think are attractive, if I'm just being honest, and I hope that we're able to see some of the women that are masculine-presenting, some of the women that are dressing more gender-fluid. There's such a vast, wide spectrum of different styles, and I think that's what's so cool about the tunnel fits, is that you see such a diversity and style sensibility.\"\n\nThe 6-foot-4 Charles has worked with Mays since she was taken with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. Dressing while she was growing up was sometimes tricky but collaborating with Mays has simplified things. She leans toward expertly tailored suits that highlight her height and athletic build.\n\n\"She's the one who gave me my confidence in my appearance, and so it's been a great partnership,\" Charles said. \"It just goes a long way off the court when I'm not with her and just how I feel.\"\n\nMays is participating in the Met Gala again this year, and says to expect \"a visual attempt to show that diversity in style when you see women in sports.\"\n\n\"My ethos has always been how can we converge sport and style in a way that's authentic and in a way that feels diverse,\" she said. \"And what was really interesting to me is, with the Met's chairpeople, to see two athletes a part of the conversation — I think that opens the door for other athletes to participate.\"\n\n___\n\nAP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg in New York and AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer in Miami contributed to this story.\n\n___\n\nFor more coverage of the Met Gala, visit https://apnews.com/hub/met-gala."
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"value": "# This Met Gala is filled with pro athletes. Dressing them is a unique challenge\n\nBy Kristie Rieken \nMay 3rd, 2025 04:09 AM\n\n---\n\nHOUSTON (AP) — When Brittney Griner became the first WNBA player to attend the Met Gala in 2023, just months after being released from a Russian prison in a high-profile prisoner swap, she looked effortlessly cool and chic in a custom-made Calvin Klein suit.\n\nBehind the look was celebrity stylist Courtney Mays, who has dressed some of sports' biggest stars for more than a decade. Putting together a glamorous gala look for any celebrity is a tall task, but, when working with the unique proportions of professional athletes — Griner is 6'9\" — the job becomes much more complicated.\n\nCouple that with working under the constraints put forth by Vogue editor Anna Wintour: The Met Gala chair provides a list of designers she envisions the guest in — then it's up to the stylist to put together a look within those parameters.\n\n\"It was a learning experience for me,\" Mays said. \"I had a voice in that world, in a way, but also when Anna says: 'I want you to wear this,' you kind of have to go along with it.\"\n\nMays said they chose Calvin Klein to celebrate an American designer and tap into the patriotism of Griner's emotional return.\n\n\"And also, somebody that was a little bit minimalist and could really execute something that wasn't necessarily about the clothes, but really about the homecoming and her journey and the union between she and her wife,\" Mays said. They opted for a champagne-colored look for Griner and a white, corseted dress for her wife Cherelle, \"sort of like a fresh start, a new lease kind of metaphor.\"\n\nMays and the team pulled the look together in three weeks, flying to Phoenix once a week for \"long and intense\" fittings with several tailors. Then Mays tapped Los Angeles shoemaker George Esquivel, who had previously made shoes for NBA stars Kevin Love and DeAndre Jordan, to craft a custom men's size 18 pair for Griner.\n\nMays' personal experience as a 6-foot-tall woman has helped her relate to the dressing struggles of many of the athletes she works with.\n\n\"I am a plus-size woman, and so fashion for me has always been sort of bittersweet, but also an opportunity for me to be creative in how I found pieces to wear,\" she said. \"And so, the fact that I've been able to work in the sports world, which means I have clients that are 6'9,\" ... women that wear size men's 12 and 13 shoe, I have to really think outside the box.\"\n\n## Athletes at the Met\n\nOver the last few years, more and more athletes have received coveted invites to the annual fundraiser. This year, sports are at the forefront of the gala with Formula One star Lewis Hamilton as a co-chair, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as an honorary chair and several other athletes on the host committee.\n\nHamilton was asked Thursday what he'd be wearing to the gala.\n\n\"I don't even know,\" he said. \"Not putting much thought to it.\"\n\nBut he gushed about his work with Wintour.\n\n\"It's amazing working with Anna and her team,\" he said. \"It's been a privilege to be able to continue to do stuff with fashion. It's fun. But Anna's been really understanding. I haven't had a lot of time to deal with it a huge amount … but the work has been in drips over the past like two years already with us, so, yeah, excited for people to see it.\"\n\nWintour told \"Good Morning America\" on Friday that she \"still doesn't know what Lewis is wearing\" but trusts him.\n\nMonday's Met Gala kicks off this year's Metropolitan Museum of Art spring costume exhibit, \"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,\" and the accompanying dress code is \"Tailored For You.\" Mays has long pushed for increased representation of athletes, especially those who are Black, in luxury fashion spaces.\n\n\"I'm hoping that this sort of turns a leaf in the way that fashion respects the Black community, but also just underrepresented people, because you're going to see so many people at the Met that are going to champion Black designers,\" she said. \"I'm hoping that you see people that you haven't seen before. I'm hoping that it sort of opens up the conversation so that we're not having to fight so hard to get approval from the luxury space, that we're supposed to be here.\"\n\n## Tunnel fits and basketball style\n\nThough styling Griner was her first experience with the Met Gala, Mays' work has long been a mainstay of professional basketball's unofficial runway known as tunnel fits.\n\nNBA players started the trend, arriving at the arena dressed to the nines and being photographed walking through the tunnel to the locker room. In recent years, WNBA stars have followed suit, with their style getting much more attention.\n\nMays, who has styled Love, Jordan and 20-year NBA veteran Chris Paul, also has a heavy imprint on WNBA style. She's dressed the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart, the Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles and retired star Sue Bird.\n\n\"What she does best is she makes it so that I feel my best in the clothes that I'm wearing,\" Stewart said. \"And really, that's the biggest thing behind it. Because when you see all these tunnel fits and people walking, you want them to portray who they are and feel their best.\"\n\nMays sees her work with WNBA players as a perfect way to showcase her passion for championing diversity and inclusion.\n\n\"As the media starts to lock into tunnel fits and what the girls are wearing, I hope we get to see more of a wider lens cast on some of the style sensibility,\" she said. \"We locked really heavily into women that men think are attractive, if I'm just being honest, and I hope that we're able to see some of the women that are masculine-presenting, some of the women that are dressing more gender-fluid. There's such a vast, wide spectrum of different styles, and I think that's what's so cool about the tunnel fits, is that you see such a diversity and style sensibility.\"\n\nThe 6-foot-4 Charles has worked with Mays since she was taken with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. Dressing while she was growing up was sometimes tricky but collaborating with Mays has simplified things. She leans toward expertly tailored suits that highlight her height and athletic build.\n\n\"She's the one who gave me my confidence in my appearance, and so it's been a great partnership,\" Charles said. \"It just goes a long way off the court when I'm not with her and just how I feel.\"\n\nMays is participating in the Met Gala again this year, and says to expect \"a visual attempt to show that diversity in style when you see women in sports.\"\n\n\"My ethos has always been how can we converge sport and style in a way that's authentic and in a way that feels diverse,\" she said. \"And what was really interesting to me is, with the Met's chairpeople, to see two athletes a part of the conversation — I think that opens the door for other athletes to participate.\"\n\n___\n\nAP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg in New York and AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer in Miami contributed to this story."
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"value": "# US says it will reduce health aid to Zambia because medicines were stolen and sold\n\nBy Noel Sichalwe \nMay 8th, 2025 02:24 PM\n\n---\n\nLUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — The United States will cut $50 million worth of medical aid a year to Zambia because of \"systematic\" theft of the aid in past years and the government's failure to crack down on that, the U.S. ambassador said Thursday.\n\nThe U.S. had discovered in 2021 that medicines and medical supplies that were meant to be provided free to Zambians had been taken and were being sold by pharmacies across the southern African country, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales said at a press briefing.\n\nHe said that a U.S. investigation of around 2,000 pharmacies in Zambia between 2021 and 2023 found that nearly half of them were selling medicines and products paid for by U.S. aid funds.\n\nThe Zambian government had failed to do enough to address the corruption after the U.S. informed it of the theft scandal in April 2024, Gonzales said.\n\n\"For more than a year, the United States has requested tangible action by the government of Zambia to respond to the countrywide, systematic theft of these products,\" he said. \"In the face of minimal responsive action by the government, the United States is taking necessary steps to safeguard and ensure the accountability of American taxpayer funds.\"\n\nZambian Health Minister Elijah Muchima said the government acknowledged the concerns of the U.S. and was committed to \"resolving this unfortunate issue.\" The government had fired, suspended or arrested officials implicated and was finalizing a report on the theft of medicines, but had to respect the legal process, Muchima said.\n\nThe $50 million is part of $128 million the U.S. gives to Zambia a year for medicines, medical supplies and other support for its health sector. Gonzales said the cuts would affect medications for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, three critical diseases affecting Zambians.\n\nThe action was separate to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to cut U.S. foreign aid across the world, Gonzales said.\n\nHe said that the U.S. investigation into the theft also found that medications and supplies paid for by the Zambia government, the Global Fund and other international donors were being sold in pharmacies.\n\nZambia is burdened by heavy debts to China and other nations and relies on aid. The U.S. had been giving it a total of $600 million a year in health and development aid and funded approximately a third of the Zambian public health system, Gonzales said.\n\nThe ambassador said he had recommended to officials in Washington that the U.S. start cutting the aid from January next year to give Zambia time to plan new procurements of the life-saving drugs.\n\n___\n\nAP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa"
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"value": "# US says it will reduce health aid to Zambia because medicines were stolen and sold\n\nBy Noel Sichalwe \nMay 8th, 2025 02:24 PM\n\n---\n\nLUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — The United States will cut $50 million worth of medical aid a year to Zambia because of \"systematic\" theft of the aid in past years and the government's failure to crack down on that, the U.S. ambassador said Thursday.\n\nThe U.S. had discovered in 2021 that medicines and medical supplies that were meant to be provided free to Zambians had been taken and were being sold by pharmacies across the southern African country, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales said at a press briefing.\n\nHe said that a U.S. investigation of around 2,000 pharmacies in Zambia between 2021 and 2023 found that nearly half of them were selling medicines and products paid for by U.S. aid funds.\n\nThe Zambian government had failed to do enough to address the corruption after the U.S. informed it of the theft scandal in April 2024, Gonzales said.\n\n\"For more than a year, the United States has requested tangible action by the government of Zambia to respond to the countrywide, systematic theft of these products,\" he said. \"In the face of minimal responsive action by the government, the United States is taking necessary steps to safeguard and ensure the accountability of American taxpayer funds.\"\n\nZambian Health Minister Elijah Muchima said the government acknowledged the concerns of the U.S. and was committed to \"resolving this unfortunate issue.\" The government had fired, suspended or arrested officials implicated and was finalizing a report on the theft of medicines, but had to respect the legal process, Muchima said.\n\nThe $50 million is part of $128 million the U.S. gives to Zambia a year for medicines, medical supplies and other support for its health sector. Gonzales said the cuts would affect medications for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, three critical diseases affecting Zambians.\n\nThe action was separate to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to cut U.S. foreign aid across the world, Gonzales said.\n\nHe said that the U.S. investigation into the theft also found that medications and supplies paid for by the Zambia government, the Global Fund and other international donors were being sold in pharmacies.\n\nZambia is burdened by heavy debts to China and other nations and relies on aid. The U.S. had been giving it a total of $600 million a year in health and development aid and funded approximately a third of the Zambian public health system, Gonzales said.\n\nThe ambassador said he had recommended to officials in Washington that the U.S. start cutting the aid from January next year to give Zambia time to plan new procurements of the life-saving drugs."
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"value": "# Mike Trout resumes swinging, plans return to running soon in his recovery from knee bone bruise\n\nBy Greg Beacham \nMay 10th, 2025 11:42 PM\n\n---\n\nANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout intends to resume running next week as the Los Angeles Angels slugger ramps up his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee.\n\nThe 33-year-old Trout confirmed Saturday that he won't be back in the Halos' lineup when he is immediately eligible to come off the injured list Sunday, but the three-time AL MVP remains confident he won't miss an extended period of time with his latest injury.\n\nTrout swung a bat in the cage for the third straight day, and he hopes to test his knee with some running when the Angels travel for a series in San Diego to begin next week, calling it \"a good possibility.\"\n\n\"It's been great,\" Trout said. \"I was worried in the beginning, but the sharpness (of pain) I was feeling after that day in Seattle is gone.\"\n\nTrout hasn't played since April 30, when he left the game against the Mariners with knee soreness eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. He had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.\n\nAfter playing in all of the Angels' first 29 games this season, Trout missed his ninth consecutive game Saturday night when Los Angeles hosted the Baltimore Orioles.\n\nTrout has missed 387 of the Angels' 646 games — almost 60% — since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle and was sidelined for the rest of that season.\n\nHe missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, and he missed half of the 2023 season after his hand was broken by a pitch. He missed all but 29 games last season, not even making it out of April healthy.\n\nTrout's current injury does not appear to be anywhere close to season-ending — and for a superstar whose ascent has been derailed by five years of injuries, that's a huge relief.\n\n\"I don't have a day (for a return), but I feel great,\" Trout said. \"I feel good. Talking to the doctors, it's kind of like a scab kind of thing. We're just adding exercises each and every day, and (continuing) if it's feeling good ... but (there's) no soreness, so we'll keep progressing like that.\"\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB"
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"value": "# Mike Trout resumes swinging, plans return to running soon in his recovery from knee bone bruise\n\nBy Greg Beacham \nMay 10th, 2025 11:42 PM\n\n---\n\nANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout intends to resume running next week as the Los Angeles Angels slugger ramps up his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee.\n\nThe 33-year-old Trout confirmed Saturday that he won't be back in the Halos' lineup when he is immediately eligible to come off the injured list Sunday, but the three-time AL MVP remains confident he won't miss an extended period of time with his latest injury.\n\nTrout swung a bat in the cage for the third straight day, and he hopes to test his knee with some running when the Angels travel for a series in San Diego to begin next week, calling it \"a good possibility.\"\n\n\"It's been great,\" Trout said. \"I was worried in the beginning, but the sharpness (of pain) I was feeling after that day in Seattle is gone.\"\n\nTrout hasn't played since April 30, when he left the game against the Mariners with knee soreness eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. He had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.\n\nAfter playing in all of the Angels' first 29 games this season, Trout missed his ninth consecutive game Saturday night when Los Angeles hosted the Baltimore Orioles.\n\nTrout has missed 387 of the Angels' 646 games — almost 60% — since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle and was sidelined for the rest of that season.\n\nHe missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, and he missed half of the 2023 season after his hand was broken by a pitch. He missed all but 29 games last season, not even making it out of April healthy.\n\nTrout's current injury does not appear to be anywhere close to season-ending — and for a superstar whose ascent has been derailed by five years of injuries, that's a huge relief.\n\n\"I don't have a day (for a return), but I feel great,\" Trout said. \"I feel good. Talking to the doctors, it's kind of like a scab kind of thing. We're just adding exercises each and every day, and (continuing) if it's feeling good ... but (there's) no soreness, so we'll keep progressing like that.\""
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"value": "# Former Massachusetts state police sergeant found guilty of taking bribes to pass commercial drivers\n\nBy Michael Casey \nMay 2nd, 2025 10:15 PM\n\n---\n\nBOSTON (AP) — A former Massachusetts state police sergeant was found guilty Friday of taking part in a scheme to take bribes, including a new snowblower and a driveway, in exchange for giving passing scores on commercial driving tests.\n\nGary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was convicted of nearly 50 charges, including two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion and six counts of honest services mail fraud.\n\nCederquist was one of three troopers along with two civilians accused of falsifying records and giving preferential treatment to at least 17 drivers from May 2019 to January 2023, who were taking their commercial driver's license test\n\nEven when the drivers failed a skills test, the troopers passed them and communicated they had done so with a text and the code word golden. Some troopers even joked in the text messages how badly a driver had performed on the test, according to the indictment.\n\nFour of the five have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.\n\n\"It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety,\" U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said.\n\n\"Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve,\" she said. \"His greed put the public at risk when he devised a scheme to issue commercial driver's licenses to applicants who had never taken a real test to operate heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and highways of Massachusetts.\"\n\nElise Chawaga, principal assistant inspector general for investigations with the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, said the verdict \"sends a strong message to those who may be motivated by greed to abuse their positions — they will be met with the full force of the criminal justice system.\"\n\nA lawyer for Cederquist did not return a call seeking comment.\n\nThe bribery scandal is the latest trouble to hit the Massachusetts State Police.\n\nForty-six current and retired troopers who worked for the now disbanded Troop E, which patrolled the Massachusetts Turnpike, were implicated in a scheme in which they collected overtime pay for shifts they either did not work or did not complete from 2015 until 2017, authorities said. Often, they said, the troopers issued falsified traffic tickets to make it appear as if they had been on duty.\n\nThe bribery scandal also raised concerns about the integrity of a licensing system set up to certify commercial drivers because a majority of those taking the test in Massachusetts fail. The latest data from 2022, federal officials said, showed a pass rate of 41%.\n\nIn 2019, the system came under fire after Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, a commercial truck driver, crashed into a group of motorcyclists in northern New Hampshire, causing the death of seven motorcyclists.\n\nZhukovskyy's commercial driving license should have been revoked in Massachusetts at the time of the crash because of a drunken driving arrest in Connecticut about two months earlier. Connecticut officials alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Zhukovskyy's license wasn't suspended because of a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses.\n\nIn recent years, state police have made a number of reforms to the commercial driver's license unit, including requiring body cameras be worn during exams, increasing the frequency of unannounced visits to the unit by supervisors, having examiners at training sites, as well as developing new training procedures and a curriculum."
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"value": "# Former Massachusetts state police sergeant found guilty of taking bribes to pass commercial drivers\n\nBy Michael Casey \nMay 2nd, 2025 10:15 PM\n\n---\n\nBOSTON (AP) — A former Massachusetts state police sergeant was found guilty Friday of taking part in a scheme to take bribes, including a new snowblower and a driveway, in exchange for giving passing scores on commercial driving tests.\n\nGary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was convicted of nearly 50 charges, including two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion and six counts of honest services mail fraud.\n\nCederquist was one of three troopers along with two civilians accused of falsifying records and giving preferential treatment to at least 17 drivers from May 2019 to January 2023, who were taking their commercial driver's license test\n\nEven when the drivers failed a skills test, the troopers passed them and communicated they had done so with a text and the code word golden. Some troopers even joked in the text messages how badly a driver had performed on the test, according to the indictment.\n\nFour of the five have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.\n\n\"It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety,\" U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said.\n\n\"Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve,\" she said. \"His greed put the public at risk when he devised a scheme to issue commercial driver's licenses to applicants who had never taken a real test to operate heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and highways of Massachusetts.\"\n\nElise Chawaga, principal assistant inspector general for investigations with the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, said the verdict \"sends a strong message to those who may be motivated by greed to abuse their positions — they will be met with the full force of the criminal justice system.\"\n\nA lawyer for Cederquist did not return a call seeking comment.\n\nThe bribery scandal is the latest trouble to hit the Massachusetts State Police.\n\nForty-six current and retired troopers who worked for the now disbanded Troop E, which patrolled the Massachusetts Turnpike, were implicated in a scheme in which they collected overtime pay for shifts they either did not work or did not complete from 2015 until 2017, authorities said. Often, they said, the troopers issued falsified traffic tickets to make it appear as if they had been on duty.\n\nThe bribery scandal also raised concerns about the integrity of a licensing system set up to certify commercial drivers because a majority of those taking the test in Massachusetts fail. The latest data from 2022, federal officials said, showed a pass rate of 41%.\n\nIn 2019, the system came under fire after Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, a commercial truck driver, crashed into a group of motorcyclists in northern New Hampshire, causing the death of seven motorcyclists.\n\nZhukovskyy's commercial driving license should have been revoked in Massachusetts at the time of the crash because of a drunken driving arrest in Connecticut about two months earlier. Connecticut officials alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Zhukovskyy's license wasn't suspended because of a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses.\n\nIn recent years, state police have made a number of reforms to the commercial driver's license unit, including requiring body cameras be worn during exams, increasing the frequency of unannounced visits to the unit by supervisors, having examiners at training sites, as well as developing new training procedures and a curriculum."
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"value": "# Kohl's ousts CEO Ashley Buchanan after investigation into vendor transactions\n\nBy Michelle Chapman and Anne D'Innocenzio \nMay 1st, 2025 01:43 PM\n\n---\n\nKohl's said it has terminated its new CEO Ashley Buchanan after an investigation determined that he directed the retailer to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conflicts of interest.\n\nKohl's named Chairman Michael Bender as interim CEO, effective immediately. In connection with the appointment, Bender will step down as a member of the board's audit, compensation and nominating and environmental, social and governance committee, according to the retailer's regulatory filing.\n\nThe news comes less than four months after Buchanan, who had been previously the CEO of arts and crafts chain Michaels, took over the job on January 15. Buchanan's appointment marks the third CEO for Kohl's in three years as the department store struggles to reverse sluggish sales.\n\nKohl's said Thursday that Buchanan's firing is unrelated to its performance, financial reporting, results of operations and did not involve any of its other employees.\n\nKohl's will conduct a search for a permanent CEO and said it will name a new chair in due course. The company couldn't be immediately be reached for comment. Buchanan didn't immediately return a message sent to his Linkedin account.\n\nAccording to the Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Buchanan's termination follows a probe conducted by outside counsel and overseen by the board's audit committee. It found Buchanan had directed Kohl's to conduct business with a vendor founded by an individual with whom Buchanan has a personal relationship on \"highly unusual terms favorable to the vendor\" and that he also caused Kohl's to enter into a multimillion-dollar consulting agreement with the same individual who was a part of the consulting team.\n\nIt also found that in neither case did Buchanan disclose this relationship as required under Kohl's code of ethics.\n\nIn connection with his termination and in accordance with the terms of his equity award agreements, Buchanan will forfeit all equity awards he received from the company, including the recruitment awards made as of January 15, according to the filing. Buchanan will also be required to reimburse Kohl's for a pro rata portion of his signing incentive in the amount of $2.5 million, according to the documents.\n\nAs a result of Buchanan's termination, the board has determined to withdraw his nomination for election as a director of the company at the company's annual shareholders' meeting to be held on May 14.\n\nBuchanan had succeeded Tom Kingsbury, who stayed on as an adviser and is retaining his position on Kohl's board until his retirement next month. Kingsbury served as Kohl's interim CEO in December 2022 and was named its permanent leader in February 2023.\n\nThe firing comes at a time when Kohl's, which operates 1,600 stores across the country, is wrestling with sluggish sales. Its middle income shoppers have pulled back on discretionary spending in the face of still-high prices for necessities. It's also faced stiff competition from Walmart and Amazon, which have been improving their fashion offerings at affordable prices.\n\nAnd like other retailers, it is confronting uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's expansive tariffs.\n\nOn Thursday, Kohl's offered a preliminary look at sales and profits for the current quarter that showed continued weakness, though the expected results are on track to beat Wall Street estimates. It said that it expects to report a decline in comparable sales — those coming from established physical stores and online channels — in the range of 4.3% to 4%, and a loss of 24 cents to 20 cents per share for the fiscal first quarter.\n\nAnalysts expected earnings per share loss of 54 cents and a drop in comparable sales of 6.4%, according to FactSet.\n\nIt expects to report final fiscal first-quarter results on May 29.\n\nShares of the company, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, rose nearly 9% in late morning trading."
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"value": "# Kohl's ousts CEO Ashley Buchanan after investigation into vendor transactions\n\nBy Michelle Chapman and Anne D'Innocenzio \nMay 1st, 2025 01:43 PM\n\n---\n\nKohl's said it has terminated its new CEO Ashley Buchanan after an investigation determined that he directed the retailer to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conflicts of interest.\n\nKohl's named Chairman Michael Bender as interim CEO, effective immediately. In connection with the appointment, Bender will step down as a member of the board's audit, compensation and nominating and environmental, social and governance committee, according to the retailer's regulatory filing.\n\nThe news comes less than four months after Buchanan, who had been previously the CEO of arts and crafts chain Michaels, took over the job on January 15. Buchanan's appointment marks the third CEO for Kohl's in three years as the department store struggles to reverse sluggish sales.\n\nKohl's said Thursday that Buchanan's firing is unrelated to its performance, financial reporting, results of operations and did not involve any of its other employees.\n\nKohl's will conduct a search for a permanent CEO and said it will name a new chair in due course. The company couldn't be immediately be reached for comment. Buchanan didn't immediately return a message sent to his Linkedin account.\n\nAccording to the Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Buchanan's termination follows a probe conducted by outside counsel and overseen by the board's audit committee. It found Buchanan had directed Kohl's to conduct business with a vendor founded by an individual with whom Buchanan has a personal relationship on \"highly unusual terms favorable to the vendor\" and that he also caused Kohl's to enter into a multimillion-dollar consulting agreement with the same individual who was a part of the consulting team.\n\nIt also found that in neither case did Buchanan disclose this relationship as required under Kohl's code of ethics.\n\nIn connection with his termination and in accordance with the terms of his equity award agreements, Buchanan will forfeit all equity awards he received from the company, including the recruitment awards made as of January 15, according to the filing. Buchanan will also be required to reimburse Kohl's for a pro rata portion of his signing incentive in the amount of $2.5 million, according to the documents.\n\nAs a result of Buchanan's termination, the board has determined to withdraw his nomination for election as a director of the company at the company's annual shareholders' meeting to be held on May 14.\n\nBuchanan had succeeded Tom Kingsbury, who stayed on as an adviser and is retaining his position on Kohl's board until his retirement next month. Kingsbury served as Kohl's interim CEO in December 2022 and was named its permanent leader in February 2023.\n\nThe firing comes at a time when Kohl's, which operates 1,600 stores across the country, is wrestling with sluggish sales. Its middle income shoppers have pulled back on discretionary spending in the face of still-high prices for necessities. It's also faced stiff competition from Walmart and Amazon, which have been improving their fashion offerings at affordable prices.\n\nAnd like other retailers, it is confronting uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's expansive tariffs.\n\nOn Thursday, Kohl's offered a preliminary look at sales and profits for the current quarter that showed continued weakness, though the expected results are on track to beat Wall Street estimates. It said that it expects to report a decline in comparable sales — those coming from established physical stores and online channels — in the range of 4.3% to 4%, and a loss of 24 cents to 20 cents per share for the fiscal first quarter.\n\nAnalysts expected earnings per share loss of 54 cents and a drop in comparable sales of 6.4%, according to FactSet.\n\nIt expects to report final fiscal first-quarter results on May 29.\n\nShares of the company, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, rose nearly 9% in late morning trading."
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"value": "# Padres activate All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill from injured list\n\nMay 6th, 2025 10:20 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The San Diego Padres activated Jackson Merrill from the injured list Tuesday after the outfielder was sidelined for a month with a strained left hamstring.\n\nMerrill was batting fourth against the Yankees and playing center field after joining the Padres on Monday. He returned after playing in a pair of injury rehabilitation games for Double-A San Antonio during the weekend.\n\n\"Jackson's a really, really special player that missed quite a bit, both on the field, off the field and we're excited to have him back,\" Padres manager Mike Shildt said.\n\nMerrill was placed on the injured list April 8, a week after he signed a $135 million, nine-year contract following a standout rookie season during which he was selected for the NL All-Star team and he finished second to Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.\n\nBefore landing on the injured list, Merrill was hitting .378 (14 for 37) with three homers and 10 RBIs in eight games.\n\nTo make room for Merrill, catcher Luis Campusano was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. Campusano appeared in three games and was hitless in six at-bats.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Padres activate All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill from injured list\n\nMay 6th, 2025 10:20 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The San Diego Padres activated Jackson Merrill from the injured list Tuesday after the outfielder was sidelined for a month with a strained left hamstring.\n\nMerrill was batting fourth against the Yankees and playing center field after joining the Padres on Monday. He returned after playing in a pair of injury rehabilitation games for Double-A San Antonio during the weekend.\n\n\"Jackson's a really, really special player that missed quite a bit, both on the field, off the field and we're excited to have him back,\" Padres manager Mike Shildt said.\n\nMerrill was placed on the injured list April 8, a week after he signed a $135 million, nine-year contract following a standout rookie season during which he was selected for the NL All-Star team and he finished second to Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.\n\nBefore landing on the injured list, Merrill was hitting .378 (14 for 37) with three homers and 10 RBIs in eight games.\n\nTo make room for Merrill, catcher Luis Campusano was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. Campusano appeared in three games and was hitless in six at-bats."
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"value": "# Toney, Canady propel Texas Tech to first Big 12 Tournament title in 4-0 victory over Arizona\n\nMay 10th, 2025 06:34 PM\n\n---\n\nOKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (AP) — Hailey Toney had a two-run double, and the top-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders rode Big 12 pitcher of the year NiJaree Canady to a 4-0 victory over the second-seeded Arizona Wildcats on Saturday for their first conference tournament softball championship.\n\nTexas Tech (45-12) will play in its seventh NCAA Tournament after earning the automatic bid. The Red Raiders won their first regular-season title in their first season under head coach Gerry Glasco — who was named the conference's coach of the year. Texas Tech hadn't played in the championship game before this season.\n\nCanady allowed two hits and two walks in seven innings. She struck out eight in the complete-game effort to go to 26-5 on the season — the second most single-season wins in program history. It was the Red Raiders' 23rd shutout of the season.\n\nAll the runs came in the second inning off Arizona starter Ryan Maddox (3-2).\n\nBailey Lindemuth led off with a single and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Canady drew a walk and gave way to courtesy runner Makayla Garcia. Lindemuth scored on a one-out base hit by Victoria Valdez for the lead. Toney added a two-out two-run double and Mihyia Davis made it 4-0 with an RBI single.\n\nCanady ran into trouble just once — in the sixth. Dakota Kennedy walked on a 3-2 pitch with one out and moved to second on a single by Regan Shockey. But Devyn Netz hit the ball to Canady and she turned it into a 1-5-3 double play to end the inning.\n\nMiranda Stoddard pitched four hitless innings in relief of Maddox, allowing two walks.\n\nTexas Tech advanced with an 18-0 romp over Arizona State in the semifinals — setting a tournament record for runs in a game. Arizona (45-11) rallied from a two-run deficit to beat Iowa State 6-3 to advance.\n\nArizona — in its first season in the Big 12 — has won seven national championships but none since 2007. The Wildcats have been runners-up five times, advancing to the Women's College World Series in 25 of their 32 tournament appearances.\n\nTexas Tech last made the NCAA tournament in 2019 and has never played in the WCWS.\n\n___\n\nAP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports"
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"value": "# Toney, Canady propel Texas Tech to first Big 12 Tournament title in 4-0 victory over Arizona\n\nMay 10th, 2025 06:34 PM\n\n---\n\nOKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (AP) — Hailey Toney had a two-run double, and the top-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders rode Big 12 pitcher of the year NiJaree Canady to a 4-0 victory over the second-seeded Arizona Wildcats on Saturday for their first conference tournament softball championship.\n\nTexas Tech (45-12) will play in its seventh NCAA Tournament after earning the automatic bid. The Red Raiders won their first regular-season title in their first season under head coach Gerry Glasco — who was named the conference's coach of the year. Texas Tech hadn't played in the championship game before this season.\n\nCanady allowed two hits and two walks in seven innings. She struck out eight in the complete-game effort to go to 26-5 on the season — the second most single-season wins in program history. It was the Red Raiders' 23rd shutout of the season.\n\nAll the runs came in the second inning off Arizona starter Ryan Maddox (3-2).\n\nBailey Lindemuth led off with a single and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Canady drew a walk and gave way to courtesy runner Makayla Garcia. Lindemuth scored on a one-out base hit by Victoria Valdez for the lead. Toney added a two-out two-run double and Mihyia Davis made it 4-0 with an RBI single.\n\nCanady ran into trouble just once — in the sixth. Dakota Kennedy walked on a 3-2 pitch with one out and moved to second on a single by Regan Shockey. But Devyn Netz hit the ball to Canady and she turned it into a 1-5-3 double play to end the inning.\n\nMiranda Stoddard pitched four hitless innings in relief of Maddox, allowing two walks.\n\nTexas Tech advanced with an 18-0 romp over Arizona State in the semifinals — setting a tournament record for runs in a game. Arizona (45-11) rallied from a two-run deficit to beat Iowa State 6-3 to advance.\n\nArizona — in its first season in the Big 12 — has won seven national championships but none since 2007. The Wildcats have been runners-up five times, advancing to the Women's College World Series in 25 of their 32 tournament appearances.\n\nTexas Tech last made the NCAA tournament in 2019 and has never played in the WCWS."
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"value": "# How Alcatraz became America's most notorious prison\n\nBy Ed White \nMay 5th, 2025 04:12 PM\n\n---\n\nPresident Donald Trump wants to convert Alcatraz back into a federal prison, decades after the California island fortress was converted into a U.S. tourist destination because it had become too costly to house America's worst criminals.\n\nThe prison off the coast of San Francisco is where the government sent notorious gangsters Al Capone and George \"Machine Gun\" Kelly as well as lesser-known men who were considered too dangerous to lock up elsewhere.\n\nCircled by herons and gulls and often shrouded in fog, Alcatraz has been the setting for movies featuring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Clint Eastwood.\n\nTrump says Alcatraz, now part of the National Park Service, suddenly is needed to house America's \"most ruthless and violent\" criminals.\n\n\"When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be,\" Trump said Sunday on his Truth Social site.\n\nCalifornia Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener criticized Trump, saying he wants to create a \"domestic gulag right in the middle of San Francisco Bay.\"\n\n## What is Alcatraz?\n\nAlcatraz is in the bay and visible from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. It is best known for its years as a federal prison, from 1934-63, but its history is much longer.\n\nPresident Millard Fillmore in 1850 declared the island for public purposes, according to the park service, and it soon became a military site. Confederates were housed there during the Civil War.\n\nBy the 1930s, the government decided that it needed a place to hold the worst criminals, and Alcatraz became the choice for a prison.\n\n\"A remote site was sought, one that would prohibit constant communication with the outside world by those confined within its walls,\" the park service said. \"Although land in Alaska was being considered, the availability of Alcatraz Island conveniently coincided with the government's perceived need for a high security prison.\"\n\n## Why did it close?\n\nThe remoteness eventually made it impractical. Everything from food to fuel had to arrive by boat.\n\n\"The island had no source of fresh water,\" according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, \"so nearly one million gallons of water had to be barged to the island each week.\"\n\nThe cost to house someone there in 1959 was $10.10 a day compared with $3 at a federal prison in Atlanta, the government said. It was cheaper to build a new prison from scratch.\n\n## Why is Alcatraz notorious?\n\nDespite the location, many prisoners tried to get out: 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes into the bay, according to the FBI. Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the cold water and swift current.\n\n\"Escape from Alcatraz,\" a 1979 movie starring Eastwood, told the story of John Anglin, his brother Clarence and Frank Morris, who all escaped in 1962, leaving behind handmade plaster heads with real hair in their beds to fool guards.\n\n\"For the 17 years we worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas,\" the FBI said.\n\n\"The Rock,\" a 1996 fictional thriller with Connery and Cage, centers on an effort to rescue hostages from rogue Marines on Alcatraz.\n\n## A national park\n\nAlcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and was opened to the public in 1973, a decade after it was closed as a prison.\n\nThe park service says the island gets more than 1 million visitors a year who arrive by ferry. A ticket for an adult costs $47.95, and visitors can see the cells where prisoners were held.\n\nRob Frank, 55, of Springfield, Missouri, said he toured Alcatraz about a decade ago. He said it's hard to imagine the millions of dollars that would be needed to reopen the prison.\n\n\"It didn't seem very humane to me,\" Frank said. \"They had the cells stacked on top of each other. Small cells. Everything's concrete. It was kind of a dark place.\"\n\nIn 1969, a group of Native Americans, mostly college students, claimed to have a historical right to Alcatraz and began an occupation that lasted for 19 months until federal authorities intervened in 1971.\n\n\"The underlying goals of the Indians on Alcatraz were to awaken the American public to the reality of the plight of the first Americans and to assert the need for Indian self-determination,\" late historian Troy Johnson wrote."
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"value": "# How Alcatraz became America's most notorious prison\n\nBy Ed White \nMay 5th, 2025 04:12 PM\n\n---\n\nPresident Donald Trump wants to convert Alcatraz back into a federal prison, decades after the California island fortress was converted into a U.S. tourist destination because it had become too costly to house America's worst criminals.\n\nThe prison off the coast of San Francisco is where the government sent notorious gangsters Al Capone and George \"Machine Gun\" Kelly as well as lesser-known men who were considered too dangerous to lock up elsewhere.\n\nCircled by herons and gulls and often shrouded in fog, Alcatraz has been the setting for movies featuring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Clint Eastwood.\n\nTrump says Alcatraz, now part of the National Park Service, suddenly is needed to house America's \"most ruthless and violent\" criminals.\n\n\"When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be,\" Trump said Sunday on his Truth Social site.\n\nCalifornia Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener criticized Trump, saying he wants to create a \"domestic gulag right in the middle of San Francisco Bay.\"\n\n## What is Alcatraz?\n\nAlcatraz is in the bay and visible from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. It is best known for its years as a federal prison, from 1934-63, but its history is much longer.\n\nPresident Millard Fillmore in 1850 declared the island for public purposes, according to the park service, and it soon became a military site. Confederates were housed there during the Civil War.\n\nBy the 1930s, the government decided that it needed a place to hold the worst criminals, and Alcatraz became the choice for a prison.\n\n\"A remote site was sought, one that would prohibit constant communication with the outside world by those confined within its walls,\" the park service said. \"Although land in Alaska was being considered, the availability of Alcatraz Island conveniently coincided with the government's perceived need for a high security prison.\"\n\n## Why did it close?\n\nThe remoteness eventually made it impractical. Everything from food to fuel had to arrive by boat.\n\n\"The island had no source of fresh water,\" according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, \"so nearly one million gallons of water had to be barged to the island each week.\"\n\nThe cost to house someone there in 1959 was $10.10 a day compared with $3 at a federal prison in Atlanta, the government said. It was cheaper to build a new prison from scratch.\n\n## Why is Alcatraz notorious?\n\nDespite the location, many prisoners tried to get out: 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes into the bay, according to the FBI. Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the cold water and swift current.\n\n\"Escape from Alcatraz,\" a 1979 movie starring Eastwood, told the story of John Anglin, his brother Clarence and Frank Morris, who all escaped in 1962, leaving behind handmade plaster heads with real hair in their beds to fool guards.\n\n\"For the 17 years we worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas,\" the FBI said.\n\n\"The Rock,\" a 1996 fictional thriller with Connery and Cage, centers on an effort to rescue hostages from rogue Marines on Alcatraz.\n\n## A national park\n\nAlcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and was opened to the public in 1973, a decade after it was closed as a prison.\n\nThe park service says the island gets more than 1 million visitors a year who arrive by ferry. A ticket for an adult costs $47.95, and visitors can see the cells where prisoners were held.\n\nRob Frank, 55, of Springfield, Missouri, said he toured Alcatraz about a decade ago. He said it's hard to imagine the millions of dollars that would be needed to reopen the prison.\n\n\"It didn't seem very humane to me,\" Frank said. \"They had the cells stacked on top of each other. Small cells. Everything's concrete. It was kind of a dark place.\"\n\nIn 1969, a group of Native Americans, mostly college students, claimed to have a historical right to Alcatraz and began an occupation that lasted for 19 months until federal authorities intervened in 1971.\n\n\"The underlying goals of the Indians on Alcatraz were to awaken the American public to the reality of the plight of the first Americans and to assert the need for Indian self-determination,\" late historian Troy Johnson wrote."
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"value": "# Charges dropped against 3 officers after they make a training video about fatal Colorado shooting\n\nBy Colleen Slevin \nMay 9th, 2025 05:05 PM\n\n---\n\nDENVER (AP) — Charges have been dropped against all but one Colorado law enforcement officer accused of not stepping in and possibly preventing the fatal 2022 shooting of a man in distress who had called 911 for help.\n\nThe misdemeanor charges of failing to intervene were dismissed against Tim Collins, Brittany Morrow and Ryan Bennie under a deal that required them to record a training video about what went wrong in the standoff with Christian Glass in a small mountain community, Fifth Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum confirmed Friday.\n\nThey were among six officers charged in 2023 with failing to intervene to stop the actions of former Clear Creek Sheriff's Office Deputy Andrew Buen, who shot and killed Glass. The shooting drew national attention and prompted calls to reform how authorities respond to people with mental health problems.\n\nProsecutors tried twice to convince jurors to convict Buen of second-degree murder. The first time the jury convicted Buen of a misdemeanor for recklessly putting other officers in danger by opening fire. In his second trial, jurors convicted Buen of the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide for the shooting itself in February. He was sentenced to three years in prison, the maximum sentence he faced.\n\nThat verdict and the effect three more trials could have on Glass's family as well as the county of about 10,000 people led prosecutors to enter a deal to dismiss the charges, McCollum said. Under the agreement, Collins, Morrow and Bennie all received additional training, including on de-escalation, and participated in making the training video, she said.\n\nThe hope is that their video will be used by law enforcement agencies across the country that are already using body camera footage of the Glass shooting to teach how not to respond to people in crisis.\n\n\"If we can save one life, if we can prevent one law enforcement officer from killing someone, then the dismissal of these three cases is worth it,\" McCollum said.\n\nAnother officer is still charged with failing to intervene and third-degree assault. McCollum said she cannot comment on possible plea deals with him or any defendant.\n\nSiddhartha Rathod, a lawyer representing Glass's parents, Simon and Sally Glass, praised McCollum for trying a different approach.\n\n\"This is the type of prosecutors we want, who are being creative, who want to create solutions that result in a safer community,\" he said.\n\nDuty to intervene charges were also dropped against two other officers who work for the state's gaming division in December. A judge ruled they were not covered by the law passed in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd.\n\nBuen's supervisor pleaded guilty to failing to intervene."
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"value": "# Charges dropped against 3 officers after they make a training video about fatal Colorado shooting\n\nBy Colleen Slevin \nMay 9th, 2025 05:05 PM\n\n---\n\nDENVER (AP) — Charges have been dropped against all but one Colorado law enforcement officer accused of not stepping in and possibly preventing the fatal 2022 shooting of a man in distress who had called 911 for help.\n\nThe misdemeanor charges of failing to intervene were dismissed against Tim Collins, Brittany Morrow and Ryan Bennie under a deal that required them to record a training video about what went wrong in the standoff with Christian Glass in a small mountain community, Fifth Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum confirmed Friday.\n\nThey were among six officers charged in 2023 with failing to intervene to stop the actions of former Clear Creek Sheriff's Office Deputy Andrew Buen, who shot and killed Glass. The shooting drew national attention and prompted calls to reform how authorities respond to people with mental health problems.\n\nProsecutors tried twice to convince jurors to convict Buen of second-degree murder. The first time the jury convicted Buen of a misdemeanor for recklessly putting other officers in danger by opening fire. In his second trial, jurors convicted Buen of the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide for the shooting itself in February. He was sentenced to three years in prison, the maximum sentence he faced.\n\nThat verdict and the effect three more trials could have on Glass's family as well as the county of about 10,000 people led prosecutors to enter a deal to dismiss the charges, McCollum said. Under the agreement, Collins, Morrow and Bennie all received additional training, including on de-escalation, and participated in making the training video, she said.\n\nThe hope is that their video will be used by law enforcement agencies across the country that are already using body camera footage of the Glass shooting to teach how not to respond to people in crisis.\n\n\"If we can save one life, if we can prevent one law enforcement officer from killing someone, then the dismissal of these three cases is worth it,\" McCollum said.\n\nAnother officer is still charged with failing to intervene and third-degree assault. McCollum said she cannot comment on possible plea deals with him or any defendant.\n\nSiddhartha Rathod, a lawyer representing Glass's parents, Simon and Sally Glass, praised McCollum for trying a different approach.\n\n\"This is the type of prosecutors we want, who are being creative, who want to create solutions that result in a safer community,\" he said.\n\nDuty to intervene charges were also dropped against two other officers who work for the state's gaming division in December. A judge ruled they were not covered by the law passed in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd.\n\nBuen's supervisor pleaded guilty to failing to intervene."
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"value": "# Punjab-Mumbai IPL game shifted to Ahmedabad because of India-Pakistan tensions\n\nMay 8th, 2025 02:34 PM\n\n---\n\nMUMBAI, India (AP) — The Punjab Kings-Mumbai Indians game in the Indian Premier League scheduled for Sunday was shifted from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad because of India-Pakistan tensions.\n\nThe IPL cited logistical challenges on Thursday.\n\nAirports in Dharamsala and Chandigarh — where Punjab Kings are based — have been closed for civilian and commercial purposes since Wednesday. Airports across India's northwestern corridor have been similarly closed owing to the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.\n\nWith the airports shut down, there was no way for Mumbai Indians to reach Chandigarh or Dharamsala. There was another logistical challenge awaiting the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals squads, as well as broadcast crews, to travel from Dharamsala to their next respective venues.\n\nPunjab takes on Delhi in Dharamsala in a crucial game on Thursday. Both teams will take a 10-hour road journey to New Delhi after the game. The Capitals play Gujarat Titans at home next, and the Kings fly from Delhi to Ahmedabad for their next game against the Mumbai Indians.\n\nPunjab, Delhi and Mumbai are all in contention for the four knockout spots.\n\nDespite shifting Sunday's game to Ahmedabad, there were other operational challenges as well: Narendra Modi Stadium was adorned with Gujarat Titans sponsor branding as its home ground.\n\nPunjab hosts the game on Sunday, so shaping a neutral tone to the venue presents another challenge as Gujarat has two more home games on May 14 and 18.\n\n___\n\nAP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket"
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"value": "# Punjab-Mumbai IPL game shifted to Ahmedabad because of India-Pakistan tensions\n\nMay 8th, 2025 02:34 PM\n\n---\n\nMUMBAI, India (AP) — The Punjab Kings-Mumbai Indians game in the Indian Premier League scheduled for Sunday was shifted from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad because of India-Pakistan tensions.\n\nThe IPL cited logistical challenges on Thursday.\n\nAirports in Dharamsala and Chandigarh — where Punjab Kings are based — have been closed for civilian and commercial purposes since Wednesday. Airports across India's northwestern corridor have been similarly closed owing to the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.\n\nWith the airports shut down, there was no way for Mumbai Indians to reach Chandigarh or Dharamsala. There was another logistical challenge awaiting the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals squads, as well as broadcast crews, to travel from Dharamsala to their next respective venues.\n\nPunjab takes on Delhi in Dharamsala in a crucial game on Thursday. Both teams will take a 10-hour road journey to New Delhi after the game. The Capitals play Gujarat Titans at home next, and the Kings fly from Delhi to Ahmedabad for their next game against the Mumbai Indians.\n\nPunjab, Delhi and Mumbai are all in contention for the four knockout spots.\n\nDespite shifting Sunday's game to Ahmedabad, there were other operational challenges as well: Narendra Modi Stadium was adorned with Gujarat Titans sponsor branding as its home ground.\n\nPunjab hosts the game on Sunday, so shaping a neutral tone to the venue presents another challenge as Gujarat has two more home games on May 14 and 18."
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"value": "# A timeline of events in Prince Harry's troubled relationship with the royal family\n\nMay 3rd, 2025 02:04 PM\n\n---\n\nLONDON (AP) — Prince Harry's troubled relationships with the British royal family, the U.K. establishment and the media have played out in public for years – in books and interviews, on television programs and in the courts.\n\nThe latest twist saw Harry give a revealing interview after a court rejected his attempt to restore the police protection that was stripped from him after he quit his royal duties and moved to the U.S. in 2020.\n\nHere is a timeline of recent events involving Harry and the British royal family:\n\n## July 2016\n\nPrince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle meet on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.\n\n## Nov. 8, 2016\n\nHarry confirms Markle is his girlfriend and condemns press coverage of her. He says he fears for her safety and says press coverage crossed the line and used \"racial undertones\" in its stories. His comments remind many that his mother, Princess Diana, had died in a car crash while being pursued by photographers.\n\n## Nov. 27, 2017\n\nHarry and Meghan announce their engagement.\n\n## May 19, 2018\n\nMeghan and Harry get married in a grand ceremony at Windsor Castle.\n\n## 2019-onwards\n\nHarry launches lawsuits against three newspaper groups — Rupert Murdoch's News Group, the Mirror Group and Associated Newspapers. He claims stories about his schooldays, teenage shenanigans and relationships with girlfriends were obtained by hacking, bugging, deception or other forms of illegal intrusion.\n\n## May 6, 2019\n\nHarry and Meghan's son Archie is born.\n\n## Jan 8, 2020\n\nHarry and Meghan announce they plan to \"step back\" as senior royals and become financially independent. The decision soon becomes a major rift, and the couple moves to Meghan's native California.\n\n## February 2020\n\nThe committee that oversees royal security decides Harry will not receive the same level of taxpayer-funded protection as he did when he was a full-time royal.\n\n## Sept. 20, 2020\n\nHarry launches legal action against the U.K. government over the security decision.\n\n## Feb. 11, 2021\n\nMeghan wins an invasion of privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over publication of a letter she wrote in 2018 to her estranged father.\n\n## June 4, 2021\n\nMeghan and Harry's daughter Lilibet is born.\n\n## Sept. 8, 2022\n\nQueen Elizabeth II dies aged 96 after 70 years on the throne. Her eldest son becomes King Charles III.\n\n## Jan. 10, 2023\n\nHarry's ghostwritten memoir \"Spare\" is published and becomes a best-seller. It recounts Harry's grief at the death of his mother when he was 12, his frustrations in his royal role and anger at his father, brother, stepmother and the media, among others.\n\n## May 6, 2023\n\nKing Charles is crowned at Westminster Abbey. Harry attends without Meghan or the children.\n\n## June 6-7, 2023\n\nHarry testifies in his case against the Mirror Group, becoming the first British royal in more than a century to appear in the witness box.\n\n## Dec. 5, 2023\n\nA three-day court hearing begins on Harry's claim over his security. Lawyers for the prince argue the decision to downgrade his protection was \"unlawful and unfair.\"\n\n## Dec 15, 2023\n\nHarry wins his case against the Mirror Group when a judge rules that Mirror newspapers had hired private investigators to snoop for personal information and engaged in illegal phone hacking for well over a decade. He is awarded legal costs and 140,000 pounds in damages.\n\n## Feb. 5, 2024\n\nBuckingham Palace announces that King Charles has cancer and will receive treatment. Officials don't say what form of cancer the king has.\n\n## Feb. 7, 2024\n\nPrince Harry arrives in the U.K. from California to visit his father. He departs the next day.\n\n## Feb. 28, 2024\n\nThe High Court dismisses Harry's claim.\n\n## June 6, 2024\n\nThe Court of Appeal decision giving Harry permission to challenge the ruling over his security. is published.\n\n## Jan. 22, 2025\n\nThe publisher of tabloid newspaper The Sun settles a lawsuit, offering Harry \" a full and unequivocal apology \" for intruding on his private life between 1996 and 2011, including incidents of unlawful activities.\n\n## April 8-9, 2025\n\nHarry attends a two-day appeal hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, where his lawyers argue he has been \"singled out\" for \"inferior treatment\" over his security.\n\n## May 2, 2025\n\nThree Court of Appeal judges dismiss Harry's case, saying the security decision was \"sensible.\" Harry responds in an interview, saying the decision means he can't bring his wife and children to his home country. He says he wants reconciliation with his family, saying \"there's no point in continuing to fight anymore.\""
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"value": "# A timeline of events in Prince Harry's troubled relationship with the royal family\n\nMay 3rd, 2025 02:04 PM\n\n---\n\nLONDON (AP) — Prince Harry's troubled relationships with the British royal family, the U.K. establishment and the media have played out in public for years – in books and interviews, on television programs and in the courts.\n\nThe latest twist saw Harry give a revealing interview after a court rejected his attempt to restore the police protection that was stripped from him after he quit his royal duties and moved to the U.S. in 2020.\n\nHere is a timeline of recent events involving Harry and the British royal family:\n\n## July 2016\n\nPrince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle meet on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.\n\n## Nov. 8, 2016\n\nHarry confirms Markle is his girlfriend and condemns press coverage of her. He says he fears for her safety and says press coverage crossed the line and used \"racial undertones\" in its stories. His comments remind many that his mother, Princess Diana, had died in a car crash while being pursued by photographers.\n\n## Nov. 27, 2017\n\nHarry and Meghan announce their engagement.\n\n## May 19, 2018\n\nMeghan and Harry get married in a grand ceremony at Windsor Castle.\n\n## 2019-onwards\n\nHarry launches lawsuits against three newspaper groups — Rupert Murdoch's News Group, the Mirror Group and Associated Newspapers. He claims stories about his schooldays, teenage shenanigans and relationships with girlfriends were obtained by hacking, bugging, deception or other forms of illegal intrusion.\n\n## May 6, 2019\n\nHarry and Meghan's son Archie is born.\n\n## Jan 8, 2020\n\nHarry and Meghan announce they plan to \"step back\" as senior royals and become financially independent. The decision soon becomes a major rift, and the couple moves to Meghan's native California.\n\n## February 2020\n\nThe committee that oversees royal security decides Harry will not receive the same level of taxpayer-funded protection as he did when he was a full-time royal.\n\n## Sept. 20, 2020\n\nHarry launches legal action against the U.K. government over the security decision.\n\n## Feb. 11, 2021\n\nMeghan wins an invasion of privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over publication of a letter she wrote in 2018 to her estranged father.\n\n## June 4, 2021\n\nMeghan and Harry's daughter Lilibet is born.\n\n## Sept. 8, 2022\n\nQueen Elizabeth II dies aged 96 after 70 years on the throne. Her eldest son becomes King Charles III.\n\n## Jan. 10, 2023\n\nHarry's ghostwritten memoir \"Spare\" is published and becomes a best-seller. It recounts Harry's grief at the death of his mother when he was 12, his frustrations in his royal role and anger at his father, brother, stepmother and the media, among others.\n\n## May 6, 2023\n\nKing Charles is crowned at Westminster Abbey. Harry attends without Meghan or the children.\n\n## June 6-7, 2023\n\nHarry testifies in his case against the Mirror Group, becoming the first British royal in more than a century to appear in the witness box.\n\n## Dec. 5, 2023\n\nA three-day court hearing begins on Harry's claim over his security. Lawyers for the prince argue the decision to downgrade his protection was \"unlawful and unfair.\"\n\n## Dec 15, 2023\n\nHarry wins his case against the Mirror Group when a judge rules that Mirror newspapers had hired private investigators to snoop for personal information and engaged in illegal phone hacking for well over a decade. He is awarded legal costs and 140,000 pounds in damages.\n\n## Feb. 5, 2024\n\nBuckingham Palace announces that King Charles has cancer and will receive treatment. Officials don't say what form of cancer the king has.\n\n## Feb. 7, 2024\n\nPrince Harry arrives in the U.K. from California to visit his father. He departs the next day.\n\n## Feb. 28, 2024\n\nThe High Court dismisses Harry's claim.\n\n## June 6, 2024\n\nThe Court of Appeal decision giving Harry permission to challenge the ruling over his security. is published.\n\n## Jan. 22, 2025\n\nThe publisher of tabloid newspaper The Sun settles a lawsuit, offering Harry \" a full and unequivocal apology \" for intruding on his private life between 1996 and 2011, including incidents of unlawful activities.\n\n## April 8-9, 2025\n\nHarry attends a two-day appeal hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, where his lawyers argue he has been \"singled out\" for \"inferior treatment\" over his security.\n\n## May 2, 2025\n\nThree Court of Appeal judges dismiss Harry's case, saying the security decision was \"sensible.\" Harry responds in an interview, saying the decision means he can't bring his wife and children to his home country. He says he wants reconciliation with his family, saying \"there's no point in continuing to fight anymore.\""
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"value": "# Tanzania court orders an opposition leader, who is on a hunger strike, to appear in person\n\nMay 6th, 2025 11:33 AM\n\n---\n\nDAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — A magistrate court in Tanzania on Tuesday ordered that an opposition leader who was charged with treason last month be brought to court in person next month after he went on hunger strike to protest against virtual hearings.\n\nOpposition leader Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 after calling for electoral reforms before a general election in October and was charged with treason, a charge for which bail isn't available.\n\nLissu's party, Chadema, has been outspoken about electoral reforms, arrests and detentions of opposition politicians before the vote in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan is seeking election after serving out her predecessor's term in office.\n\nChadema officials were arrested last month as they drove to court for a scheduled hearing of Lissu's treason case. They were later released without being charged.\n\nThe magistrate's court on Tuesday ordered prison authorities to present Lissu for a hearing of his case on May 19.\n\nThe magistrate said that members of the public will be allowed to attend the hearing, unlike last month's session which the public was barred from by the police.\n\nThis will be the first time that Lissu will appear in court in person since his arrest. The last hearing was canceled after he protested against a virtual hearing.\n\nOver the weekend, Lissu's lawyers had said that he would embark on a hunger strike to demand that his case is heard in court and not virtually.\n\nSenior lawyer Peter Kibatala, who is one of 31 lawyers on the case, said that they weren't allowed to speak freely with their client in prison.\n\n\"The last time we were forced to conduct our conversation in English,\" Kibatala said.\n\nHuman rights activists have accused the government of Hassan of heavy-handed tactics against the opposition. The government denies the claims.\n\nIn 2017, three years before the last election, Lissu survived an assassination attempt after being shot 16 times. His party has been critical of laws that favor the ruling CCM party, which has been in power since Tanzania's independence in 1961."
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"value": "# Tanzania court orders an opposition leader, who is on a hunger strike, to appear in person\n\nMay 6th, 2025 11:33 AM\n\n---\n\nDAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — A magistrate court in Tanzania on Tuesday ordered that an opposition leader who was charged with treason last month be brought to court in person next month after he went on hunger strike to protest against virtual hearings.\n\nOpposition leader Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 after calling for electoral reforms before a general election in October and was charged with treason, a charge for which bail isn't available.\n\nLissu's party, Chadema, has been outspoken about electoral reforms, arrests and detentions of opposition politicians before the vote in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan is seeking election after serving out her predecessor's term in office.\n\nChadema officials were arrested last month as they drove to court for a scheduled hearing of Lissu's treason case. They were later released without being charged.\n\nThe magistrate's court on Tuesday ordered prison authorities to present Lissu for a hearing of his case on May 19.\n\nThe magistrate said that members of the public will be allowed to attend the hearing, unlike last month's session which the public was barred from by the police.\n\nThis will be the first time that Lissu will appear in court in person since his arrest. The last hearing was canceled after he protested against a virtual hearing.\n\nOver the weekend, Lissu's lawyers had said that he would embark on a hunger strike to demand that his case is heard in court and not virtually.\n\nSenior lawyer Peter Kibatala, who is one of 31 lawyers on the case, said that they weren't allowed to speak freely with their client in prison.\n\n\"The last time we were forced to conduct our conversation in English,\" Kibatala said.\n\nHuman rights activists have accused the government of Hassan of heavy-handed tactics against the opposition. The government denies the claims.\n\nIn 2017, three years before the last election, Lissu survived an assassination attempt after being shot 16 times. His party has been critical of laws that favor the ruling CCM party, which has been in power since Tanzania's independence in 1961."
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"value": "# DoorDash rings up record first-quarter revenue and expands delivery reach through acquisitions\n\nBy Dee-Ann Durbin \nMay 6th, 2025 11:07 AM\n\n---\n\nDoorDash said Tuesday that demand for deliveries remained strong in the first quarter even as more Americans feel increasingly uneasy about the U.S. economy.\n\n\"We haven't seen any changes in consumer behavior even if there are changes in consumer sentiment,\" co-founder and CEO Tony Xu said in a call with investors. \"Food really is the most resilient category.\"\n\nTotal orders climbed 18% to 732 million, a quarterly record. DoorDash said demand for grocery delivery surpassed prior quarters, with more than 25% of active users ordering groceries. DoorDash said it also added U.S. restaurants to its platform and broadened its geographic reach.\n\nCustomers who use the company's DashPass and Wolt+ subscription services, which charge a monthly fee, feel delivery is more affordable, said Chief Financial Officer Ravi Inukonda. The San Francisco company said 22 million people subscribe to those services.\n\nDoorDash confirmed that it will acquire Britain's Deliveroo for 2.9 billion pounds ($3.9 billion) in cash, expanding its business in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Deliveroo first announced it had received a bid from DoorDash just over a week ago.\n\nIt also said Tuesday that it had purchased SevenRooms, a New York company that makes hospitality management software, for $1.2 billion in cash. DoorDash said the deal will expand its offerings to merchants and help them grow in-store sales and customer marketing.\n\nDoorDash expects the SevenRooms deal to close in the second half of this year, while the Deliveroo deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.\n\nThe acquisitions are the biggest for DoorDash since 2022, when it bought Finnish rival Wolt Enterprises for $8.1 billion. That deal brought DoorDash into 22 countries where it didn't already operate, including Germany and Israel.\n\nWith the addition of Deliveroo, Xu said DoorDash will operate in 45 countries, 30 of them in Europe. Deliveroo, which was founded in 2013, served 7 million monthly active users last year. DoorDash, founded the same year, has 42 million monthly active users.\n\nInvestors expressed some concern about DoorDash's ability to generate profits as it integrates Deliveroo. DoorDash shares dropped nearly 9% Tuesday.\n\nInukonda said the increasing scale will help drive profitability.\n\n\"Our goal is to improve unit economics. Take that and continue to drive improvements in retention and order frequency, which ultimately drive scale. And that scale drives profitability in the business,\" he said.\n\nRevenue at DoorDash rose 21% to a quarterly record of $3.03 billion. That was short of Wall Street's forecast of $3.09 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet.\n\nNet income was $193 million, a year after the company reported a $23 million loss for the January-March period. Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned 44 cents per share, topping Wall Street expectations by a nickel."
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"value": "# DoorDash rings up record first-quarter revenue and expands delivery reach through acquisitions\n\nBy Dee-Ann Durbin \nMay 6th, 2025 11:07 AM\n\n---\n\nDoorDash said Tuesday that demand for deliveries remained strong in the first quarter even as more Americans feel increasingly uneasy about the U.S. economy.\n\n\"We haven't seen any changes in consumer behavior even if there are changes in consumer sentiment,\" co-founder and CEO Tony Xu said in a call with investors. \"Food really is the most resilient category.\"\n\nTotal orders climbed 18% to 732 million, a quarterly record. DoorDash said demand for grocery delivery surpassed prior quarters, with more than 25% of active users ordering groceries. DoorDash said it also added U.S. restaurants to its platform and broadened its geographic reach.\n\nCustomers who use the company's DashPass and Wolt+ subscription services, which charge a monthly fee, feel delivery is more affordable, said Chief Financial Officer Ravi Inukonda. The San Francisco company said 22 million people subscribe to those services.\n\nDoorDash confirmed that it will acquire Britain's Deliveroo for 2.9 billion pounds ($3.9 billion) in cash, expanding its business in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Deliveroo first announced it had received a bid from DoorDash just over a week ago.\n\nIt also said Tuesday that it had purchased SevenRooms, a New York company that makes hospitality management software, for $1.2 billion in cash. DoorDash said the deal will expand its offerings to merchants and help them grow in-store sales and customer marketing.\n\nDoorDash expects the SevenRooms deal to close in the second half of this year, while the Deliveroo deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.\n\nThe acquisitions are the biggest for DoorDash since 2022, when it bought Finnish rival Wolt Enterprises for $8.1 billion. That deal brought DoorDash into 22 countries where it didn't already operate, including Germany and Israel.\n\nWith the addition of Deliveroo, Xu said DoorDash will operate in 45 countries, 30 of them in Europe. Deliveroo, which was founded in 2013, served 7 million monthly active users last year. DoorDash, founded the same year, has 42 million monthly active users.\n\nInvestors expressed some concern about DoorDash's ability to generate profits as it integrates Deliveroo. DoorDash shares dropped nearly 9% Tuesday.\n\nInukonda said the increasing scale will help drive profitability.\n\n\"Our goal is to improve unit economics. Take that and continue to drive improvements in retention and order frequency, which ultimately drive scale. And that scale drives profitability in the business,\" he said.\n\nRevenue at DoorDash rose 21% to a quarterly record of $3.03 billion. That was short of Wall Street's forecast of $3.09 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet.\n\nNet income was $193 million, a year after the company reported a $23 million loss for the January-March period. Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned 44 cents per share, topping Wall Street expectations by a nickel."
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"value": "# Stuart Skinner replaces injured Calvin Pickard as Oilers' starter for Game 3 vs. Golden Knights\n\nMay 10th, 2025 05:47 PM\n\n---\n\nEDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers switched goaltenders for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, with Stuart Skinner replacing Calvin Pickard on Saturday night.\n\nPickard, who took over as Edmonton's starter during a first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, was day to day, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said.\n\nPickard was stellar in Edmonton's 5-4 overtime win in Game 2 with 28 saves, but he appeared uncomfortable in the third period and was seen shaking out his left leg.\n\nPickard replaced regular-season starter Skinner when the Oilers trailed the Kings 2-0 in the first round.\n\nThe Oilers won six in a row with Pickard in net and took a 2-0 series lead home from Las Vegas to Rogers Place.\n\nSkinner is 19-17 in career playoff games with the Oilers.\n\n___\n\nAP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl"
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"value": "# Stuart Skinner replaces injured Calvin Pickard as Oilers' starter for Game 3 vs. Golden Knights\n\nMay 10th, 2025 05:47 PM\n\n---\n\nEDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers switched goaltenders for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, with Stuart Skinner replacing Calvin Pickard on Saturday night.\n\nPickard, who took over as Edmonton's starter during a first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, was day to day, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said.\n\nPickard was stellar in Edmonton's 5-4 overtime win in Game 2 with 28 saves, but he appeared uncomfortable in the third period and was seen shaking out his left leg.\n\nPickard replaced regular-season starter Skinner when the Oilers trailed the Kings 2-0 in the first round.\n\nThe Oilers won six in a row with Pickard in net and took a 2-0 series lead home from Las Vegas to Rogers Place.\n\nSkinner is 19-17 in career playoff games with the Oilers."
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"value": "# Bukayo Saka misses a sitter against PSG and Arsenal misses out again\n\nBy James Robson \nMay 7th, 2025 11:25 PM\n\n---\n\nBukayo Saka missed from a near-unmissable position and Arsenal missed out again.\n\nA 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday ended Arsenal's hopes of winning the Champions League and halting a barren trophy run that now stretches five years.\n\nPSG won the two-legged semifinal 3-1 on aggregate and will play Inter Milan in the final in Munich on May 31.\n\nArsenal will wonder how another season of promise has ended up empty-handed.\n\n\"We have to learn from this. We did a lot of good things, but it's not enough,\" captain Martin Odegaard said after the match in Paris.\n\nIt might have been different had Saka not fired over the bar with an open net to aim at in the 79th — but Arsenal had already given itself a mountain to climb at that point, having gone 2-0 down. Saka reduced the deficit and could have leveled the score on the night if not for his wayward finish.\n\n\"Inside the boxes, over the two games, we weren't good enough,\" Odegaard said.\n\nA top class center forward is likely top of Mikel Arteta's wanted list when the transfer window opens — and his failure to strengthen his forward line in January has undermined Arsenal's campaign.\n\nA challenge for the Premier League title fizzled out and it is only Arsenal's form in Europe that has disguised its failings since the turn of the year.\n\nArteta's team has won only three of its last 10 league games and just one of the last five. Blowing the lead against Bournemouth last weekend was the fourth time in five league games that it has dropped points from a winning position.\n\nArsenal has saved its biggest performances for the Champions League — beating holder Real Madrid home and away in the quarterfinals. But its hopes of a first final appearance since 2006 were ended by a PSG team that finally looks ready to conquer Europe after more than decade of lavish spending from its Qatari backers.\n\nWhat next for Arsenal after this latest near miss?\n\nInjuries to forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have not helped, but Arsenal's trophy wait goes on.\n\nArteta's only major trophy with the club was in his first year when they won the FA Cup in 2020.\n\nSince then he has restored Arsenal to one of the biggest forces in English soccer and returned it to the Champions League.\n\nThere were back-to-back runner-up spots in the Premier League over the past two seasons and it is currently second to champion Liverpool this year.\n\nA Champions League quarterfinal last year was followed by a semifinal this time around. But still no trophy.\n\nThere have been two Community Shields since the FA Cup triumph, but they are not widely considered major trophies, rather a curtain raiser to the season that is often described as a glorified friendly match.\n\n\"Sometimes you have to lose a few in order to win and you have to overcome some of these setbacks and mentally grow as a person and as a player and as a group,\" Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. \"We're going through that at the moment, a few losses, in terms of losing out in the league and coming close in the Champions League in back-to-back years.\n\n\"PSG have gone through tonight and we're absolutely gutted but this doesn't define us for sure.\"\n\n___\n\nJames Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson\n\n___\n\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer"
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"value": "# Bukayo Saka misses a sitter against PSG and Arsenal misses out again\n\nBy James Robson \nMay 7th, 2025 11:25 PM\n\n---\n\nBukayo Saka missed from a near-unmissable position and Arsenal missed out again.\n\nA 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday ended Arsenal's hopes of winning the Champions League and halting a barren trophy run that now stretches five years.\n\nPSG won the two-legged semifinal 3-1 on aggregate and will play Inter Milan in the final in Munich on May 31.\n\nArsenal will wonder how another season of promise has ended up empty-handed.\n\n\"We have to learn from this. We did a lot of good things, but it's not enough,\" captain Martin Odegaard said after the match in Paris.\n\nIt might have been different had Saka not fired over the bar with an open net to aim at in the 79th — but Arsenal had already given itself a mountain to climb at that point, having gone 2-0 down. Saka reduced the deficit and could have leveled the score on the night if not for his wayward finish.\n\n\"Inside the boxes, over the two games, we weren't good enough,\" Odegaard said.\n\nA top class center forward is likely top of Mikel Arteta's wanted list when the transfer window opens — and his failure to strengthen his forward line in January has undermined Arsenal's campaign.\n\nA challenge for the Premier League title fizzled out and it is only Arsenal's form in Europe that has disguised its failings since the turn of the year.\n\nArteta's team has won only three of its last 10 league games and just one of the last five. Blowing the lead against Bournemouth last weekend was the fourth time in five league games that it has dropped points from a winning position.\n\nArsenal has saved its biggest performances for the Champions League — beating holder Real Madrid home and away in the quarterfinals. But its hopes of a first final appearance since 2006 were ended by a PSG team that finally looks ready to conquer Europe after more than decade of lavish spending from its Qatari backers.\n\nWhat next for Arsenal after this latest near miss?\n\nInjuries to forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have not helped, but Arsenal's trophy wait goes on.\n\nArteta's only major trophy with the club was in his first year when they won the FA Cup in 2020.\n\nSince then he has restored Arsenal to one of the biggest forces in English soccer and returned it to the Champions League.\n\nThere were back-to-back runner-up spots in the Premier League over the past two seasons and it is currently second to champion Liverpool this year.\n\nA Champions League quarterfinal last year was followed by a semifinal this time around. But still no trophy.\n\nThere have been two Community Shields since the FA Cup triumph, but they are not widely considered major trophies, rather a curtain raiser to the season that is often described as a glorified friendly match.\n\n\"Sometimes you have to lose a few in order to win and you have to overcome some of these setbacks and mentally grow as a person and as a player and as a group,\" Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. \"We're going through that at the moment, a few losses, in terms of losing out in the league and coming close in the Champions League in back-to-back years.\n\n\"PSG have gone through tonight and we're absolutely gutted but this doesn't define us for sure.\""
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"value": "# Canada Prime Minister Carney meets with Trump at White House amid trade war\n\nBy Rob Gillies and Josh Boak \nMay 6th, 2025 10:58 AM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced off in the Oval Office on Tuesday and showed no signs of retreating from their gaping differences in an ongoing trade war that has shattered decades of trust between the two countries.\n\nThe two kept it civil, but as for Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st state, Carney insisted his nation was \"not for sale\" and Trump shot back, \"time will tell.\"\n\nAsked by a reporter if there was anything Carney could tell him to lift his tariffs of as much as 25% on Canada, Trump bluntly said: \"No.\"\n\nThe U.S. president added for emphasis, \"Just the way it is.\"\n\nCarney acknowledged that no bit of rhetoric on tariffs would be enough to sway Trump, saying that \"this is a bigger discussion.\"\n\n\"There are much bigger forces involved,\" the Canadian leader continued. \"And this will take some time and some discussions. And that's why we're here, to have those discussions.\"\n\nThe meeting between the two leaders showcased the full spectrum of Trump's unique mix of aggression, hospitality and stubbornness.\n\nShortly before Carney's arrival, Trump insulted Canada by posting on social media that the United States didn't need \"ANYTHING\" from its northern neighbor, only to then turn on the charm and praise Carney's election win in person before showing his obstinance on matters of policy substance.\n\nCarney won the job of prime minister by promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump, even as he has preserved the calm demeanor of an economist who has led the central banks of both Canada and the United Kingdom.\n\nAt times, Carney struggled to interject his views and raised his hand to talk as Trump held forth at length and veered between topics, touching on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and teasing a \"great\" upcoming announcement that's \"not necessarily on trade.\"\n\nTrump offended Canada's sense of pride and friendship by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and levying steep tariffs against an essential partner in the manufacturing of autos and the supply of oil, electricity and other goods. The outrage provoked by Trump enabled Carney's Liberal Party to score a stunning comeback victory last month as the trade war and attacks on Canadian sovereignty have outraged voters.\n\nTrump said the two would not discuss making Canada part of the U.S., even as he insisted the idea would lead to lower taxes for Canadians.\n\n\"It's not for sale,\" Carney said. \"It won't be for sale. Ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.\"\n\nTrump persisted by saying that the United States did not want to buy autos from Canada, even if the vehicles were also assembled in America. The U.S. leader insisted that the $63 billion trade deficit in goods — which he inflated to $200 billion — was a subsidy that needed to come an end.\n\nThe meeting never devolved into the outburst that the public saw in Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was berated by the U.S. president and his team for not being sufficiently deferential. Nor did it have the ease of Trump's sit down with the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who invited Trump for a visit provided by King Charles III.\n\nCarney later described his conversation with Trump as \"wide ranging\" and \"constructive,\" telling reporters that the prospect is there for positive negotiations but there would be \"zigs and zags.\" Carney said he stressed the value that Canadian companies and factories created for U.S. automakers while stressing that it was unfair to assume one meeting could resolve any differences.\n\n\"I wouldn't have expected white smoke coming out of this meeting,\" Carney said after the Tuesday meeting, referencing the signal that a new pope has been selected.\n\nCarney said that he privately asked Trump to stop calling Canada the 51st state during their meeting. But when pressed on how Trump responded, the Canadian prime minister said: \"He's the president. He's his own person.\"\n\nTrump was later asked if he would give Carney the same \"governor\" nickname that he had put on Trudeau. The nickname was a slight meant to imply that Canada's leader would eventually be just one of many U.S. governors.\n\n\"As far as calling him Gov. Carney, no, I haven't done that yet, and maybe I won't,\" Trump said. \"I did have a lot of fun with Trudeau. But I think this is, this is a big step. It's a good step up for Canada.\"\n\nTrump added that the meeting with Carney had been \"great\" and that he thought the ongoing relationship would be \"strong.\"\n\nA senior Canadian government official said the president asked Carney his perspective on a variety of foreign policy issues including Iran, Russia, Ukraine and China. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said Trump was looking forward to the G-7 meeting in Alberta, Canada.\n\nThe stakes of the meeting were high and the messages beforehand mixed. Trump told reporters on Monday that he wasn't quite sure why Carney was visiting.\n\n\"I'm not sure what he wants to see me about,\" Trump said. \"But I guess he wants to make a deal.\"\n\nU.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick further stoked doubts about their interest in repairing the relationship with Canada in a Monday interview on Fox Business Network's \"Kudlow\" show.\n\nAsked if the U.S. could make a deal with Canada, Lutnick called the country a \"socialist regime\" that has been \"basically feeding off America.\" Lutnick said Tuesday's meeting would be \"fascinating.\"\n\nCarney, at a Friday news conference ahead of his trip, said the talks would focus on immediate trade pressures and the broader economic and national security relationships. He said his \"government would fight to get the best deal for Canada\" and \"take all the time necessary\" to do so, even as Canada pursues a parallel set of talks to deepen relations with other allies and lessen its commitments with the U.S.\n\nTrump has maintained that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada. He is actively going after a Canadian auto sector built largely by U.S. companies, saying, \"They're stopping work in Mexico, and they're stopping work in Canada, and they're all moving here.\" He also said the U.S. doesn't need Canada's energy — though nearly one-fourth of the oil that the U.S. consumes daily comes from the province of Alberta.\n\nThe president has also disparaged Canada's military commitments despite a partnership that ranges from the beaches of Normandy in World War II to remote stretches of Afghanistan. He said on Tuesday with Carney that the U.S. would continue to provide national security support to Canada.\n\nTrump has imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum and tariffs on other products outside the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in some cases ostensibly to address relatively low volumes of fentanyl intercepted at the northern border. That has jeopardized a closely entwined trade relationship as Canada sees an increasing need to build relations with the European Union and other nations.\n\nCanada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.\n\nCanada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada's exports go to the U.S."
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"value": "# Canada Prime Minister Carney meets with Trump at White House amid trade war\n\nBy Rob Gillies and Josh Boak \nMay 6th, 2025 10:58 AM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced off in the Oval Office on Tuesday and showed no signs of retreating from their gaping differences in an ongoing trade war that has shattered decades of trust between the two countries.\n\nThe two kept it civil, but as for Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st state, Carney insisted his nation was \"not for sale\" and Trump shot back, \"time will tell.\"\n\nAsked by a reporter if there was anything Carney could tell him to lift his tariffs of as much as 25% on Canada, Trump bluntly said: \"No.\"\n\nThe U.S. president added for emphasis, \"Just the way it is.\"\n\nCarney acknowledged that no bit of rhetoric on tariffs would be enough to sway Trump, saying that \"this is a bigger discussion.\"\n\n\"There are much bigger forces involved,\" the Canadian leader continued. \"And this will take some time and some discussions. And that's why we're here, to have those discussions.\"\n\nThe meeting between the two leaders showcased the full spectrum of Trump's unique mix of aggression, hospitality and stubbornness.\n\nShortly before Carney's arrival, Trump insulted Canada by posting on social media that the United States didn't need \"ANYTHING\" from its northern neighbor, only to then turn on the charm and praise Carney's election win in person before showing his obstinance on matters of policy substance.\n\nCarney won the job of prime minister by promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump, even as he has preserved the calm demeanor of an economist who has led the central banks of both Canada and the United Kingdom.\n\nAt times, Carney struggled to interject his views and raised his hand to talk as Trump held forth at length and veered between topics, touching on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and teasing a \"great\" upcoming announcement that's \"not necessarily on trade.\"\n\nTrump offended Canada's sense of pride and friendship by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and levying steep tariffs against an essential partner in the manufacturing of autos and the supply of oil, electricity and other goods. The outrage provoked by Trump enabled Carney's Liberal Party to score a stunning comeback victory last month as the trade war and attacks on Canadian sovereignty have outraged voters.\n\nTrump said the two would not discuss making Canada part of the U.S., even as he insisted the idea would lead to lower taxes for Canadians.\n\n\"It's not for sale,\" Carney said. \"It won't be for sale. Ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.\"\n\nTrump persisted by saying that the United States did not want to buy autos from Canada, even if the vehicles were also assembled in America. The U.S. leader insisted that the $63 billion trade deficit in goods — which he inflated to $200 billion — was a subsidy that needed to come an end.\n\nThe meeting never devolved into the outburst that the public saw in Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was berated by the U.S. president and his team for not being sufficiently deferential. Nor did it have the ease of Trump's sit down with the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who invited Trump for a visit provided by King Charles III.\n\nCarney later described his conversation with Trump as \"wide ranging\" and \"constructive,\" telling reporters that the prospect is there for positive negotiations but there would be \"zigs and zags.\" Carney said he stressed the value that Canadian companies and factories created for U.S. automakers while stressing that it was unfair to assume one meeting could resolve any differences.\n\n\"I wouldn't have expected white smoke coming out of this meeting,\" Carney said after the Tuesday meeting, referencing the signal that a new pope has been selected.\n\nCarney said that he privately asked Trump to stop calling Canada the 51st state during their meeting. But when pressed on how Trump responded, the Canadian prime minister said: \"He's the president. He's his own person.\"\n\nTrump was later asked if he would give Carney the same \"governor\" nickname that he had put on Trudeau. The nickname was a slight meant to imply that Canada's leader would eventually be just one of many U.S. governors.\n\n\"As far as calling him Gov. Carney, no, I haven't done that yet, and maybe I won't,\" Trump said. \"I did have a lot of fun with Trudeau. But I think this is, this is a big step. It's a good step up for Canada.\"\n\nTrump added that the meeting with Carney had been \"great\" and that he thought the ongoing relationship would be \"strong.\"\n\nA senior Canadian government official said the president asked Carney his perspective on a variety of foreign policy issues including Iran, Russia, Ukraine and China. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said Trump was looking forward to the G-7 meeting in Alberta, Canada.\n\nThe stakes of the meeting were high and the messages beforehand mixed. Trump told reporters on Monday that he wasn't quite sure why Carney was visiting.\n\n\"I'm not sure what he wants to see me about,\" Trump said. \"But I guess he wants to make a deal.\"\n\nU.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick further stoked doubts about their interest in repairing the relationship with Canada in a Monday interview on Fox Business Network's \"Kudlow\" show.\n\nAsked if the U.S. could make a deal with Canada, Lutnick called the country a \"socialist regime\" that has been \"basically feeding off America.\" Lutnick said Tuesday's meeting would be \"fascinating.\"\n\nCarney, at a Friday news conference ahead of his trip, said the talks would focus on immediate trade pressures and the broader economic and national security relationships. He said his \"government would fight to get the best deal for Canada\" and \"take all the time necessary\" to do so, even as Canada pursues a parallel set of talks to deepen relations with other allies and lessen its commitments with the U.S.\n\nTrump has maintained that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada. He is actively going after a Canadian auto sector built largely by U.S. companies, saying, \"They're stopping work in Mexico, and they're stopping work in Canada, and they're all moving here.\" He also said the U.S. doesn't need Canada's energy — though nearly one-fourth of the oil that the U.S. consumes daily comes from the province of Alberta.\n\nThe president has also disparaged Canada's military commitments despite a partnership that ranges from the beaches of Normandy in World War II to remote stretches of Afghanistan. He said on Tuesday with Carney that the U.S. would continue to provide national security support to Canada.\n\nTrump has imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum and tariffs on other products outside the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in some cases ostensibly to address relatively low volumes of fentanyl intercepted at the northern border. That has jeopardized a closely entwined trade relationship as Canada sees an increasing need to build relations with the European Union and other nations.\n\nCanada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.\n\nCanada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada's exports go to the U.S."
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"value": "# A's pitcher Luis Severino prepares for his first matchup against his former teammate Aaron Judge\n\nBy Josh Dubow \nMay 10th, 2025 12:57 AM\n\n---\n\nWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Luis Severino spent years as Aaron Judge's teammate on the New York Yankees, marveling at his prodigious power and skill as a hitter.\n\nNow Severino gets to face Judge for the first time this weekend when he is slated to start for the Athletics on Sunday in the series finale against the Yankees.\n\n\"I'm excited,\" he said Friday before the series opener. \"I'm just trying to figure out what to throw to Judge.\"\n\nNo pitcher has been able to figure that out this season, as Judge is off to a sizzling start after getting off to slow starts to the season in recent years.\n\nJudge enters the weekend leading the majors in almost every major offensive categories. He is batting .400 with 12 homers, 34 RBIs, 34 runs scored, a .491 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage.\n\n\"Usually this is the bad part of the season, the first month,\" Severino said. \"It's unbelievable what he can do. He's such a good player. Even when he's not doing good, he's always the same person. That's why he's one of my favorite teammates. ... I feel like every year he just gets better. I don't know how.\"\n\nSeverino was with the Yankees from 2015-23, going 54-37 with a 3.79 ERA. He is slated to face the Yankees for the first time in his career after missing them last year when he was on the New York Mets.\n\nSeverino made headlines last year when he said the Yankees \"only have two good hitters,\" referring to Judge and former Yankees outfielder Juan Soto. Severino wouldn't say how many good hitters the Yankees have this year outside of Judge, saying he hasn't watched much because of the three-hour time difference.\n\nYankees manager Aaron Boone said there's no ill will and that's \"just Sevy.\" Boone said he has only good memories of his time with Severino and is happy that his former player has been healthy since leaving the Yankees after making only 40 starts in his last five years with the team because of a series of injuries.\n\n\"I love the person. I love the competitor,\" Boone said. \"A lot of greatness with us, but obviously a lot of injuries that he had to work his way through. But what I'm happy for him and proud of him for is his continued dedication. It's not easy when you have a series of some significant injuries too that really cost him a lot of time and in the prime of his career. I feel like he's come out of that and done a great job of just learning how to navigate that, learning how to work through that.\"\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# A's pitcher Luis Severino prepares for his first matchup against his former teammate Aaron Judge\n\nBy Josh Dubow \nMay 10th, 2025 12:57 AM\n\n---\n\nWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Luis Severino spent years as Aaron Judge's teammate on the New York Yankees, marveling at his prodigious power and skill as a hitter.\n\nNow Severino gets to face Judge for the first time this weekend when he is slated to start for the Athletics on Sunday in the series finale against the Yankees.\n\n\"I'm excited,\" he said Friday before the series opener. \"I'm just trying to figure out what to throw to Judge.\"\n\nNo pitcher has been able to figure that out this season, as Judge is off to a sizzling start after getting off to slow starts to the season in recent years.\n\nJudge enters the weekend leading the majors in almost every major offensive categories. He is batting .400 with 12 homers, 34 RBIs, 34 runs scored, a .491 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage.\n\n\"Usually this is the bad part of the season, the first month,\" Severino said. \"It's unbelievable what he can do. He's such a good player. Even when he's not doing good, he's always the same person. That's why he's one of my favorite teammates. ... I feel like every year he just gets better. I don't know how.\"\n\nSeverino was with the Yankees from 2015-23, going 54-37 with a 3.79 ERA. He is slated to face the Yankees for the first time in his career after missing them last year when he was on the New York Mets.\n\nSeverino made headlines last year when he said the Yankees \"only have two good hitters,\" referring to Judge and former Yankees outfielder Juan Soto. Severino wouldn't say how many good hitters the Yankees have this year outside of Judge, saying he hasn't watched much because of the three-hour time difference.\n\nYankees manager Aaron Boone said there's no ill will and that's \"just Sevy.\" Boone said he has only good memories of his time with Severino and is happy that his former player has been healthy since leaving the Yankees after making only 40 starts in his last five years with the team because of a series of injuries.\n\n\"I love the person. I love the competitor,\" Boone said. \"A lot of greatness with us, but obviously a lot of injuries that he had to work his way through. But what I'm happy for him and proud of him for is his continued dedication. It's not easy when you have a series of some significant injuries too that really cost him a lot of time and in the prime of his career. I feel like he's come out of that and done a great job of just learning how to navigate that, learning how to work through that.\""
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"value": "# A 3-foot difference didn't stop a horse-size Great Dane and tiny chihuahua from becoming friends\n\nBy Mark Thiessen \nMay 2nd, 2025 09:19 PM\n\n---\n\nA playdate between the world's tallest and smallest living dogs went the way of most dog park encounters despite the 3-foot (0.91-meter) height difference — lots of tail wagging, sniffing and scampering.\n\nReginald, a 7-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records. The fact that Reginald is the size of a small horse and Pearl is as small as an apple didn't stop them from getting along famously.\n\nPearl, a 4-year-old who stands at 3.59 inches (9.14 centimeters), comes from a long line of short dogs. Her aunt Millie, a previous record-holder in the same category, until she died in 2020, also was under 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) tall.\n\nBoth Millie and Pearl weighed 1 ounce (28.35 grams) at birth.\n\n\"I was not expecting to once again have the record,\" said Vanesa Semler of Orlando, Florida, owner of both tiny dogs. \"That would be like unbelievable.\"\n\nGuinness arranged the two-day meet up between Pearl and Reginald — who also goes by Reggie and measures in at a whopping 3-foot-3 (1 meter) — last month at his home in Idaho Falls.\n\nEven though Pearl loves dogs, even big dogs, Semler said she was anxious because of Reginald's size.\n\n\"For me, (it) was a huge, pleasant surprise from day one because Reggie is like Pearl, in bigger size,\" she said. \"He is so gentle, so friendly.\"\n\nReggie, for his part, might have been more interested in the Guinness film crew that accompanied Pearl than the tiny dog herself.\n\n\"I would say he likes people a little bit more than he likes other dogs,\" said Sam Johnson Reiss, his owner.\n\nPearl's tiny size was also strange for the big boy.\n\n\"He was like very cautious, like a little anxious,\" Reiss said. \"He was very careful, like he didn't step on her or anything or anything crazy. He was just very aware that she was there.\"\n\nReggie's super size was evident early on, especially on a dog park visit when he towered over other Great Danes despite being only 9 months old.\n\n\"They would be shorter than him, and they were like full-grown,\" Reiss said.\n\nThere might have been a little jealousy shown over toys and beds, but Reggie and Pearl found common ground during their two days roaming the Idaho farm together.\n\n\"I think she found a good friend,\" Semler said.\n\nSemler said Pearl is her prima donna, with the chihuahua even picking out the clothes she wants to wear every day by placing her paw on the outfits laid out before her. That comes in handy when news crews are lining up for interviews.\n\n\"For us, she was always our diva,\" Semler said. \"Now she's a diva for everyone.\"\n\nPearl doesn't have the top diva title quite yet, with Reiss saying Reggie — who has a new Instagram account — has his own diva moments.\n\n\"He's pretty high maintenance,\" Reiss said. \"Reggie's just cheeky, like he's kind of mischievous and silly and definitely tells you when he wants something.\"\n\n___\n\nThiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska."
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"value": "# A 3-foot difference didn't stop a horse-size Great Dane and tiny chihuahua from becoming friends\n\nBy Mark Thiessen \nMay 2nd, 2025 09:19 PM\n\n---\n\nA playdate between the world's tallest and smallest living dogs went the way of most dog park encounters despite the 3-foot (0.91-meter) height difference — lots of tail wagging, sniffing and scampering.\n\nReginald, a 7-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records. The fact that Reginald is the size of a small horse and Pearl is as small as an apple didn't stop them from getting along famously.\n\nPearl, a 4-year-old who stands at 3.59 inches (9.14 centimeters), comes from a long line of short dogs. Her aunt Millie, a previous record-holder in the same category, until she died in 2020, also was under 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) tall.\n\nBoth Millie and Pearl weighed 1 ounce (28.35 grams) at birth.\n\n\"I was not expecting to once again have the record,\" said Vanesa Semler of Orlando, Florida, owner of both tiny dogs. \"That would be like unbelievable.\"\n\nGuinness arranged the two-day meet up between Pearl and Reginald — who also goes by Reggie and measures in at a whopping 3-foot-3 (1 meter) — last month at his home in Idaho Falls.\n\nEven though Pearl loves dogs, even big dogs, Semler said she was anxious because of Reginald's size.\n\n\"For me, (it) was a huge, pleasant surprise from day one because Reggie is like Pearl, in bigger size,\" she said. \"He is so gentle, so friendly.\"\n\nReggie, for his part, might have been more interested in the Guinness film crew that accompanied Pearl than the tiny dog herself.\n\n\"I would say he likes people a little bit more than he likes other dogs,\" said Sam Johnson Reiss, his owner.\n\nPearl's tiny size was also strange for the big boy.\n\n\"He was like very cautious, like a little anxious,\" Reiss said. \"He was very careful, like he didn't step on her or anything or anything crazy. He was just very aware that she was there.\"\n\nReggie's super size was evident early on, especially on a dog park visit when he towered over other Great Danes despite being only 9 months old.\n\n\"They would be shorter than him, and they were like full-grown,\" Reiss said.\n\nThere might have been a little jealousy shown over toys and beds, but Reggie and Pearl found common ground during their two days roaming the Idaho farm together.\n\n\"I think she found a good friend,\" Semler said.\n\nSemler said Pearl is her prima donna, with the chihuahua even picking out the clothes she wants to wear every day by placing her paw on the outfits laid out before her. That comes in handy when news crews are lining up for interviews.\n\n\"For us, she was always our diva,\" Semler said. \"Now she's a diva for everyone.\"\n\nPearl doesn't have the top diva title quite yet, with Reiss saying Reggie — who has a new Instagram account — has his own diva moments.\n\n\"He's pretty high maintenance,\" Reiss said. \"Reggie's just cheeky, like he's kind of mischievous and silly and definitely tells you when he wants something.\""
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"value": "# New Zealand hit by destructive winds, heavy rain and snow and high waves\n\nBy Charlotte Graham-Mclay \nMay 1st, 2025 04:46 AM\n\n---\n\nWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Severe weather warnings covered swathes of New Zealand on Thursday with heavy downpours prompting a state of emergency for the South Island's largest city, Christchurch, while forecasters recorded \"destructive\" gales in the capital, Wellington.\n\nHeavy snow and large waves lashed other parts of the country. No deaths or serious injuries were reported. The extent of damage was not clear by afternoon, but evacuations were not widespread.\n\nThursday's red wind warning for Wellington, at the southern end of New Zealand's North Island, was the first time the capital — famous for its gusty gales — has ever faced the most severe alert level. Residents were urged to stay indoors, avoid travel and keep away from doors and windows as gusts of up to 150 kph (93 mph) posed a \"threat to life\" from falling trees and flying objects, the forecaster Metservice said.\n\nFlights to and from Wellington were cancelled throughout Thursday and passenger ferry sailings between the North and South Islands were halted until at least Friday afternoon. Metservice expected 5 meter (16 foot) swells in the Cook Strait, the body of water between New Zealand's two largest islands.\n\nAbout 1,000 properties were without electricity Thursday afternoon in the wider Wellington region, which has a population of 550,000. The city's largest university closed for the day, the Royal New Zealand Ballet cancelled an evening performance, and several schools sent students home.\n\nWellington is New Zealand's windiest city -- registering gusts at gale speeds of 63 kph (39 mph) on about half the days of the year. But Wellington's emergency management chief, Dan Neely, warned residents to take the warnings seriously because the southerly tempest was unusually strong and could threaten lives, Radio New Zealand reported.\n\nIn the city of Christchurch, the largest on the South Island, and in some nearby rural areas, heavy deluges caused rivers to spill over their banks, closing roads and prompting fears the floodwaters could reach homes. Local states of emergency were declared Thursday, including in Christchurch, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters.\n\nOrange-level warnings -- the second most serious -- were issued across parts of both islands for severe rain and large sea swells, and in some South Island districts for heavy snow. The storm system that lay across much of the country Thursday was due to ease Friday.\n\nNew Zealanders are accustomed to wild winter conditions because of geographic features that produce variable and sometimes extreme weather across the country of 5 million people. But it was unusual that such widespread warnings were issued."
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"value": "# New Zealand hit by destructive winds, heavy rain and snow and high waves\n\nBy Charlotte Graham-Mclay \nMay 1st, 2025 04:46 AM\n\n---\n\nWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Severe weather warnings covered swathes of New Zealand on Thursday with heavy downpours prompting a state of emergency for the South Island's largest city, Christchurch, while forecasters recorded \"destructive\" gales in the capital, Wellington.\n\nHeavy snow and large waves lashed other parts of the country. No deaths or serious injuries were reported. The extent of damage was not clear by afternoon, but evacuations were not widespread.\n\nThursday's red wind warning for Wellington, at the southern end of New Zealand's North Island, was the first time the capital — famous for its gusty gales — has ever faced the most severe alert level. Residents were urged to stay indoors, avoid travel and keep away from doors and windows as gusts of up to 150 kph (93 mph) posed a \"threat to life\" from falling trees and flying objects, the forecaster Metservice said.\n\nFlights to and from Wellington were cancelled throughout Thursday and passenger ferry sailings between the North and South Islands were halted until at least Friday afternoon. Metservice expected 5 meter (16 foot) swells in the Cook Strait, the body of water between New Zealand's two largest islands.\n\nAbout 1,000 properties were without electricity Thursday afternoon in the wider Wellington region, which has a population of 550,000. The city's largest university closed for the day, the Royal New Zealand Ballet cancelled an evening performance, and several schools sent students home.\n\nWellington is New Zealand's windiest city -- registering gusts at gale speeds of 63 kph (39 mph) on about half the days of the year. But Wellington's emergency management chief, Dan Neely, warned residents to take the warnings seriously because the southerly tempest was unusually strong and could threaten lives, Radio New Zealand reported.\n\nIn the city of Christchurch, the largest on the South Island, and in some nearby rural areas, heavy deluges caused rivers to spill over their banks, closing roads and prompting fears the floodwaters could reach homes. Local states of emergency were declared Thursday, including in Christchurch, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters.\n\nOrange-level warnings -- the second most serious -- were issued across parts of both islands for severe rain and large sea swells, and in some South Island districts for heavy snow. The storm system that lay across much of the country Thursday was due to ease Friday.\n\nNew Zealanders are accustomed to wild winter conditions because of geographic features that produce variable and sometimes extreme weather across the country of 5 million people. But it was unusual that such widespread warnings were issued."
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"value": "# Alpine promotes Franco Colapinto to replace Jack Doohan for the next 5 Formula 1 Grand Prix races\n\nMay 7th, 2025 07:43 AM\n\n---\n\nLONDON (AP) — Formula 1 team Alpine has changed its driver lineup to promote Franco Colapinto for at least the next five Grand Prix races at the expense of Jack Doohan.\n\nAlpine confirmed the change Wednesday, a day after Oliver Oakes quit as team principal. The team said Flavio Briatore will continue as executive advisor and will cover Oakes' duties.\n\n\"Colapinto will be paired with Pierre Gasly from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, ahead of a new evaluation before the British Grand Prix in July,\" Alpine said in a statement.\n\nAlpine is ninth in the F1 constructors' standings after six rounds. The next race weekend is May 16-18 at Imola.\n\nAt Sunday's Miami Grand Prix, Doohan ran into another car on the opening lap and then crashed on the second lap.\n\nMedia reports of a driver rotation were dismissed ahead of the Miami GP weekend by Oakes, who had indicated that the rookie Australian driver would remain in the seat.\n\nDoohan, who didn't score a point in his seven GP races and had a best finish of 13th, will revert to being the team's reserve driver.\n\nThe son of five-time motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan, Jack Doohan made his Formula 1 debut in the last race of 2024 and started this year for Alpine at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. He replaced Esteban Ocon, who left Alpine after a disappointing 2024.\n\nColapinto joined Alpine as a reserve driver in January after racing in 2024 for Williams, where he earned five points after replacing Logan Sargeant in August.\n\n___\n\nAP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing"
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"value": "# Alpine promotes Franco Colapinto to replace Jack Doohan for the next 5 Formula 1 Grand Prix races\n\nMay 7th, 2025 07:43 AM\n\n---\n\nLONDON (AP) — Formula 1 team Alpine has changed its driver lineup to promote Franco Colapinto for at least the next five Grand Prix races at the expense of Jack Doohan.\n\nAlpine confirmed the change Wednesday, a day after Oliver Oakes quit as team principal. The team said Flavio Briatore will continue as executive advisor and will cover Oakes' duties.\n\n\"Colapinto will be paired with Pierre Gasly from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, ahead of a new evaluation before the British Grand Prix in July,\" Alpine said in a statement.\n\nAlpine is ninth in the F1 constructors' standings after six rounds. The next race weekend is May 16-18 at Imola.\n\nAt Sunday's Miami Grand Prix, Doohan ran into another car on the opening lap and then crashed on the second lap.\n\nMedia reports of a driver rotation were dismissed ahead of the Miami GP weekend by Oakes, who had indicated that the rookie Australian driver would remain in the seat.\n\nDoohan, who didn't score a point in his seven GP races and had a best finish of 13th, will revert to being the team's reserve driver.\n\nThe son of five-time motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan, Jack Doohan made his Formula 1 debut in the last race of 2024 and started this year for Alpine at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. He replaced Esteban Ocon, who left Alpine after a disappointing 2024.\n\nColapinto joined Alpine as a reserve driver in January after racing in 2024 for Williams, where he earned five points after replacing Logan Sargeant in August."
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"value": "# Australian field hockey player who tried to buy drugs at the Paris Olympics returns from ban\n\nMay 8th, 2025 11:20 PM\n\n---\n\nSYDNEY (AP) — Field hockey player Tom Craig was recalled to the Australian national team on Friday after serving a six-month suspension for trying to buy drugs at the Paris Olympics.\n\nThe Australian player was stripped of his Olympic privileges when he was arrested in Paris following the side's Games quarterfinal exit last year. He spent the night in a Paris jail after attempting to buy drugs but escaped without a fine or conviction.\n\nThe 29-year-old Craig was later handed a 12-month suspension by Hockey Australia, of which six were suspended.\n\nThat didn't prevent him from playing overseas. Craig kept his contract in Germany where he pushed for a test recall under new Kookaburras coach Mark Hager.\n\nCraig, who has played 142 games for Australia, will remain in Europe ahead of the side's next Pro League legs in Belgium, England and Germany.\n\n\"Keeping the gratitude front of mind,\" Craig said of his mindset during the suspension. \"I can't really put to words how grateful I am for everyone who's supported me.\"\n\nCraig won Olympic silver with the team in Tokyo four years ago.\n\n___\n\nAP Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games"
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"value": "# Australian field hockey player who tried to buy drugs at the Paris Olympics returns from ban\n\nMay 8th, 2025 11:20 PM\n\n---\n\nSYDNEY (AP) — Field hockey player Tom Craig was recalled to the Australian national team on Friday after serving a six-month suspension for trying to buy drugs at the Paris Olympics.\n\nThe Australian player was stripped of his Olympic privileges when he was arrested in Paris following the side's Games quarterfinal exit last year. He spent the night in a Paris jail after attempting to buy drugs but escaped without a fine or conviction.\n\nThe 29-year-old Craig was later handed a 12-month suspension by Hockey Australia, of which six were suspended.\n\nThat didn't prevent him from playing overseas. Craig kept his contract in Germany where he pushed for a test recall under new Kookaburras coach Mark Hager.\n\nCraig, who has played 142 games for Australia, will remain in Europe ahead of the side's next Pro League legs in Belgium, England and Germany.\n\n\"Keeping the gratitude front of mind,\" Craig said of his mindset during the suspension. \"I can't really put to words how grateful I am for everyone who's supported me.\"\n\nCraig won Olympic silver with the team in Tokyo four years ago."
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"value": "# India suspends flight operations and closes 24 airports as Pakistan resumes flights nationwide\n\nBy Rajesh Roy \nMay 8th, 2025 11:27 AM\n\n---\n\nNEW DELHI (AP) — Airlines in India have suspended flight operations from two dozen airports across northern and western regions of the country amid heightened tensions with Pakistan.\n\nIndia's Civil Aviation Ministry late Thursday confirmed in a statement the temporary closure of 24 airports.\n\nPakistan, meanwhile, resumed flights nationwide after a suspension at four airports, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.\n\nIn advisories to passengers, India's key domestic airlines said their flights would remain suspended until Saturday from airports including Amritsar in northern Punjab and Srinagar in India-controlled Kashmir, bordering Pakistan.\n\nIndigo, the country's biggest domestic carrier, on Wednesday canceled 165 flights, while Air India and Air India Express had a similar number of cancellations. Air India diverted two of its international flights enroute from Amritsar, close to Lahore, to New Delhi, because of the sudden closure of the airport.\n\nIndia and Pakistan are teetering on the edge of a fresh military crisis after New Delhi launched missile strikes inside Pakistani territory Wednesday, targeting what it called terror training camps to avenge last month's massacre of 26 Indian tourists in India-controlled Kashmir.\n\nIndia blames Pakistan for backing the gunmen, an accusation that Islamabad denies.\n\nSoon after the killings, the two countries swiftly moved to close their respective airspace last month, and India has shut some of its airports. The cancellation of flights has resulted in woes for passengers.\n\nRahul, a 32-year-old Indian businessman who goes by a single name, said his flight from Dubai to Chandigarh was canceld on Wednesday after closure of the Indian airport. The airline offered him a rescheduled flight to Delhi and then a bus ride to Chandigarh. \"Its a security situation. I understand,\" he said."
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"value": "# India suspends flight operations and closes 24 airports as Pakistan resumes flights nationwide\n\nBy Rajesh Roy \nMay 8th, 2025 11:27 AM\n\n---\n\nNEW DELHI (AP) — Airlines in India have suspended flight operations from two dozen airports across northern and western regions of the country amid heightened tensions with Pakistan.\n\nIndia's Civil Aviation Ministry late Thursday confirmed in a statement the temporary closure of 24 airports.\n\nPakistan, meanwhile, resumed flights nationwide after a suspension at four airports, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.\n\nIn advisories to passengers, India's key domestic airlines said their flights would remain suspended until Saturday from airports including Amritsar in northern Punjab and Srinagar in India-controlled Kashmir, bordering Pakistan.\n\nIndigo, the country's biggest domestic carrier, on Wednesday canceled 165 flights, while Air India and Air India Express had a similar number of cancellations. Air India diverted two of its international flights enroute from Amritsar, close to Lahore, to New Delhi, because of the sudden closure of the airport.\n\nIndia and Pakistan are teetering on the edge of a fresh military crisis after New Delhi launched missile strikes inside Pakistani territory Wednesday, targeting what it called terror training camps to avenge last month's massacre of 26 Indian tourists in India-controlled Kashmir.\n\nIndia blames Pakistan for backing the gunmen, an accusation that Islamabad denies.\n\nSoon after the killings, the two countries swiftly moved to close their respective airspace last month, and India has shut some of its airports. The cancellation of flights has resulted in woes for passengers.\n\nRahul, a 32-year-old Indian businessman who goes by a single name, said his flight from Dubai to Chandigarh was canceld on Wednesday after closure of the Indian airport. The airline offered him a rescheduled flight to Delhi and then a bus ride to Chandigarh. \"Its a security situation. I understand,\" he said."
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"value": "# The Netherlands wants to force a review of EU ties with Israel as concerns grow over Gaza\n\nBy Lorne Cook \nMay 7th, 2025 04:44 PM\n\n---\n\nBRUSSELS (AP) — Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said Wednesday that the Netherlands is \"drawing a line in the sand\" over Israel's actions in Gaza and is insisting on a review of a European Union pact governing trade ties with the country.\n\nIsraeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 59 people on Wednesday, including women and children, hospital officials said, as Israel prepares to ramp up its campaign against Hamas in a devastating war now entering its 20th month.\n\nWith Israel blocking any form of aid — including food and medicine – into Gaza for the past two months, aid groups have warned that Gaza's civilian population is facing starvation.\n\nVeldkamp expressed concern that Israel's blockade on food and aid entering Gaza continues, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to intensify the war and that some ministers have suggested that Israel should occupy the territory.\n\nSpeaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Warsaw, Veldkamp said that the Netherlands is \"drawing a line in the sand because the situation in the Gaza Strip is dismal, a catastrophic humanitarian situation.\"\n\nOnce a strong backer of Israel, the Netherlands has taken an increasingly tougher line in recent months.\n\n\"The chances for a new ceasefire have become very, very limited,\" Veldkamp said. \"In view of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and action of the Israeli authorities, which go against international humanitarian law, I believe that this signal has to be given.\"\n\nTies between the EU and Israel — which are major trading partners — are governed by a so-called Association Agreement. It stipulates that their ties \"shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.\"\n\nThe Dutch government intends to block the agreement pending an EU review into whether the Israeli government is complying with the pact, which entered force in 2000.\n\nIsrael's offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.\n\nThe war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel blames Hamas for the rising death toll in Gaza because it operates from civilian infrastructure, including schools.\n\nThe latest bloodshed came days after Israel approved a plan to intensify its operations in the Palestinian enclave. It would include seizing Gaza, holding on to captured territories, forcibly displacing Palestinians to southern Gaza and taking control of aid distribution along with private security companies.\n\nIsrael is also calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers to carry out the plan.\n\nOther ministers were also worried about developments in Gaza.\n\nBelgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said that \"it's time for the European Union and for the whole international community to wake up. Honestly, what we are seeing is an absolute shame. It's not acceptable.\"\n\nLuxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said he had spent a lot of time in the region in recent months, but that his pleas to Israel to show restraint have fallen on deaf ears.\n\n\"I have the feeling they're listening to no one. I fully understand they have pressure, and Hamas, and they still have hostages. But we have to be around to table to see how we can find solutions,\" Bettel told reporters.\n\n\"We need to find a solution on that and not to give the impression to the Palestinians that at the end of the day, they won't exist anymore, neither as a country nor as population,\" he said.\n\nBettel and his EU counterparts are expected to discuss the Dutch initiative on Thursday, but it's unclear whether the 27-nation bloc will take a stand. Last year, Ireland and Spain tried to press their EU partners to examine whether Israel has broken the rules.\n\nThe EU is deeply divided over how to respond to the conflict, and it holds little leverage over Israel. Austria, Germany and Hungary have tended to back the Israeli government, while Ireland and Spain have been more vocal in their support for the Palestinians."
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"value": "# The Netherlands wants to force a review of EU ties with Israel as concerns grow over Gaza\n\nBy Lorne Cook \nMay 7th, 2025 04:44 PM\n\n---\n\nBRUSSELS (AP) — Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said Wednesday that the Netherlands is \"drawing a line in the sand\" over Israel's actions in Gaza and is insisting on a review of a European Union pact governing trade ties with the country.\n\nIsraeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 59 people on Wednesday, including women and children, hospital officials said, as Israel prepares to ramp up its campaign against Hamas in a devastating war now entering its 20th month.\n\nWith Israel blocking any form of aid — including food and medicine – into Gaza for the past two months, aid groups have warned that Gaza's civilian population is facing starvation.\n\nVeldkamp expressed concern that Israel's blockade on food and aid entering Gaza continues, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to intensify the war and that some ministers have suggested that Israel should occupy the territory.\n\nSpeaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Warsaw, Veldkamp said that the Netherlands is \"drawing a line in the sand because the situation in the Gaza Strip is dismal, a catastrophic humanitarian situation.\"\n\nOnce a strong backer of Israel, the Netherlands has taken an increasingly tougher line in recent months.\n\n\"The chances for a new ceasefire have become very, very limited,\" Veldkamp said. \"In view of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and action of the Israeli authorities, which go against international humanitarian law, I believe that this signal has to be given.\"\n\nTies between the EU and Israel — which are major trading partners — are governed by a so-called Association Agreement. It stipulates that their ties \"shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.\"\n\nThe Dutch government intends to block the agreement pending an EU review into whether the Israeli government is complying with the pact, which entered force in 2000.\n\nIsrael's offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.\n\nThe war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel blames Hamas for the rising death toll in Gaza because it operates from civilian infrastructure, including schools.\n\nThe latest bloodshed came days after Israel approved a plan to intensify its operations in the Palestinian enclave. It would include seizing Gaza, holding on to captured territories, forcibly displacing Palestinians to southern Gaza and taking control of aid distribution along with private security companies.\n\nIsrael is also calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers to carry out the plan.\n\nOther ministers were also worried about developments in Gaza.\n\nBelgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said that \"it's time for the European Union and for the whole international community to wake up. Honestly, what we are seeing is an absolute shame. It's not acceptable.\"\n\nLuxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said he had spent a lot of time in the region in recent months, but that his pleas to Israel to show restraint have fallen on deaf ears.\n\n\"I have the feeling they're listening to no one. I fully understand they have pressure, and Hamas, and they still have hostages. But we have to be around to table to see how we can find solutions,\" Bettel told reporters.\n\n\"We need to find a solution on that and not to give the impression to the Palestinians that at the end of the day, they won't exist anymore, neither as a country nor as population,\" he said.\n\nBettel and his EU counterparts are expected to discuss the Dutch initiative on Thursday, but it's unclear whether the 27-nation bloc will take a stand. Last year, Ireland and Spain tried to press their EU partners to examine whether Israel has broken the rules.\n\nThe EU is deeply divided over how to respond to the conflict, and it holds little leverage over Israel. Austria, Germany and Hungary have tended to back the Israeli government, while Ireland and Spain have been more vocal in their support for the Palestinians."
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"value": "# Florida wildlife officers kill three black bears after bear killed man and dog\n\nMay 6th, 2025 05:58 PM\n\n---\n\nJEROME, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officers have killed three black bears in southwest Florida following a fatal attack on a man and a dog a day earlier, officials said Tuesday.\n\nDNA samples from the bears and the attack scene have been sent to a Gainesville lab for testing to determine if any of the animals killed 89-year-old Robert Markel near his home early Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement. The attack occurred in a rural area east of Naples, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area.\n\nWildlife officers secured the area and set several traps and cameras Monday night, officials said. Out of an abundance of caution, officials urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid the area.\n\nFlorida's black bears, which were once threatened, have increasingly wandered into neighborhoods and private property in recent years, especially in more rural areas of north and central Florida."
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"value": "# Florida wildlife officers kill three black bears after bear killed man and dog\n\nMay 6th, 2025 05:58 PM\n\n---\n\nJEROME, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officers have killed three black bears in southwest Florida following a fatal attack on a man and a dog a day earlier, officials said Tuesday.\n\nDNA samples from the bears and the attack scene have been sent to a Gainesville lab for testing to determine if any of the animals killed 89-year-old Robert Markel near his home early Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement. The attack occurred in a rural area east of Naples, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area.\n\nWildlife officers secured the area and set several traps and cameras Monday night, officials said. Out of an abundance of caution, officials urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid the area.\n\nFlorida's black bears, which were once threatened, have increasingly wandered into neighborhoods and private property in recent years, especially in more rural areas of north and central Florida."
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"value": "# Mikko Rantanen has a goal and 2 assists for Stars in 5-2 win over Jets to take a 2-1 series lead\n\nBy Stephen Hawkins \nMay 11th, 2025 11:34 PM\n\n---\n\nDALLAS (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, including on the disputed tiebreaking goal off defenseman Alexander Petrovic's skate that was finally confirmed after a lengthy review as the Dallas Stars beat top-seeded Winnipeg 5-2 on Sunday to take 2-1 lead in the second-round Western Conference series.\n\nOfficials looked at Petrovic's goal for well over five minutes after the NHL's situation room initiated a video review to determine if he kicked the puck into the net for a 3-2 lead with 16:09 left. The final decision was that replays supported the referee's on-ice call that goalie Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net.\n\n\"At that point, you want them to take as much time as they need to get it right,\" said Stars coach Pete DeBoer, adding that the explanation he got was that Hellebuyck was trying to make a play on the puck.\n\nJets coach Scott Arniel certainly didn't agree.\n\n\"The rule states that if the puck gets kicked, if it hits a body or a stick of anybody else other than the goaltender, it counts as a goal. It hit our goaltender's stick and went in the net. That is no goal,\" Arniel said. \"So they said that Helly propelled the puck in, and I haven't seen the word propelled in the rulebook.\"\n\nThen only 49 seconds after play resumed, Rantanen scored his ninth goal of the playoffs — all coming in the last six games.\n\nFor Petrovic, who has played has played in all 10 postseason games after only five in the regular season for the Stars, got his first playoff goal since 2016 for Florida.\n\nGame 4 is Tuesday night in Dallas.\n\nRoope Hintz had a goal and an assist for the Stars, and Wyatt Johnston added a late goal. Sam Steel and Mikael Granlund each had two assists.\n\nRantanen, who has 18 points this postseason, had the primary assist on a power-play goal by Hintz only 2:27 in for a 1-0 lead. When Dallas scored again late in the first period for a 2-1 lead, Rantanen was on the ice for defenseman Thomas Harley's goal, but the assists went to Granlund and Steel.\n\nThat ended Rantanen's NHL playoffs-record streak of consecutive goals involved in at 13 in a row for the Stars since Game 5 of their first-round series against Colorado.\n\n\"Obviously I'm happy to help the team, I'll try to keep doing that as much as I can on both ends of the ice,\" said Rantanen, who was traded to the Stars on March 7. \"I'm just trying to stay in the moment and even keel after wins and good games.\"\n\nStars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 23 shots.\n\nHellebuyck, the odds-on favorite to win his third Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie and also among three finalists for the Hart Trophy that goes to the MVP of the NHL regular season, dropped to 0-4 with a 6.65 goals against average in road games this postseason after giving up the five goals on 26 shots.\n\nNino Niederreiter got Winnipeg even at 2 midway through the second period on his shot from the bottom of the right circle after Josh Morrissey made a nifty move to get around Stars center Colin Blackwell before making the pass for the score.\n\nThe Stars had gone ahead 2-1 late in the first after Niederreiter tripped Granlund, who slid with the puck along the boards behind the net and got his knees to swipe it to Harley in the slot.\n\nKyle Connor scored for Winnipeg on a wraparound goal that got under Oettinger's extended glove.\n\n\"I don't think (the game) got away from us. We were right there in the game,\" Connor said. \"One deciding goal that may or may not be a goal and we are right there in the game.\"\n\n___\n\nAP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl"
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"value": "# Mikko Rantanen has a goal and 2 assists for Stars in 5-2 win over Jets to take a 2-1 series lead\n\nBy Stephen Hawkins \nMay 11th, 2025 11:34 PM\n\n---\n\nDALLAS (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, including on the disputed tiebreaking goal off defenseman Alexander Petrovic's skate that was finally confirmed after a lengthy review as the Dallas Stars beat top-seeded Winnipeg 5-2 on Sunday to take 2-1 lead in the second-round Western Conference series.\n\nOfficials looked at Petrovic's goal for well over five minutes after the NHL's situation room initiated a video review to determine if he kicked the puck into the net for a 3-2 lead with 16:09 left. The final decision was that replays supported the referee's on-ice call that goalie Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net.\n\n\"At that point, you want them to take as much time as they need to get it right,\" said Stars coach Pete DeBoer, adding that the explanation he got was that Hellebuyck was trying to make a play on the puck.\n\nJets coach Scott Arniel certainly didn't agree.\n\n\"The rule states that if the puck gets kicked, if it hits a body or a stick of anybody else other than the goaltender, it counts as a goal. It hit our goaltender's stick and went in the net. That is no goal,\" Arniel said. \"So they said that Helly propelled the puck in, and I haven't seen the word propelled in the rulebook.\"\n\nThen only 49 seconds after play resumed, Rantanen scored his ninth goal of the playoffs — all coming in the last six games.\n\nFor Petrovic, who has played has played in all 10 postseason games after only five in the regular season for the Stars, got his first playoff goal since 2016 for Florida.\n\nGame 4 is Tuesday night in Dallas.\n\nRoope Hintz had a goal and an assist for the Stars, and Wyatt Johnston added a late goal. Sam Steel and Mikael Granlund each had two assists.\n\nRantanen, who has 18 points this postseason, had the primary assist on a power-play goal by Hintz only 2:27 in for a 1-0 lead. When Dallas scored again late in the first period for a 2-1 lead, Rantanen was on the ice for defenseman Thomas Harley's goal, but the assists went to Granlund and Steel.\n\nThat ended Rantanen's NHL playoffs-record streak of consecutive goals involved in at 13 in a row for the Stars since Game 5 of their first-round series against Colorado.\n\n\"Obviously I'm happy to help the team, I'll try to keep doing that as much as I can on both ends of the ice,\" said Rantanen, who was traded to the Stars on March 7. \"I'm just trying to stay in the moment and even keel after wins and good games.\"\n\nStars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 23 shots.\n\nHellebuyck, the odds-on favorite to win his third Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie and also among three finalists for the Hart Trophy that goes to the MVP of the NHL regular season, dropped to 0-4 with a 6.65 goals against average in road games this postseason after giving up the five goals on 26 shots.\n\nNino Niederreiter got Winnipeg even at 2 midway through the second period on his shot from the bottom of the right circle after Josh Morrissey made a nifty move to get around Stars center Colin Blackwell before making the pass for the score.\n\nThe Stars had gone ahead 2-1 late in the first after Niederreiter tripped Granlund, who slid with the puck along the boards behind the net and got his knees to swipe it to Harley in the slot.\n\nKyle Connor scored for Winnipeg on a wraparound goal that got under Oettinger's extended glove.\n\n\"I don't think (the game) got away from us. We were right there in the game,\" Connor said. \"One deciding goal that may or may not be a goal and we are right there in the game.\""
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"value": "# Thunder set NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87 vs. Denver in Game 2 of West semis\n\nBy Cliff Brunt \nMay 8th, 2025 03:02 AM\n\n---\n\nOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder set an NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87 against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series Wednesday night.\n\nOklahoma City surpassed the previous record of 86 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017. Chet Holmgren, who missed two critical free throws late in Game 1, made a pair with a second remaining to set the record.\n\nThe Thunder tied the record for points in any half of a playoff game on their way to a 149-106 win. Milwaukee had 87 in the second half against Denver on April 23, 1978.\n\nThe Thunder shot 58.8% from the field and made 17 of 18 free throws to take an 87-56 lead at the break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 18 points. All five Thunder starters scored in double figures in the first half.\n\nGilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points and eight assists in three quarters.\n\nOklahoma City became the first team to post two wins by at least 40 points in a postseason. The Thunder rolled past Memphis 131-80 in Game 1 of their first-round series.\n\n\"This is a team that does that,\" Denver interim coach David Adelman said. \"There's a reason why they have historic plus-minus numbers throughout the season as they put people away. So you've got to have a much better start than that. We can't come out like that.\"\n\nIt was a dramatic change from Denver's 121-119 victory in Game 1. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said his team looked sharper and took advantage of having learned more about the Nuggets.\n\n\"I didn't really look at tonight as a response as much as I looked at tonight as just us being who we are, and that's how we've been all season,\" Daigneault said. \"We don't really respond to the last game. When we win, we don't have more confidence. When we lose, we don't have more urgency. I think this team has a really good baseline that we just try to return to every day when the sun comes up and we have a game. And I thought that's what tonight was.\"\n\n___\n\nAP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA"
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"value": "# Thunder set NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87 vs. Denver in Game 2 of West semis\n\nBy Cliff Brunt \nMay 8th, 2025 03:02 AM\n\n---\n\nOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder set an NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87 against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series Wednesday night.\n\nOklahoma City surpassed the previous record of 86 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017. Chet Holmgren, who missed two critical free throws late in Game 1, made a pair with a second remaining to set the record.\n\nThe Thunder tied the record for points in any half of a playoff game on their way to a 149-106 win. Milwaukee had 87 in the second half against Denver on April 23, 1978.\n\nThe Thunder shot 58.8% from the field and made 17 of 18 free throws to take an 87-56 lead at the break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 18 points. All five Thunder starters scored in double figures in the first half.\n\nGilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points and eight assists in three quarters.\n\nOklahoma City became the first team to post two wins by at least 40 points in a postseason. The Thunder rolled past Memphis 131-80 in Game 1 of their first-round series.\n\n\"This is a team that does that,\" Denver interim coach David Adelman said. \"There's a reason why they have historic plus-minus numbers throughout the season as they put people away. So you've got to have a much better start than that. We can't come out like that.\"\n\nIt was a dramatic change from Denver's 121-119 victory in Game 1. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said his team looked sharper and took advantage of having learned more about the Nuggets.\n\n\"I didn't really look at tonight as a response as much as I looked at tonight as just us being who we are, and that's how we've been all season,\" Daigneault said. \"We don't really respond to the last game. When we win, we don't have more confidence. When we lose, we don't have more urgency. I think this team has a really good baseline that we just try to return to every day when the sun comes up and we have a game. And I thought that's what tonight was.\""
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"value": "# Trump's HUD retreats from long-standing housing protections for transgender people\n\nBy Heather Hollingsworth and Sally Ho \nMay 5th, 2025 05:24 AM\n\n---\n\nAs a transgender man, the words \"you're a girl\" gutted Tazz Webster, a taunt hurled at him from the day he moved into his St. Louis apartment.\n\nThe government-subsidized building's manager also insisted on calling Webster by the wrong name, the 38-year-old said, and ridiculed him with shouts of, \"You're not a real man!\"\n\n\"I just felt like I was being terrorized,\" Webster told The Associated Press. \"I felt that I was being judged and mistreated, like I was less of a human being.\"\n\nThen one day in March 2022, the manager shoved Webster so hard he stumbled backward. After regaining his balance, Webster said he pushed the manager back. Four months later he was homeless.\n\nWebster filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office, the agency tasked with investigating housing discrimination and enforcing the landmark Fair Housing Act that guarantees equal access to housing for all Americans.\n\nWebster's harassment allegation was serious enough that it was investigated for more than two years, until the office suddenly notified him in February it was dropping his case without a finding, citing lack of jurisdiction.\n\nThe timing of the closure was not a coincidence.\n\nIn the months since President Donald Trump took back the White House and installed a loyalist to lead the federal housing department, HUD Secretary Scott Turner and his team have moved swiftly and strategically to undo, uproot and remake the agency's decades of work and priorities.\n\nIn the crosshairs is an intense focus on transgender people, as HUD retreats from long-established fair-housing protections by closing their discrimination complaints and, more broadly, moving to undo the Obama-era Equal Access Rule that cemented transgender people's rights to discrimination protection in housing.\n\n\"It's time to get rid of all the far-left gender ideology and get government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in his own image — male and female,\" Turner said in announcing in February that he was halting enforcement of the Equal Access Rule.\n\n## Sex discrimination in the Fair Housing Act\n\nAt issue is the fact that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people wasn't specifically cited in the Fair Housing Act. But the Equal Access Rule enacted in 2012 under former President Barack Obama further defined sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity.\n\nThe policy was expanded in 2016 to cover transgender people seeking help at federally funded emergency shelters, escalating opposition from the right.\n\nIn 2020, the first Trump administration unsuccessfully moved to relieve shelters of any obligation to serve transgender people. Now, advocates fear an emboldened Trump will go further and forbid shelters from accommodating gender identity altogether, as his administration announces unspecified revisions to the Equal Access Rule.\n\n\"Our protections can't be a pingpong ball that changes every four years,\" said Seran Gee, an attorney for Advocates for Trans Equality.\n\n## Everything Webster owned was trashed\n\nAfter being left with permanent injuries in a car crash, Webster, who survives on disability payments, was grateful to move in April 2021 into an apartment near the city's 1,300-acre (526-hectare) Forest Park, scene of the 1904 World's Fair and home to museums and a zoo.\n\nHis rent was initially less than $200 per month, he said. That is because Branscome Apartments had a contract with the federal government to provide subsidized housing to people with disabilities and low-income seniors.\n\nBut the HUD money also comes with strings, said Linda Morris, staff attorney for the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, who leads the organization's housing discrimination work.\n\n\"The Equal Access Rule applies to HUD-funded programs and shelters,\" said Morris, who doesn't represent Webster. \"If an entity is going to accept federal funding they have to comply.\"\n\nUnder the rule, HUD-funded housing and programs must provide equal access to everyone regardless of gender identity, and can't require intrusive questioning.\n\nFour months after the shoving incident, Webster found his door kicked in and his belongings trashed, even though, he said, he was up to date on his rent and never received an official eviction notice.\n\nGone were his king-size bed, dishes, Social Security card and birth certificate. Even worse was the loss of the obituary for his mother, who died when he was 12, and her necklace, a treasured memento.\n\n\"I had nothing,\" said Webster, who had been mostly staying away from the apartment for fear of another run-in with the manager. \"I was so afraid to be there, I would go to my friend's house and spent nights at a time and then come back, switch my clothes,\" and leave.\n\nCourt records in an eviction case filed against Webster in April 2022 cited repeated unsuccessful efforts to serve him. After he was gone, the case was dropped.\n\nLast August, Webster filed a lawsuit in Missouri state court alleging he was illegally evicted.\n\n\"There was never a court order allowing them to change the locks, allowing them to throw away his belongings,\" said attorney KB Doman of Arch City Defenders, an advocacy group representing Webster.\n\nThe suit seeks $25,000 in property damage and for \"severe emotional stress and trauma.\" The apartment has denied the allegations in court filings.\n\nStephen Strum, the attorney representing the building, declined the AP's requests for comment on the HUD case and said the pending lawsuit \"merely alleges that my client did not properly follow the steps for evicting.\"\n\nTo Doman, Webster's case reflects a larger trend.\n\n\"A lot of people that would have some recourse, at least through HUD investigating, really are just out on their own now,\" she said. \"It's going to be harder for trans people to find safe, stable housing, and it's very hard already.\"\n\n## Closure of Webster's case is just one of many, HUD attorneys say\n\nSince Turner took the helm at HUD, the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity has instructed staff to pause investigations of all gender identity discrimination cases, according to two HUD attorneys who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs or benefits.\n\nOne said letters were then issued closing the cases for lack of jurisdiction. HUD has not disclosed how many cases have been dropped.\n\nWebster's letter and another provided to the AP cite Trump's executive order calling for the federal government to define sex as only male or female.\n\nMorris, of the ACLU, said she has never seen an executive order cited in a jurisdictional closure of a complaint.\n\n\"So that's really alarming,\" said Morris, who described the closures as \"very much consistent with this administration's broader attacks on trans people and on civil rights more broadly.\"\n\nAsked about policy changes concerning transgender discrimination, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said the agency was enforcing the Fair Housing Act while implementing Trump's executive order \"restoring biological truth to the federal government.\"\n\nIn a statement citing Trump's order, she said government policy recognizes two sexes that \"are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.\"\n\n## 'A nationwide federal push to erase trans identity'\n\nBea Gonzalez, a transgender man, was kicked out of a suburban St. Louis domestic violence shelter on a chilly night in November 2021, along with his three children, then 2, 5 and 7.\n\nThe family was just settling into a room after filling out paperwork at Bridgeway Behavioral Health Women's Center when Gonzalez was told they had to go because he disclosed he was a transgender man.\n\n\"I wasn't about to go back into the closet,\" the 33-year-old said of his insistence on telling the truth even after it was suggested he keep his trans identity secret.\n\nHe needed a domestic violence shelter, he said, for greater security for the children and because he feared for his safety as a trans man in a men's shelter, some of which don't accept children anyway.\n\nThe city had no domestic violence shelters for men, said his attorney Kalila Jackson. \"In the St. Louis metropolitan area, there was no place else for him to go. There were no other options.\"\n\nThe family was sent to a motel, but when they arrived they discovered it hadn't been paid for, and the organization that sent them there was closed. \"So I was stranded,\" said Gonzalez, who did not have a car. \"I had to call a friend who was able to let us stay for the night.\"\n\nJackson said Bridgeway received HUD funding and that its policy of barring transgender men was a violation of the Equal Access Rule and \"straight up sex discrimination.\"\n\nJackson said the message the shelter sent was this: \"You're biologically a girl, you should dress as a girl. Since you say that you are a man, we are not going to accept you here.\"\n\nHUD didn't address Gonzalez's or Webster's complaints when the AP sought comment on their cases.\n\nHUD investigated Gonzalez's complaint for 2 1/2 years until it suddenly notified him in March the agency was dropping it without a finding. The company operating the shelter, Preferred Family Healthcare, did not respond to the AP's requests for comment.\n\nAfter 455 days of being shuttled between six shelters in six cities in two states — Missouri and Illinois — Gonzalez ultimately found stable housing, where his children live with him part time.\n\nHe sees what happened as part of what he describes as a \"nationwide federal push to erase trans identity.\"\n\n## Shelters struggle to comply with Trump directives\n\nAdvocates are concerned by HUD's shift, noting high rates of discrimination — and homelessness — among people who are LGBTQ+.\n\nNearly one-third of trans people say they have been homeless at some point in their lives, while 70% who stayed in a shelter reported being harassed, assaulted or kicked out because of their gender identity, according to an Advocates for Trans Equality survey released in 2015, a year before Obama expanded protections for trans people in shelters.\n\nTeens who come out to families who aren't accepting are particularly at risk, said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.\n\nSome shelters that might have served them in the past are becoming less welcoming now amid upheaval with the Equal Access Rule, Oliva said.\n\n\"Folks who are trans just won't go if they don't think that they're going to be treated with respect,\" she said, adding that is particularly problematic for young people who are \"vulnerable to sex traffickers and to other types of abuse.\"\n\nFurther complicating the situation are seemingly contradictory requirements in new HUD contracts with nonprofits that find permanent housing and run shelters for the homeless. One section stipulates they can't promote \"gender ideology\" while another requires compliance with anti-discrimination law, according to a copy provided to the AP.\n\nOrganizations say they are confused.\n\n\"What is promoting gender ideology? What does that mean?\" asked Jeannette Ruffins, CEO of Homeward NYC, a nonprofit that runs three permanent housing sites for LGBTQ+ young adults, as well as a homeless shelter.\n\n\"Does housing LGBTQ young adults promote gender identity?\" she asked. \"You know, they're coming to us. This is already their gender identity. Like I'm not promoting it.\"\n\nRuffins called a board meeting to discuss potential \"vulnerabilities\" on their website, something she said most New York City nonprofits were doing as well.\n\nHer organization made small changes to their website, saying they were LGBTQ+ \"affirming and friendly\" in a few places rather than LGBTQ+ \"serving,\" hoping that will make them less of a target.\n\nIn Memphis, Tennessee, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter for transgender people is looking to increase capacity because of the uncertainty.\n\nKayla Gore, executive director of My Sistah's House, said it can do that because it doesn't take federal funding.\n\n\"People are confused,\" Gore said. \"They don't know what to do because they want to protect their bottom line.\"\n\n## 'This is the world'\n\nNearly three years after losing his apartment, Webster remains homeless, staying with friends and sometimes sleeping on the floor.\n\nHe is on a waiting list for subsidized housing because he can't afford rent otherwise. But he expects the massive federal funding cuts and Trump administration directives banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives will make the wait even longer.\n\n\"Let's be honest. This is the world,\" he said. \"People, they do hateful things. If you legalize them to hating, then they feel like they have a right.\""
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"value": "# Trump's HUD retreats from long-standing housing protections for transgender people\n\nBy Heather Hollingsworth and Sally Ho \nMay 5th, 2025 05:24 AM\n\n---\n\nAs a transgender man, the words \"you're a girl\" gutted Tazz Webster, a taunt hurled at him from the day he moved into his St. Louis apartment.\n\nThe government-subsidized building's manager also insisted on calling Webster by the wrong name, the 38-year-old said, and ridiculed him with shouts of, \"You're not a real man!\"\n\n\"I just felt like I was being terrorized,\" Webster told The Associated Press. \"I felt that I was being judged and mistreated, like I was less of a human being.\"\n\nThen one day in March 2022, the manager shoved Webster so hard he stumbled backward. After regaining his balance, Webster said he pushed the manager back. Four months later he was homeless.\n\nWebster filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office, the agency tasked with investigating housing discrimination and enforcing the landmark Fair Housing Act that guarantees equal access to housing for all Americans.\n\nWebster's harassment allegation was serious enough that it was investigated for more than two years, until the office suddenly notified him in February it was dropping his case without a finding, citing lack of jurisdiction.\n\nThe timing of the closure was not a coincidence.\n\nIn the months since President Donald Trump took back the White House and installed a loyalist to lead the federal housing department, HUD Secretary Scott Turner and his team have moved swiftly and strategically to undo, uproot and remake the agency's decades of work and priorities.\n\nIn the crosshairs is an intense focus on transgender people, as HUD retreats from long-established fair-housing protections by closing their discrimination complaints and, more broadly, moving to undo the Obama-era Equal Access Rule that cemented transgender people's rights to discrimination protection in housing.\n\n\"It's time to get rid of all the far-left gender ideology and get government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in his own image — male and female,\" Turner said in announcing in February that he was halting enforcement of the Equal Access Rule.\n\n## Sex discrimination in the Fair Housing Act\n\nAt issue is the fact that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people wasn't specifically cited in the Fair Housing Act. But the Equal Access Rule enacted in 2012 under former President Barack Obama further defined sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity.\n\nThe policy was expanded in 2016 to cover transgender people seeking help at federally funded emergency shelters, escalating opposition from the right.\n\nIn 2020, the first Trump administration unsuccessfully moved to relieve shelters of any obligation to serve transgender people. Now, advocates fear an emboldened Trump will go further and forbid shelters from accommodating gender identity altogether, as his administration announces unspecified revisions to the Equal Access Rule.\n\n\"Our protections can't be a pingpong ball that changes every four years,\" said Seran Gee, an attorney for Advocates for Trans Equality.\n\n## Everything Webster owned was trashed\n\nAfter being left with permanent injuries in a car crash, Webster, who survives on disability payments, was grateful to move in April 2021 into an apartment near the city's 1,300-acre (526-hectare) Forest Park, scene of the 1904 World's Fair and home to museums and a zoo.\n\nHis rent was initially less than $200 per month, he said. That is because Branscome Apartments had a contract with the federal government to provide subsidized housing to people with disabilities and low-income seniors.\n\nBut the HUD money also comes with strings, said Linda Morris, staff attorney for the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, who leads the organization's housing discrimination work.\n\n\"The Equal Access Rule applies to HUD-funded programs and shelters,\" said Morris, who doesn't represent Webster. \"If an entity is going to accept federal funding they have to comply.\"\n\nUnder the rule, HUD-funded housing and programs must provide equal access to everyone regardless of gender identity, and can't require intrusive questioning.\n\nFour months after the shoving incident, Webster found his door kicked in and his belongings trashed, even though, he said, he was up to date on his rent and never received an official eviction notice.\n\nGone were his king-size bed, dishes, Social Security card and birth certificate. Even worse was the loss of the obituary for his mother, who died when he was 12, and her necklace, a treasured memento.\n\n\"I had nothing,\" said Webster, who had been mostly staying away from the apartment for fear of another run-in with the manager. \"I was so afraid to be there, I would go to my friend's house and spent nights at a time and then come back, switch my clothes,\" and leave.\n\nCourt records in an eviction case filed against Webster in April 2022 cited repeated unsuccessful efforts to serve him. After he was gone, the case was dropped.\n\nLast August, Webster filed a lawsuit in Missouri state court alleging he was illegally evicted.\n\n\"There was never a court order allowing them to change the locks, allowing them to throw away his belongings,\" said attorney KB Doman of Arch City Defenders, an advocacy group representing Webster.\n\nThe suit seeks $25,000 in property damage and for \"severe emotional stress and trauma.\" The apartment has denied the allegations in court filings.\n\nStephen Strum, the attorney representing the building, declined the AP's requests for comment on the HUD case and said the pending lawsuit \"merely alleges that my client did not properly follow the steps for evicting.\"\n\nTo Doman, Webster's case reflects a larger trend.\n\n\"A lot of people that would have some recourse, at least through HUD investigating, really are just out on their own now,\" she said. \"It's going to be harder for trans people to find safe, stable housing, and it's very hard already.\"\n\n## Closure of Webster's case is just one of many, HUD attorneys say\n\nSince Turner took the helm at HUD, the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity has instructed staff to pause investigations of all gender identity discrimination cases, according to two HUD attorneys who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs or benefits.\n\nOne said letters were then issued closing the cases for lack of jurisdiction. HUD has not disclosed how many cases have been dropped.\n\nWebster's letter and another provided to the AP cite Trump's executive order calling for the federal government to define sex as only male or female.\n\nMorris, of the ACLU, said she has never seen an executive order cited in a jurisdictional closure of a complaint.\n\n\"So that's really alarming,\" said Morris, who described the closures as \"very much consistent with this administration's broader attacks on trans people and on civil rights more broadly.\"\n\nAsked about policy changes concerning transgender discrimination, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said the agency was enforcing the Fair Housing Act while implementing Trump's executive order \"restoring biological truth to the federal government.\"\n\nIn a statement citing Trump's order, she said government policy recognizes two sexes that \"are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.\"\n\n## 'A nationwide federal push to erase trans identity'\n\nBea Gonzalez, a transgender man, was kicked out of a suburban St. Louis domestic violence shelter on a chilly night in November 2021, along with his three children, then 2, 5 and 7.\n\nThe family was just settling into a room after filling out paperwork at Bridgeway Behavioral Health Women's Center when Gonzalez was told they had to go because he disclosed he was a transgender man.\n\n\"I wasn't about to go back into the closet,\" the 33-year-old said of his insistence on telling the truth even after it was suggested he keep his trans identity secret.\n\nHe needed a domestic violence shelter, he said, for greater security for the children and because he feared for his safety as a trans man in a men's shelter, some of which don't accept children anyway.\n\nThe city had no domestic violence shelters for men, said his attorney Kalila Jackson. \"In the St. Louis metropolitan area, there was no place else for him to go. There were no other options.\"\n\nThe family was sent to a motel, but when they arrived they discovered it hadn't been paid for, and the organization that sent them there was closed. \"So I was stranded,\" said Gonzalez, who did not have a car. \"I had to call a friend who was able to let us stay for the night.\"\n\nJackson said Bridgeway received HUD funding and that its policy of barring transgender men was a violation of the Equal Access Rule and \"straight up sex discrimination.\"\n\nJackson said the message the shelter sent was this: \"You're biologically a girl, you should dress as a girl. Since you say that you are a man, we are not going to accept you here.\"\n\nHUD didn't address Gonzalez's or Webster's complaints when the AP sought comment on their cases.\n\nHUD investigated Gonzalez's complaint for 2 1/2 years until it suddenly notified him in March the agency was dropping it without a finding. The company operating the shelter, Preferred Family Healthcare, did not respond to the AP's requests for comment.\n\nAfter 455 days of being shuttled between six shelters in six cities in two states — Missouri and Illinois — Gonzalez ultimately found stable housing, where his children live with him part time.\n\nHe sees what happened as part of what he describes as a \"nationwide federal push to erase trans identity.\"\n\n## Shelters struggle to comply with Trump directives\n\nAdvocates are concerned by HUD's shift, noting high rates of discrimination — and homelessness — among people who are LGBTQ+.\n\nNearly one-third of trans people say they have been homeless at some point in their lives, while 70% who stayed in a shelter reported being harassed, assaulted or kicked out because of their gender identity, according to an Advocates for Trans Equality survey released in 2015, a year before Obama expanded protections for trans people in shelters.\n\nTeens who come out to families who aren't accepting are particularly at risk, said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.\n\nSome shelters that might have served them in the past are becoming less welcoming now amid upheaval with the Equal Access Rule, Oliva said.\n\n\"Folks who are trans just won't go if they don't think that they're going to be treated with respect,\" she said, adding that is particularly problematic for young people who are \"vulnerable to sex traffickers and to other types of abuse.\"\n\nFurther complicating the situation are seemingly contradictory requirements in new HUD contracts with nonprofits that find permanent housing and run shelters for the homeless. One section stipulates they can't promote \"gender ideology\" while another requires compliance with anti-discrimination law, according to a copy provided to the AP.\n\nOrganizations say they are confused.\n\n\"What is promoting gender ideology? What does that mean?\" asked Jeannette Ruffins, CEO of Homeward NYC, a nonprofit that runs three permanent housing sites for LGBTQ+ young adults, as well as a homeless shelter.\n\n\"Does housing LGBTQ young adults promote gender identity?\" she asked. \"You know, they're coming to us. This is already their gender identity. Like I'm not promoting it.\"\n\nRuffins called a board meeting to discuss potential \"vulnerabilities\" on their website, something she said most New York City nonprofits were doing as well.\n\nHer organization made small changes to their website, saying they were LGBTQ+ \"affirming and friendly\" in a few places rather than LGBTQ+ \"serving,\" hoping that will make them less of a target.\n\nIn Memphis, Tennessee, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter for transgender people is looking to increase capacity because of the uncertainty.\n\nKayla Gore, executive director of My Sistah's House, said it can do that because it doesn't take federal funding.\n\n\"People are confused,\" Gore said. \"They don't know what to do because they want to protect their bottom line.\"\n\n## 'This is the world'\n\nNearly three years after losing his apartment, Webster remains homeless, staying with friends and sometimes sleeping on the floor.\n\nHe is on a waiting list for subsidized housing because he can't afford rent otherwise. But he expects the massive federal funding cuts and Trump administration directives banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives will make the wait even longer.\n\n\"Let's be honest. This is the world,\" he said. \"People, they do hateful things. If you legalize them to hating, then they feel like they have a right.\""
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"value": "# Court says no rights violated when Michigan school told girl to remove hat with image of a gun\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 09:19 PM\n\n---\n\nDURAND, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan school did not violate the free-speech rights of a third-grade student who was told to remove a hat that had an image of an AR-15-style rifle and the message \"come and take it\" in capital letters, a federal court said Friday.\n\nThe principal at Kerr Elementary School in Durand said the hat could be disruptive and perceived as threatening, especially because the school in 2022 had new students from Oxford, a district that was the site of a school shooting just a few months earlier.\n\nThe school's \"actions were readily defensible,\" the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 3-0 opinion.\n\n\"The record demonstrates that school officials relied on their knowledge of the student body to make a reasonable forecast of a substantial disruption in school activities, and therefore did not violate the First Amendment by asking C.S. to remove her hat,\" the court said.\n\nKerr School had allowed students to wear hats during a week dedicated to showing kindness.\n\nThe student's hat belonged to her father, and she wore it because it made her feel safe, according to a summary of the case.\n\nThe father subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming a violation of his daughter's First Amendment rights. The appeals court affirmed a decision in favor of the school by U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg."
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"value": "# Court says no rights violated when Michigan school told girl to remove hat with image of a gun\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 09:19 PM\n\n---\n\nDURAND, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan school did not violate the free-speech rights of a third-grade student who was told to remove a hat that had an image of an AR-15-style rifle and the message \"come and take it\" in capital letters, a federal court said Friday.\n\nThe principal at Kerr Elementary School in Durand said the hat could be disruptive and perceived as threatening, especially because the school in 2022 had new students from Oxford, a district that was the site of a school shooting just a few months earlier.\n\nThe school's \"actions were readily defensible,\" the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 3-0 opinion.\n\n\"The record demonstrates that school officials relied on their knowledge of the student body to make a reasonable forecast of a substantial disruption in school activities, and therefore did not violate the First Amendment by asking C.S. to remove her hat,\" the court said.\n\nKerr School had allowed students to wear hats during a week dedicated to showing kindness.\n\nThe student's hat belonged to her father, and she wore it because it made her feel safe, according to a summary of the case.\n\nThe father subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming a violation of his daughter's First Amendment rights. The appeals court affirmed a decision in favor of the school by U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg."
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"value": "# Aaron Judge gets 4 hits to raise his average to .409 and the Yankees beat the A's 12-2\n\nBy Josh Dubow \nMay 11th, 2025 11:03 PM\n\n---\n\nWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Judge had four hits to get his average back above .400 and Ben Rice hit a grand slam to lead the New York Yankees to a 12-2 victory over the Athletics on Sunday.\n\nJudge hit a two-run single in a five-run second inning against former teammate Luis Severino (1-4) and added hits in his final three at-bats to raise his average on the season to .409 — the fourth highest ever for a player with at least 14 homers in the first 40 games of a season.\n\nThe Yankees broke the game open in the fifth inning when Rice hit his first career grand slam after Mitch Spence had relieved an ineffective Severino.\n\nThe former Yankees starter struggled in his first career start against his former team, matching a career worst with eight earned runs allowed in four-plus innings.\n\nRyan Yarbrough (1-0) allowed two runs in five innings in his second start of the season to get the win.\n\nJJ Bleday homered for the A's, who fell to 8-13 at home this season.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe Yankees took control of the game in the second inning with an RBI single by Anthony Volpe, a bases-loaded walk by Oswaldo Cabrera and a run-scoring groundout by Jorbit Vivas. Judge then delivered the big hit with a line single that drove in two runs, giving him 39 RBIs this season.\n\n## Key stat\n\nPaul Goldschmidt had three doubles and has now hit safely in all 19 road games he has played this season. The only other Yankees to do that are Derek Jeter with 23 straight to open the 2007 season and Jack Lelivelt with 21 in 1912.\n\n## Up next\n\nThe Yankees open a three-game series in Seattle on Monday night with RHP Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 4.79) set to start. The A's start a three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Tuesday night with LHP Jeffrey Springs (4-3, 4.81) set to start the opener.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB"
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"value": "# Aaron Judge gets 4 hits to raise his average to .409 and the Yankees beat the A's 12-2\n\nBy Josh Dubow \nMay 11th, 2025 11:03 PM\n\n---\n\nWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Judge had four hits to get his average back above .400 and Ben Rice hit a grand slam to lead the New York Yankees to a 12-2 victory over the Athletics on Sunday.\n\nJudge hit a two-run single in a five-run second inning against former teammate Luis Severino (1-4) and added hits in his final three at-bats to raise his average on the season to .409 — the fourth highest ever for a player with at least 14 homers in the first 40 games of a season.\n\nThe Yankees broke the game open in the fifth inning when Rice hit his first career grand slam after Mitch Spence had relieved an ineffective Severino.\n\nThe former Yankees starter struggled in his first career start against his former team, matching a career worst with eight earned runs allowed in four-plus innings.\n\nRyan Yarbrough (1-0) allowed two runs in five innings in his second start of the season to get the win.\n\nJJ Bleday homered for the A's, who fell to 8-13 at home this season.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe Yankees took control of the game in the second inning with an RBI single by Anthony Volpe, a bases-loaded walk by Oswaldo Cabrera and a run-scoring groundout by Jorbit Vivas. Judge then delivered the big hit with a line single that drove in two runs, giving him 39 RBIs this season.\n\n## Key stat\n\nPaul Goldschmidt had three doubles and has now hit safely in all 19 road games he has played this season. The only other Yankees to do that are Derek Jeter with 23 straight to open the 2007 season and Jack Lelivelt with 21 in 1912.\n\n## Up next\n\nThe Yankees open a three-game series in Seattle on Monday night with RHP Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 4.79) set to start. The A's start a three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Tuesday night with LHP Jeffrey Springs (4-3, 4.81) set to start the opener."
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"value": "# Rubio calls India and Pakistan in effort to defuse crisis over Kashmir attack\n\nBy Sheikh Saaliq and Munir Ahmed \nMay 1st, 2025 06:09 AM\n\n---\n\nNEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called senior officials in India and Pakistan in an effort to defuse the crisis that followed last week's deadly attack in Kashmir, the State Department said.\n\nRubio urged Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to de-escalate tensions on Wednesday.\n\nIndia has vowed to punish Pakistan after accusing it of backing the attack, which Islamabad denies.\n\nThe nuclear-armed rivals have since expelled each other's diplomats and citizens, ordered the border shut and closed their airspace to each other. New Delhi has suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad.\n\nSoldiers on each side have also exchanged fire along their de facto border, driving tensions between India and Pakistan to their highest point in recent years.\n\nThe region of Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the Himalayan territory.\n\nU.S. State Department's Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio in his call with Jaishankar expressed sorrow over last week's massacre. He also reaffirmed the U.S.'s \"commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism,\" Bruce said.\n\nJaishankar on Thursday said he discussed the last week's massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, were killed, with Rubio, adding that \"perpetrators, backers and planners\" of the attack \"must be brought to justice.\"\n\nRubio also spoke to Sharif on Wednesday evening and \"emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia,\" according to a Pakistani statement. It said Sharif rejected the Indian allegations and \"urged the U.S. to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.\"\n\nThat was followed by a call Thursday from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh to express sympathy for the loss of lives and support for India's right to defend itself, Singh's office said on social media platform X.\n\nOn Thursday, Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke to Sharif and said his country wanted to work with Pakistan to ensure a de-escalation of the crisis, a Pakistani government statement said.\n\nThe statement said that Sharif rejected India's attempts to link Pakistan with the attack on tourists, and reiterated that Pakistan is ready to join a credible international probe into the incident.\n\nPublic anger has swelled in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers \"to the ends of the earth.\" A Pakistani minister has said that Pakistan has \"credible intelligence\" that India is planning to attack it within days.\n\nOn Thursday, Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, reviewed a military training exercise by the armed forces in the eastern Punjab province, the military said.\n\nIt said in a statement that the \"exercise was meticulously designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy, and the operational integration of cutting-edge weapon systems under near-battlefield conditions.\"\n\n\"Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response,\" the statement quoted Munir as saying. \"While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute.\"\n\nIndian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire over the past six nights, with each side blaming the other for firing first.\n\nThe Indian army in a statement on Thursday said it responded to \"unprovoked\" small arms fire from Pakistan in the Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor sectors of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The previous day, Pakistan's state-run media said Indian forces had violated the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control by initiating fire with heavy weapons on troops in the Mandal sector of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The incidents could not be independently verified.\n\nIn the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region.\n\n___\n\nAhmed reported from Islamabad, Pakistan."
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"value": "# Rubio calls India and Pakistan in effort to defuse crisis over Kashmir attack\n\nBy Sheikh Saaliq and Munir Ahmed \nMay 1st, 2025 06:09 AM\n\n---\n\nNEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called senior officials in India and Pakistan in an effort to defuse the crisis that followed last week's deadly attack in Kashmir, the State Department said.\n\nRubio urged Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to de-escalate tensions on Wednesday.\n\nIndia has vowed to punish Pakistan after accusing it of backing the attack, which Islamabad denies.\n\nThe nuclear-armed rivals have since expelled each other's diplomats and citizens, ordered the border shut and closed their airspace to each other. New Delhi has suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad.\n\nSoldiers on each side have also exchanged fire along their de facto border, driving tensions between India and Pakistan to their highest point in recent years.\n\nThe region of Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the Himalayan territory.\n\nU.S. State Department's Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio in his call with Jaishankar expressed sorrow over last week's massacre. He also reaffirmed the U.S.'s \"commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism,\" Bruce said.\n\nJaishankar on Thursday said he discussed the last week's massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, were killed, with Rubio, adding that \"perpetrators, backers and planners\" of the attack \"must be brought to justice.\"\n\nRubio also spoke to Sharif on Wednesday evening and \"emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia,\" according to a Pakistani statement. It said Sharif rejected the Indian allegations and \"urged the U.S. to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.\"\n\nThat was followed by a call Thursday from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh to express sympathy for the loss of lives and support for India's right to defend itself, Singh's office said on social media platform X.\n\nOn Thursday, Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke to Sharif and said his country wanted to work with Pakistan to ensure a de-escalation of the crisis, a Pakistani government statement said.\n\nThe statement said that Sharif rejected India's attempts to link Pakistan with the attack on tourists, and reiterated that Pakistan is ready to join a credible international probe into the incident.\n\nPublic anger has swelled in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers \"to the ends of the earth.\" A Pakistani minister has said that Pakistan has \"credible intelligence\" that India is planning to attack it within days.\n\nOn Thursday, Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, reviewed a military training exercise by the armed forces in the eastern Punjab province, the military said.\n\nIt said in a statement that the \"exercise was meticulously designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy, and the operational integration of cutting-edge weapon systems under near-battlefield conditions.\"\n\n\"Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response,\" the statement quoted Munir as saying. \"While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute.\"\n\nIndian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire over the past six nights, with each side blaming the other for firing first.\n\nThe Indian army in a statement on Thursday said it responded to \"unprovoked\" small arms fire from Pakistan in the Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor sectors of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The previous day, Pakistan's state-run media said Indian forces had violated the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control by initiating fire with heavy weapons on troops in the Mandal sector of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The incidents could not be independently verified.\n\nIn the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region."
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"value": "# Wiener wonderland: Hundreds of dachshunds chase record in Hungary\n\nBy Justin Spike \nMay 1st, 2025 02:06 PM\n\n---\n\nBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Throngs of dachshunds strut their stubby stuff in Hungary on Thursday as they tried to fetch a record for the country's biggest ever single-breed dog walk.\n\nHundreds of dogs and their owners gathered at the Budapest City Park and walked in a long, noisy loop in the spring sun. The parade of pups was under the observation of the Hungarian Records Association, which was tasked with determining whether the canine cavalcade could be officially entered into the record books.\n\nIstván Sebestyén, registrar and president of the association, said his organization would carefully tally the number of participating dogs — a challenge, he said, when so many hounds and humans were gathered in one place.\n\n\"We don't usually take dachshunds on walks in droves, so this experiment has to correspond to our system of rules,\" he said.\n\nDachshunds, a short, muscular breed with stubby legs, were first bred in Germany, and remain one of Hungary's most popular dog breeds.\n\nAlso known as \"wiener dogs\" or \"sausage dogs\" for their long, low-slung bodies, they were initially bred for hunting badgers and other burrowing creatures. But their loyal, curious and playful nature has also made them popular as family pets.\n\nIn Munich, Germany in 1972, a rainbow-colored dachshund named Waldi became the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games.\n\nLast September, the German city of Regensburg set the current world record for the largest dachshund dog walk as hundreds of the breed paraded through the medieval town center.\n\nWhile some counts from Regensburg put the number of dogs at 1,175, Guinness World Records could only confirm 897.\n\nOn Thursday, Lili Horváth and her 1-year-old dachshund Zabos participated in the walk in Budapest. She said her furry friend \"has very deeply human qualities and is very loyal, he's really a love bomb.\"\n\nValeria Fábián, who was walking her dachshund Zsebi, saw it differently.\n\n\"Few people are capable of giving this kind of selflessness, because people don't have as much love and self-sacrifice as a dog can give a human,\" she said.\n\nBy the end of the record-seeking walk, the Hungarian Records Association determined that 500 dachshunds had been present — enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg.\n\nOrganizers, undeterred, vowed to try again next year — giving them plenty of time to muster more mutts for another shot at the title."
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"value": "# Wiener wonderland: Hundreds of dachshunds chase record in Hungary\n\nBy Justin Spike \nMay 1st, 2025 02:06 PM\n\n---\n\nBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Throngs of dachshunds strut their stubby stuff in Hungary on Thursday as they tried to fetch a record for the country's biggest ever single-breed dog walk.\n\nHundreds of dogs and their owners gathered at the Budapest City Park and walked in a long, noisy loop in the spring sun. The parade of pups was under the observation of the Hungarian Records Association, which was tasked with determining whether the canine cavalcade could be officially entered into the record books.\n\nIstván Sebestyén, registrar and president of the association, said his organization would carefully tally the number of participating dogs — a challenge, he said, when so many hounds and humans were gathered in one place.\n\n\"We don't usually take dachshunds on walks in droves, so this experiment has to correspond to our system of rules,\" he said.\n\nDachshunds, a short, muscular breed with stubby legs, were first bred in Germany, and remain one of Hungary's most popular dog breeds.\n\nAlso known as \"wiener dogs\" or \"sausage dogs\" for their long, low-slung bodies, they were initially bred for hunting badgers and other burrowing creatures. But their loyal, curious and playful nature has also made them popular as family pets.\n\nIn Munich, Germany in 1972, a rainbow-colored dachshund named Waldi became the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games.\n\nLast September, the German city of Regensburg set the current world record for the largest dachshund dog walk as hundreds of the breed paraded through the medieval town center.\n\nWhile some counts from Regensburg put the number of dogs at 1,175, Guinness World Records could only confirm 897.\n\nOn Thursday, Lili Horváth and her 1-year-old dachshund Zabos participated in the walk in Budapest. She said her furry friend \"has very deeply human qualities and is very loyal, he's really a love bomb.\"\n\nValeria Fábián, who was walking her dachshund Zsebi, saw it differently.\n\n\"Few people are capable of giving this kind of selflessness, because people don't have as much love and self-sacrifice as a dog can give a human,\" she said.\n\nBy the end of the record-seeking walk, the Hungarian Records Association determined that 500 dachshunds had been present — enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg.\n\nOrganizers, undeterred, vowed to try again next year — giving them plenty of time to muster more mutts for another shot at the title."
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"value": "# REAL ID requirements to fly in US take effect\n\nBy Olga R. Rodriguez \nMay 7th, 2025 04:03 AM\n\n---\n\nSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Most airports around the United States operated smoothly as new REAL ID requirements took effect Wednesday because travelers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.\n\nThose without the IDs were given pieces of paper informing them that going forward they would need to present REAL ID or other federally accepted ID for air travel within the U.S. It includes a QR code travelers can use to see a list of acceptable identifications.\n\n\"The ID you presented is NOT REAL ID-compliant,\" the paper reads. \"You will need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification for your next flight or you may expect delays.\"\n\nSuzy Roberts, a traveler who didn't have a REAL ID, passed through security without a hitch at Oakland airport in Northern California. Officials gave her the TSA handout, advised her to call the DMV to make an appointment, and said she might have to go through extra screening.\n\n\"I'm going through — they're just gonna do extra security and they'll take my photo,\" Roberts explained as she waited for her bag to be screened before her flight to Los Angeles.\n\nThe relative calm at airports was bolstered by the fact that 81% of travelers already have REAL IDs, according to the Department of Homeland Security.\n\nNathan Carter was one of them.\n\n\"I feel pretty well prepared. I've had real ID for a while,\" he said as he prepared to return home to Kansas City from Philadelphia.\n\nThe new requirement for domestic flights has been the subject of much discussion on social media in recent weeks, with people expressing confusion about whether they can travel without a REAL ID, sharing details about wait times and seeking advice on how to meet the requirements.\n\nAirport security checkpoints also accepted passports and tribal identification as usual.\n\n## No lines at the airport, lines to get IDs\n\nMany airports reported wait times of a few minutes at security checkpoints on their websites on Wednesday morning. LaGuardia Airport in New York City reported no wait at one TSA PreCheck checkpoint and wait times ranging from 2 to 11 minutes in the general lines. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's website showed wait times at its security checkpoints ranging from 5 to 16 minutes.\n\nNashville International Airport posted on social media that wait times were less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning, but urged travels to help keep things running smoothly by brining a REAL ID.\n\nThe day ahead of the deadline, people lined up at government offices across the country to secure their compliant IDs. In Chicago, officials established a Real ID Supercenter for walk-in appointments, while officials in California and elsewhere planned to continue offering extended hours for the crush of appointments.\n\nMichael Aceto waited in line at a DMV in King of Prussia, in the Philadelphia suburbs, for about two and a half hours Tuesday before getting his REAL ID.\n\n\"It's a pain in the butt. It's really a lot of time. Everybody's got to take off from work to be here,\" he said. \"It's a big waste of time as far as I'm concerned.\"\n\n## Travelers without REAL ID still will be able to fly\n\nHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a congressional panel on Tuesday that those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law \"may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step.\"\n\nThere's already an extra screening process in place for people who lose or forget their IDs while traveling.\n\nIt wasn't clear Wednesday how many people without REAL IDs were facing extra screening beyond being handed the TSA flier.\n\nREAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed.\n\n¨The whole idea here is to better validate those individuals that were encountering a checkpoint to ensure they are who exactly they say they are,\" said Thomas Carter, TSA's Federal Security Director in New Jersey.\n\nIf people without REAL IDs give themselves extra time, he said, they likely shouldn't miss their flights. \"I do not have a belief that this will cause people to miss their flights if they take that additional time in.\"\n\n## REAL ID also will be needed for certain federal facilities\n\nBesides serving as a valid form of identification to fly domestically, people will also need a REAL ID to access certain federal buildings and facilities.\n\nState government offices that issue driver's licenses and state IDs have seen a significant increase in demand for REAL ID and some have extended their office hours to meet the demand. Some officials have recommended people delay getting REAL ID compliant licenses and cards if they don't have flights planned in the next few months.\n\n\"Wait until after the current rush,\" said Erin Johnson, a spokesperson with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.\n\n___\n\nAssociated Press writers Terry Chea in Oakland, California, and Tassanee Vejpongsa in Philadelphia contributed to this report."
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"value": "# REAL ID requirements to fly in US take effect\n\nBy Olga R. Rodriguez \nMay 7th, 2025 04:03 AM\n\n---\n\nSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Most airports around the United States operated smoothly as new REAL ID requirements took effect Wednesday because travelers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.\n\nThose without the IDs were given pieces of paper informing them that going forward they would need to present REAL ID or other federally accepted ID for air travel within the U.S. It includes a QR code travelers can use to see a list of acceptable identifications.\n\n\"The ID you presented is NOT REAL ID-compliant,\" the paper reads. \"You will need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification for your next flight or you may expect delays.\"\n\nSuzy Roberts, a traveler who didn't have a REAL ID, passed through security without a hitch at Oakland airport in Northern California. Officials gave her the TSA handout, advised her to call the DMV to make an appointment, and said she might have to go through extra screening.\n\n\"I'm going through — they're just gonna do extra security and they'll take my photo,\" Roberts explained as she waited for her bag to be screened before her flight to Los Angeles.\n\nThe relative calm at airports was bolstered by the fact that 81% of travelers already have REAL IDs, according to the Department of Homeland Security.\n\nNathan Carter was one of them.\n\n\"I feel pretty well prepared. I've had real ID for a while,\" he said as he prepared to return home to Kansas City from Philadelphia.\n\nThe new requirement for domestic flights has been the subject of much discussion on social media in recent weeks, with people expressing confusion about whether they can travel without a REAL ID, sharing details about wait times and seeking advice on how to meet the requirements.\n\nAirport security checkpoints also accepted passports and tribal identification as usual.\n\n## No lines at the airport, lines to get IDs\n\nMany airports reported wait times of a few minutes at security checkpoints on their websites on Wednesday morning. LaGuardia Airport in New York City reported no wait at one TSA PreCheck checkpoint and wait times ranging from 2 to 11 minutes in the general lines. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's website showed wait times at its security checkpoints ranging from 5 to 16 minutes.\n\nNashville International Airport posted on social media that wait times were less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning, but urged travels to help keep things running smoothly by brining a REAL ID.\n\nThe day ahead of the deadline, people lined up at government offices across the country to secure their compliant IDs. In Chicago, officials established a Real ID Supercenter for walk-in appointments, while officials in California and elsewhere planned to continue offering extended hours for the crush of appointments.\n\nMichael Aceto waited in line at a DMV in King of Prussia, in the Philadelphia suburbs, for about two and a half hours Tuesday before getting his REAL ID.\n\n\"It's a pain in the butt. It's really a lot of time. Everybody's got to take off from work to be here,\" he said. \"It's a big waste of time as far as I'm concerned.\"\n\n## Travelers without REAL ID still will be able to fly\n\nHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a congressional panel on Tuesday that those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law \"may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step.\"\n\nThere's already an extra screening process in place for people who lose or forget their IDs while traveling.\n\nIt wasn't clear Wednesday how many people without REAL IDs were facing extra screening beyond being handed the TSA flier.\n\nREAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed.\n\n¨The whole idea here is to better validate those individuals that were encountering a checkpoint to ensure they are who exactly they say they are,\" said Thomas Carter, TSA's Federal Security Director in New Jersey.\n\nIf people without REAL IDs give themselves extra time, he said, they likely shouldn't miss their flights. \"I do not have a belief that this will cause people to miss their flights if they take that additional time in.\"\n\n## REAL ID also will be needed for certain federal facilities\n\nBesides serving as a valid form of identification to fly domestically, people will also need a REAL ID to access certain federal buildings and facilities.\n\nState government offices that issue driver's licenses and state IDs have seen a significant increase in demand for REAL ID and some have extended their office hours to meet the demand. Some officials have recommended people delay getting REAL ID compliant licenses and cards if they don't have flights planned in the next few months.\n\n\"Wait until after the current rush,\" said Erin Johnson, a spokesperson with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety."
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"value": "# Francisco Lindor's go-ahead homer sparks 4-run 8th inning as Mets beat Cubs 6-2\n\nBy Larry Fleisher \nMay 11th, 2025 06:57 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead homer to start a four-run eighth inning and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Sunday to avoid losing their second home series this season.\n\nLindor snapped a 2-2 tie against Porter Hodge (2-1) by getting ahead in the count and lifting a full count sweeper over the right-center field fence. Lindor connected after hitting the same pitch for a double play in the ninth inning against Hodge in Saturday's 6-5 loss.\n\nMark Vientos homered off Chicago starter Matthew Boyd to give the Mets the lead in the sixth and added an RBI single in the eighth. Brandon Nimmo padded the lead with a two-run homer off Gavin Hollowell.\n\nThe big inning gave the Mets a 15-4 home record and their eighth series win at Citi Field so far.\n\nLuis Torrens had an RBI triple in the second and exited in the sixth after getting hit below the belt by a Kyle Tucker foul ball.\n\nFormer Mets' first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong homered off Griffin Canning in the sixth and Nico Hoerner hit a tying double in the seventh as the Cubs lost for the fourth time in five games.\n\n## Key moment\n\nRyne Stanek (1-3) struck out Crow-Armstrong for the second out of a scoreless eighth to earn the win and set up the big bottom half. Into the seventh, Garrett kept the game tied by retiring Dansby Swanson and Justin Turner for the final two outs.\n\n## Key stats\n\nThe Cubs went 0-for-7 off Canning's changeup. … All five of Vientos' homers are off lefties after he hit seven of his 27 off southpaws last season.\n\n## Up next\n\nCubs RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 2.43 ERA) opposes Miami RHP Cal Quantrill (2-3, 7.11) in the opener of a three-game series in Chicago on Monday.\n\nMets LHP David Peterson (2-2, 3.05) opposes RHP Paul Skenes (3-4, 2.77) in the opener of a three-game series against visiting Pittsburgh on Monday.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Francisco Lindor's go-ahead homer sparks 4-run 8th inning as Mets beat Cubs 6-2\n\nBy Larry Fleisher \nMay 11th, 2025 06:57 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead homer to start a four-run eighth inning and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Sunday to avoid losing their second home series this season.\n\nLindor snapped a 2-2 tie against Porter Hodge (2-1) by getting ahead in the count and lifting a full count sweeper over the right-center field fence. Lindor connected after hitting the same pitch for a double play in the ninth inning against Hodge in Saturday's 6-5 loss.\n\nMark Vientos homered off Chicago starter Matthew Boyd to give the Mets the lead in the sixth and added an RBI single in the eighth. Brandon Nimmo padded the lead with a two-run homer off Gavin Hollowell.\n\nThe big inning gave the Mets a 15-4 home record and their eighth series win at Citi Field so far.\n\nLuis Torrens had an RBI triple in the second and exited in the sixth after getting hit below the belt by a Kyle Tucker foul ball.\n\nFormer Mets' first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong homered off Griffin Canning in the sixth and Nico Hoerner hit a tying double in the seventh as the Cubs lost for the fourth time in five games.\n\n## Key moment\n\nRyne Stanek (1-3) struck out Crow-Armstrong for the second out of a scoreless eighth to earn the win and set up the big bottom half. Into the seventh, Garrett kept the game tied by retiring Dansby Swanson and Justin Turner for the final two outs.\n\n## Key stats\n\nThe Cubs went 0-for-7 off Canning's changeup. … All five of Vientos' homers are off lefties after he hit seven of his 27 off southpaws last season.\n\n## Up next\n\nCubs RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 2.43 ERA) opposes Miami RHP Cal Quantrill (2-3, 7.11) in the opener of a three-game series in Chicago on Monday.\n\nMets LHP David Peterson (2-2, 3.05) opposes RHP Paul Skenes (3-4, 2.77) in the opener of a three-game series against visiting Pittsburgh on Monday."
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"value": "# Yankees put OF/DH Stanton on 60-day injured list, claim OF Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from Atlanta\n\nMay 1st, 2025 09:27 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees transferred outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list on Thursday while claiming outfielder Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.\n\nStanton is rehabbing from torn tendons in both of his elbows and hopes to be back sometime in June. He began doing some on-field hitting about a week ago with the Yankees, who open a series against the Rays on Friday night in New York.\n\nThe 28-year-old De La Cruz, who was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, was hitting .191 for the Braves this season. He was sent to their Triple-A affiliate at Gwinnett on April 17, where he hit .200 over 11 games.\n\nDe La Cruz's best season came in 2023 with Miami, when he hit .257 with 19 homers and 78 RBIs in 153 games.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB"
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"value": "# Yankees put OF/DH Stanton on 60-day injured list, claim OF Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from Atlanta\n\nMay 1st, 2025 09:27 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees transferred outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list on Thursday while claiming outfielder Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.\n\nStanton is rehabbing from torn tendons in both of his elbows and hopes to be back sometime in June. He began doing some on-field hitting about a week ago with the Yankees, who open a series against the Rays on Friday night in New York.\n\nThe 28-year-old De La Cruz, who was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, was hitting .191 for the Braves this season. He was sent to their Triple-A affiliate at Gwinnett on April 17, where he hit .200 over 11 games.\n\nDe La Cruz's best season came in 2023 with Miami, when he hit .257 with 19 homers and 78 RBIs in 153 games."
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"value": "# Olympic medalists Snyder, Dake and Brooks sign with Real American Freestyle wrestling\n\nBy Cliff Brunt \nMay 8th, 2025 02:00 PM\n\n---\n\nOlympic medalists Kyle Snyder, Kyle Dake and Aaron Brooks headline the newest additions to the Real American Freestyle wrestling league.\n\nThe announcement of the signings Thursday comes off the heels of the Tampa, Florida-based company's launch last week. The league, with pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan as the commissioner, will hold its first event Aug. 30 in Cleveland.\n\nSnyder earned gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and silver in Tokyo in 2021. He's a three-time world champion who won three national titles at Ohio State.\n\nDake is a four-time world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medalist. He was a four-time national champion at Cornell. Brooks, a four-time national champion at Penn State, earned bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.\n\nDavid Carr and Trent Hidlay also have signed. Carr was a two-time national champion at Iowa State. He was an under-20 world champion, and bronze medalist at the under-17 world championships. Hidlay was a two-time national runner-up at North Carolina State.\n\n\"David, Kyle, Aaron, Trent, and Kyle represent the best of the best, and that's who we're targeting for Real American Freestyle,\" Hogan said in a statement. \"Our goal is to give these athletes an opportunity to continue their careers, create a platform for greatness, and inspire a legacy that lasts.\"\n\nKennedy Blades, a silver medalist at the Paris Games, had already signed on the women's side. She believes the input of people such as Hogan will help it be sustainable. Her longtime coach, Israel Hernandez, is the league's chief operating officer, and she's excited that he's teaming up with Hogan, chief media officer Eric Bischoff and co-founder Chad Bronstein.\n\n\"I think the Real American Freestyle wrestling is going to be huge for the sport. I know coach Izzy, at the end of the day, wants to push wrestling to the highest level.\n\n\"The goal is to get people outside who don't know anything about wrestling to come watch and invest in the sport financially, being there at the events, stuff like that,\" she said. \"So I'm really excited about it.\"\n\nEvents will feature eight weight classes with eight matches for men and four for women. Wrestlers will have the opportunity to win a championship purse and bonuses — in adherence to NCAA regulations — for victories.\n\n___\n\nAP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports"
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"value": "# Olympic medalists Snyder, Dake and Brooks sign with Real American Freestyle wrestling\n\nBy Cliff Brunt \nMay 8th, 2025 02:00 PM\n\n---\n\nOlympic medalists Kyle Snyder, Kyle Dake and Aaron Brooks headline the newest additions to the Real American Freestyle wrestling league.\n\nThe announcement of the signings Thursday comes off the heels of the Tampa, Florida-based company's launch last week. The league, with pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan as the commissioner, will hold its first event Aug. 30 in Cleveland.\n\nSnyder earned gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and silver in Tokyo in 2021. He's a three-time world champion who won three national titles at Ohio State.\n\nDake is a four-time world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medalist. He was a four-time national champion at Cornell. Brooks, a four-time national champion at Penn State, earned bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.\n\nDavid Carr and Trent Hidlay also have signed. Carr was a two-time national champion at Iowa State. He was an under-20 world champion, and bronze medalist at the under-17 world championships. Hidlay was a two-time national runner-up at North Carolina State.\n\n\"David, Kyle, Aaron, Trent, and Kyle represent the best of the best, and that's who we're targeting for Real American Freestyle,\" Hogan said in a statement. \"Our goal is to give these athletes an opportunity to continue their careers, create a platform for greatness, and inspire a legacy that lasts.\"\n\nKennedy Blades, a silver medalist at the Paris Games, had already signed on the women's side. She believes the input of people such as Hogan will help it be sustainable. Her longtime coach, Israel Hernandez, is the league's chief operating officer, and she's excited that he's teaming up with Hogan, chief media officer Eric Bischoff and co-founder Chad Bronstein.\n\n\"I think the Real American Freestyle wrestling is going to be huge for the sport. I know coach Izzy, at the end of the day, wants to push wrestling to the highest level.\n\n\"The goal is to get people outside who don't know anything about wrestling to come watch and invest in the sport financially, being there at the events, stuff like that,\" she said. \"So I'm really excited about it.\"\n\nEvents will feature eight weight classes with eight matches for men and four for women. Wrestlers will have the opportunity to win a championship purse and bonuses — in adherence to NCAA regulations — for victories."
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"value": "# South Korean conservative party fails in a bid to switch presidential candidates\n\nBy Kim Tong-Hyung \nMay 10th, 2025 03:28 AM\n\n---\n\nSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled conservative party canceled then reinstated the presidential candidacy of Kim Moon Soo within hours as internal turmoil escalated ahead of the June 3 election.\n\nSaturday's chaotic U-turn, after a failed attempt to replace Kim with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, underscored the People Power Party's leadership crisis following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law imposition in December, which possibly doomed the conservatives' chances of winning another term in government.\n\nKim, a staunch conservative and former labor minister under Yoon, was named the PPP's presidential candidate on May 3 after winning 56.3% of the primary vote, defeating a reformist rival who had criticized Yoon's martial law. But the PPP's leadership, dominated by Yoon loyalists, had spent the past week desperately pressuring Kim to step aside and back Han, whom they believed stood a stronger chance against liberal Democratic Party frontrunner Lee Jae-myung.\n\nAfter talks between Han and Kim failed to unify their candidacies, the PPP's emergency committee took the unprecedented step early Saturday of nullifying its primary, canceling Kim's nomination and registering Han as both a party member and its new presidential candidate. However, the replacement required approval through an all-party vote conducted through an automated phone survey, which ultimately rejected the switch on Saturday night.\n\n\"While we cannot disclose the figures, the vote on switching the candidate was rejected by a narrow margin,\" party spokesman and lawmaker Shin Dong-wook said. Kim, who had denounced the party's attempt to replace him as an \"overnight political coup,\" was immediately reinstated as the candidate and plans to officially register with election authorities on Sunday, according to the party.\n\n\"Now everything will return to its rightful place,\" Kim said in a statement.\n\nKim, 73, was a prominent labor activist in the 1970s and '80s, but joined a conservative party in the 1990s, saying he gave up his dream of becoming a \"revolutionist\" after witnessing the collapse of communist states. Since then, he has served eight years as governor of South Korea's Gyeonggi province and completed three terms in the National Assembly.\n\nHan served as acting president after Yoon was impeached by the legislature in December and officially removed by the Constitutional Court in April. He resigned from office May 2 to pursue a presidential bid, arguing his long public service career qualifies him to lead the country amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and trade challenges intensified by the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.\n\nHan, who had called for unity after being promoted as the candidate, said in a statement that he \"humbly accepts\" the voice of party members.\n\nHan and Kim have lagged well behind Lee in recent opinion polls. Lee, who spearheaded the Democrats' efforts to oust Yoon, ridiculed the PPP efforts to switch candidacies, telling reporters Thursday, \"I have heard of forced marriages but never heard of forced unity.\""
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"value": "# South Korean conservative party fails in a bid to switch presidential candidates\n\nBy Kim Tong-Hyung \nMay 10th, 2025 03:28 AM\n\n---\n\nSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled conservative party canceled then reinstated the presidential candidacy of Kim Moon Soo within hours as internal turmoil escalated ahead of the June 3 election.\n\nSaturday's chaotic U-turn, after a failed attempt to replace Kim with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, underscored the People Power Party's leadership crisis following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law imposition in December, which possibly doomed the conservatives' chances of winning another term in government.\n\nKim, a staunch conservative and former labor minister under Yoon, was named the PPP's presidential candidate on May 3 after winning 56.3% of the primary vote, defeating a reformist rival who had criticized Yoon's martial law. But the PPP's leadership, dominated by Yoon loyalists, had spent the past week desperately pressuring Kim to step aside and back Han, whom they believed stood a stronger chance against liberal Democratic Party frontrunner Lee Jae-myung.\n\nAfter talks between Han and Kim failed to unify their candidacies, the PPP's emergency committee took the unprecedented step early Saturday of nullifying its primary, canceling Kim's nomination and registering Han as both a party member and its new presidential candidate. However, the replacement required approval through an all-party vote conducted through an automated phone survey, which ultimately rejected the switch on Saturday night.\n\n\"While we cannot disclose the figures, the vote on switching the candidate was rejected by a narrow margin,\" party spokesman and lawmaker Shin Dong-wook said. Kim, who had denounced the party's attempt to replace him as an \"overnight political coup,\" was immediately reinstated as the candidate and plans to officially register with election authorities on Sunday, according to the party.\n\n\"Now everything will return to its rightful place,\" Kim said in a statement.\n\nKim, 73, was a prominent labor activist in the 1970s and '80s, but joined a conservative party in the 1990s, saying he gave up his dream of becoming a \"revolutionist\" after witnessing the collapse of communist states. Since then, he has served eight years as governor of South Korea's Gyeonggi province and completed three terms in the National Assembly.\n\nHan served as acting president after Yoon was impeached by the legislature in December and officially removed by the Constitutional Court in April. He resigned from office May 2 to pursue a presidential bid, arguing his long public service career qualifies him to lead the country amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and trade challenges intensified by the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.\n\nHan, who had called for unity after being promoted as the candidate, said in a statement that he \"humbly accepts\" the voice of party members.\n\nHan and Kim have lagged well behind Lee in recent opinion polls. Lee, who spearheaded the Democrats' efforts to oust Yoon, ridiculed the PPP efforts to switch candidacies, telling reporters Thursday, \"I have heard of forced marriages but never heard of forced unity.\""
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"value": "# Who is George Simion, a nationalist who topped polls in Romania's presidential redo?\n\nBy Stephen Mcgrath \nMay 5th, 2025 11:05 AM\n\n---\n\nBUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — George Simion, a nationalist and vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, won Romania's first-round presidential election redo by a landslide after capitalizing on widespread anti-establishment sentiment.\n\nThe 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, will face a pro-Western reformist in a May 18 runoff that could reshape the European Union and NATO member country's geopolitical direction.\n\nRomania's political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first round. The decision followed allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.\n\n\"For 35 years, the Romanian people lived the lie that we are a democratic country,\" Simion, who came fourth in last year's race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press last week. \"And now the people are awakening.\"\n\n## Who is George Simion?\n\nBorn in 1986 in Romania's eastern city of Focsani, Simion took a bachelor's degree in business and administration in Bucharest, and later a master's degree at a university in the northeastern city of Iasi researching communist-era crimes. He also became involved in soccer ultra groups.\n\nHe took part in civic activism, including joining a protest movement against a controversial gold mining project by a Canadian company in a mountainous western region of Romania that contains some of Europe's largest gold deposits. He also campaigned for reunification with neighboring Moldova.\n\nIn 2019, Simion founded the AUR party, which rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election by proclaiming to stand for \"family, nation, faith, and freedom,\" and has since doubled its support to become Romania's second largest party in the legislature. It opposes same-sex marriage and has close ties to the Romanian Orthodox Church.\n\nSimion supports Trump and told AP last week that the AUR party is \"perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement,\" referring to the U.S. president's Make America Great Again movement.\n\n## What does the MAGA-style populist stand for?\n\nSimion's political platform has been built on a fiercely anti-establishment agenda and populist rhetoric. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his party staged multiple protests against vaccination and lockdowns, capitalizing on a widespread distrust of the authorities.\n\nHe labelled the canceled election last year a \"coup d'etat,\" and adopted stronger populist rhetoric and religious messaging to tap into Georgescu's electorate. He has branded Romania's current political system as a \"hybrid regime\" that failed to deliver democracy after the 1989 revolution toppled communism.\n\n\"They voted for the change, and they were not allowed to make this change,\" he told the AP. \"This is why I'm running again as a duty towards democracy, towards the constitutional order, to restore the rule of law, to restore the will of the Romanian people.\"\n\nA Simion presidency would pose unique foreign policy conundrums. His activities in Moldova led to an expulsion and multiple entry bans on allegations of trying to destabilize the country. He is also banned from entering neighboring Ukraine for \"systemic anti-Ukrainian\" activities. \"It is in their interest to have good relations with us,\" he said of the two countries.\n\nIn March, Simion sparked controversy after remarking during a protest that those responsible for barring Georgescu's second bid for presidency should be \"skinned in a public square,\" prompting prosecutors to launch a criminal probe for inciting violence. He denied the accusation saying it was a political metaphor.\n\n## What is his stance on the EU and NATO?\n\nObservers have long viewed him of being pro-Russian and warn that his presidency would undermine both Brussels and NATO as the war rages on in Ukraine. He refuted the accusations as a \"smear campaign\" by leftists and said Russia has been the \"main threat\" to Romania in the last 200 years and remains so today.\n\n\"This is why we need a strong NATO and we need troops on the ground in Romania, in Poland and in the Baltic states,\" he said, although he was against sending further military aid to Ukraine.\n\n\"The danger is not who will be the next president of Romania but … those who want to create a distance and to form two different opposing geopolitical blocs\" between the European Union and the U.S., he said.\n\nOn the EU, Simion said, \"We want more power to the 27 states, not toward the European institutions,\" and that he is \"totally aligned\" with the position of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was the only EU head of government to attend Trump's inauguration in January.\n\n## What do his critics say?\n\nSiegfried Muresan, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, said Monday that a Simion presidency would be \"bad news\" for Romania and Europe, and accused the AUR leader of having \"disdain for democratic processes.\"\n\n\"George Simion is not a conservative politician. He is an anti-European extremist. His election would endanger Romania, threaten European stability, and serve as a strategic victory for Russia,\" he said. \"He offers no viable solutions to Romania's challenges.\"\n\nFor Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest, accusations that Simion is extremist or pro-Russian are overblown. He says a Simion presidency could look similar to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has long been a thorn in the side of Brussels.\n\n\"My main criticism has to do first with his values. He's a strong opponent of any sort of what people are considering to be identity politics, so he's going to push back very hard on LGBT issues and gender issues,\" Tufis told AP.\n\nHe added that Simion lacks a strong team to deal with major crises. \"When it comes to dealing with geopolitical crisis, they are completely and utterly unprepared,\" he said."
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"value": "# Who is George Simion, a nationalist who topped polls in Romania's presidential redo?\n\nBy Stephen Mcgrath \nMay 5th, 2025 11:05 AM\n\n---\n\nBUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — George Simion, a nationalist and vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, won Romania's first-round presidential election redo by a landslide after capitalizing on widespread anti-establishment sentiment.\n\nThe 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, will face a pro-Western reformist in a May 18 runoff that could reshape the European Union and NATO member country's geopolitical direction.\n\nRomania's political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first round. The decision followed allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.\n\n\"For 35 years, the Romanian people lived the lie that we are a democratic country,\" Simion, who came fourth in last year's race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press last week. \"And now the people are awakening.\"\n\n## Who is George Simion?\n\nBorn in 1986 in Romania's eastern city of Focsani, Simion took a bachelor's degree in business and administration in Bucharest, and later a master's degree at a university in the northeastern city of Iasi researching communist-era crimes. He also became involved in soccer ultra groups.\n\nHe took part in civic activism, including joining a protest movement against a controversial gold mining project by a Canadian company in a mountainous western region of Romania that contains some of Europe's largest gold deposits. He also campaigned for reunification with neighboring Moldova.\n\nIn 2019, Simion founded the AUR party, which rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election by proclaiming to stand for \"family, nation, faith, and freedom,\" and has since doubled its support to become Romania's second largest party in the legislature. It opposes same-sex marriage and has close ties to the Romanian Orthodox Church.\n\nSimion supports Trump and told AP last week that the AUR party is \"perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement,\" referring to the U.S. president's Make America Great Again movement.\n\n## What does the MAGA-style populist stand for?\n\nSimion's political platform has been built on a fiercely anti-establishment agenda and populist rhetoric. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his party staged multiple protests against vaccination and lockdowns, capitalizing on a widespread distrust of the authorities.\n\nHe labelled the canceled election last year a \"coup d'etat,\" and adopted stronger populist rhetoric and religious messaging to tap into Georgescu's electorate. He has branded Romania's current political system as a \"hybrid regime\" that failed to deliver democracy after the 1989 revolution toppled communism.\n\n\"They voted for the change, and they were not allowed to make this change,\" he told the AP. \"This is why I'm running again as a duty towards democracy, towards the constitutional order, to restore the rule of law, to restore the will of the Romanian people.\"\n\nA Simion presidency would pose unique foreign policy conundrums. His activities in Moldova led to an expulsion and multiple entry bans on allegations of trying to destabilize the country. He is also banned from entering neighboring Ukraine for \"systemic anti-Ukrainian\" activities. \"It is in their interest to have good relations with us,\" he said of the two countries.\n\nIn March, Simion sparked controversy after remarking during a protest that those responsible for barring Georgescu's second bid for presidency should be \"skinned in a public square,\" prompting prosecutors to launch a criminal probe for inciting violence. He denied the accusation saying it was a political metaphor.\n\n## What is his stance on the EU and NATO?\n\nObservers have long viewed him of being pro-Russian and warn that his presidency would undermine both Brussels and NATO as the war rages on in Ukraine. He refuted the accusations as a \"smear campaign\" by leftists and said Russia has been the \"main threat\" to Romania in the last 200 years and remains so today.\n\n\"This is why we need a strong NATO and we need troops on the ground in Romania, in Poland and in the Baltic states,\" he said, although he was against sending further military aid to Ukraine.\n\n\"The danger is not who will be the next president of Romania but … those who want to create a distance and to form two different opposing geopolitical blocs\" between the European Union and the U.S., he said.\n\nOn the EU, Simion said, \"We want more power to the 27 states, not toward the European institutions,\" and that he is \"totally aligned\" with the position of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was the only EU head of government to attend Trump's inauguration in January.\n\n## What do his critics say?\n\nSiegfried Muresan, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, said Monday that a Simion presidency would be \"bad news\" for Romania and Europe, and accused the AUR leader of having \"disdain for democratic processes.\"\n\n\"George Simion is not a conservative politician. He is an anti-European extremist. His election would endanger Romania, threaten European stability, and serve as a strategic victory for Russia,\" he said. \"He offers no viable solutions to Romania's challenges.\"\n\nFor Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest, accusations that Simion is extremist or pro-Russian are overblown. He says a Simion presidency could look similar to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has long been a thorn in the side of Brussels.\n\n\"My main criticism has to do first with his values. He's a strong opponent of any sort of what people are considering to be identity politics, so he's going to push back very hard on LGBT issues and gender issues,\" Tufis told AP.\n\nHe added that Simion lacks a strong team to deal with major crises. \"When it comes to dealing with geopolitical crisis, they are completely and utterly unprepared,\" he said."
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"value": "# Inside the Met Gala: What guests saw, wore and ate\n\nBy Jocelyn Noveck \nMay 6th, 2025 06:22 AM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — \"Well, it took a minute,\" said Spike Lee, surveying the glittering Met Gala crowd during cocktail hour through bright orange glasses that matched his New York Knicks cap. \"But we're here now, that's the most important thing.\"\n\nLee was referring to the fact that for the very first time, the Met Gala was making a point of celebrating Black style and Black designers — a milestone he felt was overdue, but very welcome.\n\n\"Long overdue,\" Lee repeated. \"But we're here to celebrate. And who knows what's gonna happen because of this event? There's gonna be reverberations around the world.\"\n\nLee was echoing an excitement that many of the approximately 400 guests — luminaries in sports, music, fashion, film, theater and more — shared as they sipped cocktails or toured the gala's accompanying exhibit, \"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.\" The show is an exploration of Black menswear from the 18th century onward, with dandyism as a unifying theme.\n\nAnother film director, Baz Luhrmann, was touring the exhibit, designed by guest curator Monica L. Miller, a Barnard professor who literally wrote the book on dandyism: \"Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.\" Luhrmann, too, mused on the importance of this year's theme.\n\n\"Sometimes the subjects are fun, sometimes you go, that's interesting. But this is a subject where you go, why has light not been shone on this before?\" Luhrmann said.\n\n## Thinking of a departed friend\n\nFor Whoopi Goldberg, the most important person of the evening wasn't actually there. It was her late friend, André Leon Talley, the fashion editor who was so important to Black style, and with whom she'd attended previous galas.\n\nTalley, who died in 2022, is honored in the exhibit; there's a caftan he wore, among other objects. And Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton has said he was an inspiration for the show.\n\n\"I think they did him proud,\" Goldberg said during cocktails. \"I'm very happy to be here again, but spectacularly happy to see how they took care of him.\"\n\nAsked what Talley would have thought of the show, she guessed he'd say: \"I'm glad you understand.\"\n\nGoldberg was dressed head to toe — meaning mini-top hat to spats-inspired shoes, to handbag — in black-and-white Thom Browne.\n\n\"He said. 'Will you come?'\" Goldberg said of Browne, whose suits, particularly, are hugely popular. \"And I said, when you're done, just put it on me, and I'm good. I feel incredible.\"\n\n## So what is dandyism?\n\nIt was a favored topic of conversation; every guest had a slightly different way of defining what a dandy is.\n\nFor Lee, it was simple: \"Doing your own thing.\"\n\nFor Audra McDonald, it was about \"a sense of reclaiming\" one's own identity and worth. The Broadway actor, currently starring in \"Gypsy,\" was among the first guests examining the exhibit, along with her husband and fellow actor, Will Swenson.\n\nOver at cocktails, the Rev. Al Sharpton was describing dandyism as a form of activism: \"It means to me that even in the midst of being in a socially limited situation, we celebrate. I refuse to submit to just having a menial job. I'm gonna dress up. I'm gonna tip my hat. It's a sense of rebellion, without having to speak it.\"\n\n## A crucial sense of timing\n\nSharpton was full of praise for the Met having chosen this moment to honor Black style.\n\n\"It comes at a very important time,\" he said. \"To make a statement of diversity at the highest cultural level — which is the Met Gala — when diversity is under attack by the highest office in the land is more than if I could do a hundred marches. This is a monumental night.\"\n\nColman Domingo, a co-chair who spoke movingly earlier Monday about how male relatives — his stepfather, father and brother — taught him about style, was yet more emotional at the gala, where he described dandyism as \"a form of resistance.\"\n\n\"It feels right on the money that I am in this moment,\" said the 55 year-old actor, who recounted becoming more stylistically self-assured with each passing decade, and less concerned with what others think. \"Being a host here, it's very meaningful.\"\n\nIt was Broadway actor Alex Newell's third Met Gala in a row. This one had a special meaning, the performer noted.\n\n\"It's nice to see us represented this way,\" Newell said. \"Just when it is needed the most.\"\n\nMany also expressed deep pride in the fact that this year's gala brought in a record haul of more than $31 million, as Met officials confirmed on Monday.\n\n## A flower-filled night sky\n\nOnce gala guests climb the steps outside and enter the museum's Great Hall, they encounter each year a monumental centerpiece, usually floral.\n\nThis year, it was thousands of flower petals suspended from the ceiling, with lighting evoking a starry sky. The petals also hung over the Great Hall staircase, which guests ascended to greet the awaiting receiving line of gala hosts.\n\nThe petals — made of fabric, truth be told — were meant to symbolize narcissus flowers, and there were also reflecting pools, nodding to the myth of Narcissus.\n\nThe greeting was not only visual but musical: An orchestra, accompanied by swaying singers, played favorites like Al Green's \"Let's Stay Together\" and Stevie Wonder's \"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing,\"\n\nGuests then either proceeded to view the exhibit, or head straight to cocktails in the airy Engelhard Court. Often, they seem to prefer socializing, but this year the exhibit was filled with guests.\n\n## Honoring Oscar (Wilde, that is)\n\nOne of the more famous dandies, historically speaking, was Oscar Wilde. And so there was symmetry in the fact that Sarah Snook — the \"Succession\" star — was dressed in a way Wilde would have liked.\n\nIt was certainly intentional. Snook now is appearing on Broadway in \"The Picture of Dorian Gray,\" the stage adaptation of Wilde's 1891 novel in which she plays all 26 roles.\n\n\"Yes, There's definitely an echo,\" Snook said with a smile, about her striking (and aristocratic-looking) black satin tuxedo ensemble, by anOnlyChild. \"Oscar would be happy.\"\n\nSnook said she was enjoying her night off at the gala — conveniently for the many guests from Broadway, theaters are dark on Mondays. \"I'm loving the celebration of beautiful things,\" she said.\n\n## Hats, more hats, everywhere a hat\n\nIt's safe to say milliners were very busy leading up to this gala. Hats, a key element of dandy style, were everywhere. Top hats like Goldberg's were especially popular, but then there were the wide-brimmed ones that threatened to shield a celebrity face just a bit too much. (Was that you, Kim Kardashian?)\n\nSometimes, a little direction was needed — from a director. Zendaya, smashing in an all-white Louis Vuitton ensemble by gala co-host Pharrell Williams, sported a huge floppy white hat. Getting up from her seat in the cocktail party, she started to put it back on, and Luhrmann, who was chatting with her, helped her find just the right angle. She laughed and went off to chat with Diana Ross.\n\n## There are always first-timers\n\nAt every Met Gala, there are newbies — and they're often rather starstruck. One of them was model Christian Latchman, 19, wearing a dramatic white ensemble that combined trousers with a long skirt.\n\nIf he looked familiar, that's because Latchman is the face in the photograph on the cover of the exhibit's massive hardcover catalog.\n\nAsked to sum up his feelings about the evening, he said simply: \"Astonishment. That's the word for it.\"\n\nAlso new to the gala was actor Keith Powers, who sat on the sidelines, soaking it in. Was it all intimidating? Overwhelming?\n\n\"All of the above,\" he said. \"It makes me anxious — and happy, and inspired.\"\n\n## A call to dinner, tuba included\n\nCocktails are fun, but dinner at the Met Gala sounds even more fun — that's where guests get an A-plus musical performance, for one thing.\n\nBut music also accompanies the call to dinner. This time, it was the New York-based High and Mighty Brass Band who did the honors, snaking through cocktails with drums, trombones, a tuba and trumpets.\n\nThen guests headed off — slowly — to dinner, where they feasted on a menu by chef Kwame Onwuachi. Dinner began with papaya piri piri salad, and moved on to creole roasted chicken with a lemon emulsion, and cornbread with honey curry butter and barbecue greens. Dessert? That was a \"cosmic brownie\" with powdered sugar doughnut mousse.\n\n## Rules are meant to be ... stretched\n\nEven megastars have to play by the rules. Sort of. At the check-in tables, right after the carpet madness, guests were politely asked to hand over their phones, for a piece of tape to be applied to the cameras. Did some remove it later, to snap a few fun shots? Yes, they did.\n\n___\n\nFor more coverage of the 2025 Met Gala, visit https://apnews.com/hub/met-gala."
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"value": "# Inside the Met Gala: What guests saw, wore and ate\n\nBy Jocelyn Noveck \nMay 6th, 2025 06:22 AM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — \"Well, it took a minute,\" said Spike Lee, surveying the glittering Met Gala crowd during cocktail hour through bright orange glasses that matched his New York Knicks cap. \"But we're here now, that's the most important thing.\"\n\nLee was referring to the fact that for the very first time, the Met Gala was making a point of celebrating Black style and Black designers — a milestone he felt was overdue, but very welcome.\n\n\"Long overdue,\" Lee repeated. \"But we're here to celebrate. And who knows what's gonna happen because of this event? There's gonna be reverberations around the world.\"\n\nLee was echoing an excitement that many of the approximately 400 guests — luminaries in sports, music, fashion, film, theater and more — shared as they sipped cocktails or toured the gala's accompanying exhibit, \"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.\" The show is an exploration of Black menswear from the 18th century onward, with dandyism as a unifying theme.\n\nAnother film director, Baz Luhrmann, was touring the exhibit, designed by guest curator Monica L. Miller, a Barnard professor who literally wrote the book on dandyism: \"Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.\" Luhrmann, too, mused on the importance of this year's theme.\n\n\"Sometimes the subjects are fun, sometimes you go, that's interesting. But this is a subject where you go, why has light not been shone on this before?\" Luhrmann said.\n\n## Thinking of a departed friend\n\nFor Whoopi Goldberg, the most important person of the evening wasn't actually there. It was her late friend, André Leon Talley, the fashion editor who was so important to Black style, and with whom she'd attended previous galas.\n\nTalley, who died in 2022, is honored in the exhibit; there's a caftan he wore, among other objects. And Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton has said he was an inspiration for the show.\n\n\"I think they did him proud,\" Goldberg said during cocktails. \"I'm very happy to be here again, but spectacularly happy to see how they took care of him.\"\n\nAsked what Talley would have thought of the show, she guessed he'd say: \"I'm glad you understand.\"\n\nGoldberg was dressed head to toe — meaning mini-top hat to spats-inspired shoes, to handbag — in black-and-white Thom Browne.\n\n\"He said. 'Will you come?'\" Goldberg said of Browne, whose suits, particularly, are hugely popular. \"And I said, when you're done, just put it on me, and I'm good. I feel incredible.\"\n\n## So what is dandyism?\n\nIt was a favored topic of conversation; every guest had a slightly different way of defining what a dandy is.\n\nFor Lee, it was simple: \"Doing your own thing.\"\n\nFor Audra McDonald, it was about \"a sense of reclaiming\" one's own identity and worth. The Broadway actor, currently starring in \"Gypsy,\" was among the first guests examining the exhibit, along with her husband and fellow actor, Will Swenson.\n\nOver at cocktails, the Rev. Al Sharpton was describing dandyism as a form of activism: \"It means to me that even in the midst of being in a socially limited situation, we celebrate. I refuse to submit to just having a menial job. I'm gonna dress up. I'm gonna tip my hat. It's a sense of rebellion, without having to speak it.\"\n\n## A crucial sense of timing\n\nSharpton was full of praise for the Met having chosen this moment to honor Black style.\n\n\"It comes at a very important time,\" he said. \"To make a statement of diversity at the highest cultural level — which is the Met Gala — when diversity is under attack by the highest office in the land is more than if I could do a hundred marches. This is a monumental night.\"\n\nColman Domingo, a co-chair who spoke movingly earlier Monday about how male relatives — his stepfather, father and brother — taught him about style, was yet more emotional at the gala, where he described dandyism as \"a form of resistance.\"\n\n\"It feels right on the money that I am in this moment,\" said the 55 year-old actor, who recounted becoming more stylistically self-assured with each passing decade, and less concerned with what others think. \"Being a host here, it's very meaningful.\"\n\nIt was Broadway actor Alex Newell's third Met Gala in a row. This one had a special meaning, the performer noted.\n\n\"It's nice to see us represented this way,\" Newell said. \"Just when it is needed the most.\"\n\nMany also expressed deep pride in the fact that this year's gala brought in a record haul of more than $31 million, as Met officials confirmed on Monday.\n\n## A flower-filled night sky\n\nOnce gala guests climb the steps outside and enter the museum's Great Hall, they encounter each year a monumental centerpiece, usually floral.\n\nThis year, it was thousands of flower petals suspended from the ceiling, with lighting evoking a starry sky. The petals also hung over the Great Hall staircase, which guests ascended to greet the awaiting receiving line of gala hosts.\n\nThe petals — made of fabric, truth be told — were meant to symbolize narcissus flowers, and there were also reflecting pools, nodding to the myth of Narcissus.\n\nThe greeting was not only visual but musical: An orchestra, accompanied by swaying singers, played favorites like Al Green's \"Let's Stay Together\" and Stevie Wonder's \"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing,\"\n\nGuests then either proceeded to view the exhibit, or head straight to cocktails in the airy Engelhard Court. Often, they seem to prefer socializing, but this year the exhibit was filled with guests.\n\n## Honoring Oscar (Wilde, that is)\n\nOne of the more famous dandies, historically speaking, was Oscar Wilde. And so there was symmetry in the fact that Sarah Snook — the \"Succession\" star — was dressed in a way Wilde would have liked.\n\nIt was certainly intentional. Snook now is appearing on Broadway in \"The Picture of Dorian Gray,\" the stage adaptation of Wilde's 1891 novel in which she plays all 26 roles.\n\n\"Yes, There's definitely an echo,\" Snook said with a smile, about her striking (and aristocratic-looking) black satin tuxedo ensemble, by anOnlyChild. \"Oscar would be happy.\"\n\nSnook said she was enjoying her night off at the gala — conveniently for the many guests from Broadway, theaters are dark on Mondays. \"I'm loving the celebration of beautiful things,\" she said.\n\n## Hats, more hats, everywhere a hat\n\nIt's safe to say milliners were very busy leading up to this gala. Hats, a key element of dandy style, were everywhere. Top hats like Goldberg's were especially popular, but then there were the wide-brimmed ones that threatened to shield a celebrity face just a bit too much. (Was that you, Kim Kardashian?)\n\nSometimes, a little direction was needed — from a director. Zendaya, smashing in an all-white Louis Vuitton ensemble by gala co-host Pharrell Williams, sported a huge floppy white hat. Getting up from her seat in the cocktail party, she started to put it back on, and Luhrmann, who was chatting with her, helped her find just the right angle. She laughed and went off to chat with Diana Ross.\n\n## There are always first-timers\n\nAt every Met Gala, there are newbies — and they're often rather starstruck. One of them was model Christian Latchman, 19, wearing a dramatic white ensemble that combined trousers with a long skirt.\n\nIf he looked familiar, that's because Latchman is the face in the photograph on the cover of the exhibit's massive hardcover catalog.\n\nAsked to sum up his feelings about the evening, he said simply: \"Astonishment. That's the word for it.\"\n\nAlso new to the gala was actor Keith Powers, who sat on the sidelines, soaking it in. Was it all intimidating? Overwhelming?\n\n\"All of the above,\" he said. \"It makes me anxious — and happy, and inspired.\"\n\n## A call to dinner, tuba included\n\nCocktails are fun, but dinner at the Met Gala sounds even more fun — that's where guests get an A-plus musical performance, for one thing.\n\nBut music also accompanies the call to dinner. This time, it was the New York-based High and Mighty Brass Band who did the honors, snaking through cocktails with drums, trombones, a tuba and trumpets.\n\nThen guests headed off — slowly — to dinner, where they feasted on a menu by chef Kwame Onwuachi. Dinner began with papaya piri piri salad, and moved on to creole roasted chicken with a lemon emulsion, and cornbread with honey curry butter and barbecue greens. Dessert? That was a \"cosmic brownie\" with powdered sugar doughnut mousse.\n\n## Rules are meant to be ... stretched\n\nEven megastars have to play by the rules. Sort of. At the check-in tables, right after the carpet madness, guests were politely asked to hand over their phones, for a piece of tape to be applied to the cameras. Did some remove it later, to snap a few fun shots? Yes, they did."
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"value": "# Concerns over Trump's crypto deals push Democrats to block stablecoin bill\n\nBy Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Suderman \nMay 8th, 2025 08:10 PM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to regulate stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, after arguing that the bill needed stronger protections and airing concerns that it could help President Donald Trump enrich himself.\n\nThe bill, which would regulate how stablecoin issuers operate in the U.S., had previously won some Democratic support. But it failed 49-48 on a procedural vote Thursday after Democrats said that they needed to see more changes to the legislation before they could back it.\n\nSenate Majority Leader John Thune said that Republicans would work with Democrats if they allowed the bill to move forward, but they refused. All Democrats voted not to bring it up.\n\nThe vote is a blow to one of Trump's top legislative priorities and a setback for the cryptocurrency industry, which spent heavily in last year's election and has been emboldened to cement its influence in politics and the mainstream financial system. The legislation would aim to create a federal framework to regulate the stablecoin industry, which is currently governed by a patchwork of existing federal and state laws.\n\nStablecoins are a fast-growing corner of the cryptocurrency industry that have produced enormous profits for some of the major players involved. They offer a buffer from cryptocurrency's notorious volatility because they are pegged to real-world assets, like U.S. dollars or gold. Typically, that means a single stablecoin is worth $1, making them a much more reliable digital asset to make commercial transactions than other forms of crypto.\n\nWhile some Democrats agree that regulation is needed, and several voted to move the bill out of committee, Trump's involvement in the crypto industry has complicated the legislation's path. Trump launched a meme coin earlier this year that has generated more than $320 million in fees for its creators, according to the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. And earlier this week, Trump promoted a dinner he's set to attend on May 22 that's open to almost anyone who buys enough of the coins.\n\nAnother Trump-family linked crypto venture called World Liberty Financial recently announced that it was issuing its own stablecoin, called USD1. The stablecoin got a huge boost when World Liberty Financial announced last week that an investment fund in the United Arab Emirates would be using $2 billion worth of USD1 to purchase a stake in Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange.\n\nAmong other proposed changes, Democrats said that elected officials and their families should be barred from owning, controlling or promoting stablecoin business ventures.\n\n\"The Senate should not pass a bill that facilitates Trump's breathtaking corruption and lines his pockets and welcomes other elected officials to do the same,\" said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.\n\nA former skeptic turned zealous promotor, Trump has promised to usher in a golden age for the cryptocurrency industry. His administration has already taken many early actions without Congress to boost crypto, including establishing a strategic bitcoin reserve and undoing previously enforcement actions. But Trump needs Congress to get some of his and the deep-pocketed industry's top priorities passed, including enacting the stablecoin legislation.\n\nThe legislation could still move forward if the two parties can come to a deal. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat who has been helping negotiate the legislation, said in a statement after the vote that he would continue to work on it.\n\n\"I remain fully committed to getting this right,\" Warner said.\n\nA group of nine Democrats, including Warner, said in a release over the weekend that they could not support the legislation until it included stronger provisions on money laundering, foreign issuers and accountability for those who violate it, among other concerns. They did not mention Trump.\n\n\"We recognize that the absence of regulation leaves consumers unprotected and vulnerable to predatory practices,\" the Democrats said.\n\nThune, the Republican leader, questioned Democrats' motives, speculating that they just wanted to deny Trump a bipartisan win.\n\n\"It makes you wonder if this is about the bill at all,\" he said of their opposition.\n\n___"
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"value": "# Concerns over Trump's crypto deals push Democrats to block stablecoin bill\n\nBy Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Suderman \nMay 8th, 2025 08:10 PM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to regulate stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, after arguing that the bill needed stronger protections and airing concerns that it could help President Donald Trump enrich himself.\n\nThe bill, which would regulate how stablecoin issuers operate in the U.S., had previously won some Democratic support. But it failed 49-48 on a procedural vote Thursday after Democrats said that they needed to see more changes to the legislation before they could back it.\n\nSenate Majority Leader John Thune said that Republicans would work with Democrats if they allowed the bill to move forward, but they refused. All Democrats voted not to bring it up.\n\nThe vote is a blow to one of Trump's top legislative priorities and a setback for the cryptocurrency industry, which spent heavily in last year's election and has been emboldened to cement its influence in politics and the mainstream financial system. The legislation would aim to create a federal framework to regulate the stablecoin industry, which is currently governed by a patchwork of existing federal and state laws.\n\nStablecoins are a fast-growing corner of the cryptocurrency industry that have produced enormous profits for some of the major players involved. They offer a buffer from cryptocurrency's notorious volatility because they are pegged to real-world assets, like U.S. dollars or gold. Typically, that means a single stablecoin is worth $1, making them a much more reliable digital asset to make commercial transactions than other forms of crypto.\n\nWhile some Democrats agree that regulation is needed, and several voted to move the bill out of committee, Trump's involvement in the crypto industry has complicated the legislation's path. Trump launched a meme coin earlier this year that has generated more than $320 million in fees for its creators, according to the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. And earlier this week, Trump promoted a dinner he's set to attend on May 22 that's open to almost anyone who buys enough of the coins.\n\nAnother Trump-family linked crypto venture called World Liberty Financial recently announced that it was issuing its own stablecoin, called USD1. The stablecoin got a huge boost when World Liberty Financial announced last week that an investment fund in the United Arab Emirates would be using $2 billion worth of USD1 to purchase a stake in Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange.\n\nAmong other proposed changes, Democrats said that elected officials and their families should be barred from owning, controlling or promoting stablecoin business ventures.\n\n\"The Senate should not pass a bill that facilitates Trump's breathtaking corruption and lines his pockets and welcomes other elected officials to do the same,\" said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.\n\nA former skeptic turned zealous promotor, Trump has promised to usher in a golden age for the cryptocurrency industry. His administration has already taken many early actions without Congress to boost crypto, including establishing a strategic bitcoin reserve and undoing previously enforcement actions. But Trump needs Congress to get some of his and the deep-pocketed industry's top priorities passed, including enacting the stablecoin legislation.\n\nThe legislation could still move forward if the two parties can come to a deal. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat who has been helping negotiate the legislation, said in a statement after the vote that he would continue to work on it.\n\n\"I remain fully committed to getting this right,\" Warner said.\n\nA group of nine Democrats, including Warner, said in a release over the weekend that they could not support the legislation until it included stronger provisions on money laundering, foreign issuers and accountability for those who violate it, among other concerns. They did not mention Trump.\n\n\"We recognize that the absence of regulation leaves consumers unprotected and vulnerable to predatory practices,\" the Democrats said.\n\nThune, the Republican leader, questioned Democrats' motives, speculating that they just wanted to deny Trump a bipartisan win.\n\n\"It makes you wonder if this is about the bill at all,\" he said of their opposition."
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"value": "# Padres All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill set to return Tuesday from strained hamstring\n\nMay 5th, 2025 11:01 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill is set to return to the San Diego Padres' active roster Tuesday from a strained right hamstring that has sidelined him since April 6.\n\nMerrill played a pair of injury rehabilitation games for Double-A San Antonio last weekend and was at Yankee Stadium on Monday for the Padres' series opener against New York. San Diego had not yet activated him from the 10-day injured list.\n\n\"Scheduled day off today to recover from a couple of games but, yeah, so he's on track for tomorrow,\" Padres manager Mike Shildt said. \"Just a very professional rehab. He dominated every day in what he was able to do.\"\n\nMerrill was hitting .378 (14 for 37) with three homers and 10 RBIs through eight games. After finishing second to Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes in last season's NL Rookie of the Year voting, Merrill agreed on April 2 to a $135 million, nine-year contract for 2026-34.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com"
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"value": "# Padres All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill set to return Tuesday from strained hamstring\n\nMay 5th, 2025 11:01 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill is set to return to the San Diego Padres' active roster Tuesday from a strained right hamstring that has sidelined him since April 6.\n\nMerrill played a pair of injury rehabilitation games for Double-A San Antonio last weekend and was at Yankee Stadium on Monday for the Padres' series opener against New York. San Diego had not yet activated him from the 10-day injured list.\n\n\"Scheduled day off today to recover from a couple of games but, yeah, so he's on track for tomorrow,\" Padres manager Mike Shildt said. \"Just a very professional rehab. He dominated every day in what he was able to do.\"\n\nMerrill was hitting .378 (14 for 37) with three homers and 10 RBIs through eight games. After finishing second to Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes in last season's NL Rookie of the Year voting, Merrill agreed on April 2 to a $135 million, nine-year contract for 2026-34."
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"value": "# White Sox beat Astros 7-3 and win consecutive home games for the 2nd time this season\n\nMay 3rd, 2025 03:01 AM\n\n---\n\nCHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. homered and Edgar Quero added two hits and two RBIs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-3 on Friday night.\n\nJonathan Cannon (2-3) allowed two runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in six innings as the AL-worst White Sox won consecutive home games for the second time this season and improved to 9-23.\n\nWhite Sox rookie infielder Chase Meidroth singled and scored on a one-out double by Quero for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Robert, who had reached on a walk was thrown out at the plate on the play. Chicago took a two-run lead in the second when Meidroth's two-out hit scored Bobby Dalbec, who had singled.\n\nHouston got a run back in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz.\n\nRobert hit his fifth home run — a two-out solo shot for his 500th career hit — and Quero added an RBI single to make it 4-1 in the fifth.\n\nDiaz singled and scored on a Jake Meyers' single in the sixth and later added a solo homer, his third of the season, in the eighth as Houston closed within 4-3.\n\nChicago broke it open with three runs in the eighth off Astros relievers Tayler Scott and Bennett Sousa.\n\nHouston starter Framber Valdez (1-4) allowed four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks in five innings.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe Astros, trailing by a run, used a single and two errors to load the bases with one out in the second off Cannon. The right-hander kept his composure and retired Cam Smith on a lineout before getting Meyers on a force out.\n\n## Key stat\n\nThe White Sox have won just one series this season, taking 2 of 3 in Boston from April 11-13.\n\n## Up next\n\nAstros RHP Hunter Brown (4-1, 1.22 ERA) faced White Sox RHP Davis Martin (1-3, 3.24) on Saturday.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# White Sox beat Astros 7-3 and win consecutive home games for the 2nd time this season\n\nMay 3rd, 2025 03:01 AM\n\n---\n\nCHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. homered and Edgar Quero added two hits and two RBIs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-3 on Friday night.\n\nJonathan Cannon (2-3) allowed two runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in six innings as the AL-worst White Sox won consecutive home games for the second time this season and improved to 9-23.\n\nWhite Sox rookie infielder Chase Meidroth singled and scored on a one-out double by Quero for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Robert, who had reached on a walk was thrown out at the plate on the play. Chicago took a two-run lead in the second when Meidroth's two-out hit scored Bobby Dalbec, who had singled.\n\nHouston got a run back in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz.\n\nRobert hit his fifth home run — a two-out solo shot for his 500th career hit — and Quero added an RBI single to make it 4-1 in the fifth.\n\nDiaz singled and scored on a Jake Meyers' single in the sixth and later added a solo homer, his third of the season, in the eighth as Houston closed within 4-3.\n\nChicago broke it open with three runs in the eighth off Astros relievers Tayler Scott and Bennett Sousa.\n\nHouston starter Framber Valdez (1-4) allowed four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks in five innings.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe Astros, trailing by a run, used a single and two errors to load the bases with one out in the second off Cannon. The right-hander kept his composure and retired Cam Smith on a lineout before getting Meyers on a force out.\n\n## Key stat\n\nThe White Sox have won just one series this season, taking 2 of 3 in Boston from April 11-13.\n\n## Up next\n\nAstros RHP Hunter Brown (4-1, 1.22 ERA) faced White Sox RHP Davis Martin (1-3, 3.24) on Saturday."
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"value": "# Rookie GM Brian Gregory says he's ready to rebuild the Suns, touts closeness with owner Mat Ishbia\n\nBy David Brandt \nMay 7th, 2025 12:47 AM\n\n---\n\nPHOENIX (AP) — Brian Gregory's basketball resume has plenty of gravitas thanks to nearly two decades as an NCAA Division I head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida.\n\nThat's not why he's the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns.\n\nInstead, it is Gregory's 25-year relationship with Suns owner Mat Ishbia that is the major reason he's making the rare transition from college sidelines to an NBA front office. Some may see that as a negative, but Gregory believes his closeness with Ishbia will be an asset as the Suns embark on a difficult rebuild following one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.\n\n\"I'm never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I'm sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,\" Gregory said Tuesday. \"But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We've been through a lot together.\n\n\"He trusts me and I trust him.\"\n\nThe 58-year-old Gregory was elevated to the general manager's role with the Suns last week, with former GM James Jones moving into the role of a senior advisor. Oronde Taliaferro was promoted to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers will add basketball operations responsibilities to his role as chief innovation officer.\n\nGregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003, which was the same time that Ishbia was a walk-on guard for the Spartans.\n\nMichigan State enjoyed plenty of success during those years, including a national championship in 2000. Now the Ishbia-Gregory pairing will try to recreate that magic for a franchise that has never won a title in its 57-year history despite making the Finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021.\n\nThe Suns finished last season with a disappointing 36-46 record despite the league's most expensive roster that included the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker — a four-time All-Star and franchise icon who has spent all of his 10 seasons in the desert — is the only player who seems certain to return.\n\nGregory's first task this offseason will be hiring a new head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after just one season. It will be the Suns' fourth head coach in four years.\n\nAfter that, it will be time to focus on an expensive but flawed roster. Ishbia said last month he wants future Suns teams to feature \"some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.\"\n\nGregory's most valuable trade chip this summer appears to be Durant, who was still one of the NBA's elite scorers last season at 36. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points on 53% shooting, shows few signs of slowing and will certainly have multiple suitors during the offseason.\n\nBeal — a three-time All-Star — could be much more difficult to unload. The oft-injured guard is due more than $50 million next season, but his production hasn't come close to matching the price tag.\n\nGregory said he likes both players, but wasn't ready to comment on their future in the desert.\n\n\"I have a very good relationship with both those guys,\" Gregory said. \"Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that.\n\n\"My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.\"\n\nGregory joined the Suns in 2023 and served in several roles, most recently as the vice president of player programming. He had major input in the Suns selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in last year's draft and both had promising moments during their rookie seasons.\n\nDunn and Ighodaro featured on-court personalities that seem closer to Ishbia's gritty ideals, with the young duo featuring an energy and spirit that was conspicuously lacking from much of the rest of the roster.\n\n___\n\nAP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba"
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"value": "# Rookie GM Brian Gregory says he's ready to rebuild the Suns, touts closeness with owner Mat Ishbia\n\nBy David Brandt \nMay 7th, 2025 12:47 AM\n\n---\n\nPHOENIX (AP) — Brian Gregory's basketball resume has plenty of gravitas thanks to nearly two decades as an NCAA Division I head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida.\n\nThat's not why he's the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns.\n\nInstead, it is Gregory's 25-year relationship with Suns owner Mat Ishbia that is the major reason he's making the rare transition from college sidelines to an NBA front office. Some may see that as a negative, but Gregory believes his closeness with Ishbia will be an asset as the Suns embark on a difficult rebuild following one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.\n\n\"I'm never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I'm sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,\" Gregory said Tuesday. \"But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We've been through a lot together.\n\n\"He trusts me and I trust him.\"\n\nThe 58-year-old Gregory was elevated to the general manager's role with the Suns last week, with former GM James Jones moving into the role of a senior advisor. Oronde Taliaferro was promoted to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers will add basketball operations responsibilities to his role as chief innovation officer.\n\nGregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003, which was the same time that Ishbia was a walk-on guard for the Spartans.\n\nMichigan State enjoyed plenty of success during those years, including a national championship in 2000. Now the Ishbia-Gregory pairing will try to recreate that magic for a franchise that has never won a title in its 57-year history despite making the Finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021.\n\nThe Suns finished last season with a disappointing 36-46 record despite the league's most expensive roster that included the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker — a four-time All-Star and franchise icon who has spent all of his 10 seasons in the desert — is the only player who seems certain to return.\n\nGregory's first task this offseason will be hiring a new head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after just one season. It will be the Suns' fourth head coach in four years.\n\nAfter that, it will be time to focus on an expensive but flawed roster. Ishbia said last month he wants future Suns teams to feature \"some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.\"\n\nGregory's most valuable trade chip this summer appears to be Durant, who was still one of the NBA's elite scorers last season at 36. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points on 53% shooting, shows few signs of slowing and will certainly have multiple suitors during the offseason.\n\nBeal — a three-time All-Star — could be much more difficult to unload. The oft-injured guard is due more than $50 million next season, but his production hasn't come close to matching the price tag.\n\nGregory said he likes both players, but wasn't ready to comment on their future in the desert.\n\n\"I have a very good relationship with both those guys,\" Gregory said. \"Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that.\n\n\"My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.\"\n\nGregory joined the Suns in 2023 and served in several roles, most recently as the vice president of player programming. He had major input in the Suns selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in last year's draft and both had promising moments during their rookie seasons.\n\nDunn and Ighodaro featured on-court personalities that seem closer to Ishbia's gritty ideals, with the young duo featuring an energy and spirit that was conspicuously lacking from much of the rest of the roster."
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"value": "# AmeriCorps cuts leave people scrambling for alternatives\n\nBy Hannah Fingerhut and Lekan Oyekanmi \nMay 3rd, 2025 04:06 AM\n\n---\n\nWEST COLUMBIA, Texas (AP) — Years had passed since Hurricane Harvey's howling winds and heavy rains tore apart Dan Lee's century-old roof in West Columbia, south of Houston. Then came the knock on his door.\n\nIt was Mosaic in Action, a nonprofit that has helped more than 450 homeowners and relies on an AmeriCorps community service program that sends young adults to work on projects across the U.S. The organization repaired Lee's roof and got rid of the mold left behind in Harvey's wake.\n\n\"Before they came, man, I had holes in the ceiling where it got wet and the sheetrock had failed,\" Lee said at his home. \"I was ashamed of it. They've just been a blessing.\"\n\nLast month, President Donald Trump 's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, gutted AmeriCorps, a 30-year-old federal agency that dispatches 200,000 volunteers and hundreds of millions of dollars. For Mosaic in Action, that meant a 10-person team it was counting on would not arrive a few days later as planned, entailing a loss of nearly 2,000 hours of service that had been committed to help 11 homeowners.\n\n\"You can imagine what it's like to be in your home, never knowing how much rain's gonna come in that day,\" said Debbie Allensworth, executive director and co-founder of Mosaic in Action. \"Without those valuable workers, we just can't do the work.\"\n\nThe far-reaching government cuts have left communities across the country — small and large, urban and rural, in red and blue states alike — scrambling for alternatives amid the uncertainty, trying to sustain a slew of initiatives, from after-school programs to veterans' services to natural disaster response.\n\n## Long a target of critics\n\nAmeriCorps employs more than 500 full-time federal workers, most of whom are now on administrative leave, and has an operating budget of roughly $1 billion. Despite bipartisan support, it has long been a target of critics who decry bloat, inefficiencies and misuse of funds.\n\n\"President Trump has the legal right to restore accountability to the entire Executive Branch,\" Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, said this week via email after Democratic officials in about two dozen states filed a federal lawsuit.\n\nIn the weeks since corps members were let go and grants were abruptly canceled, organizations and volunteers have been searching for alternative solutions.\n\nIn West Virginia, High Rocks Education Corporation was told last week to immediately halt its programming funded by the AmeriCorps State and National grant program, including growing food, teaching digital literacy and mentoring kids in afterschool programs.\n\nHigh Rocks executive director Sarah Riley said the organization has been trying to find emergency money to support corps members who will no longer have a paycheck and the nearly two dozen partner organizations that relied on AmeriCorps.\n\n\"We're all desperately trying to figure that out,\" Riley said. \"Organizations will 100% fold over this.\"\n\nMeanwhile there is a broader ripple effect that leaves holes in communities, Riley added.\n\n\"All of the kids that they mentor, that was a really important adult in their life who cared about them, who's now gone with no ability to say goodbye,\" she said. \"I don't know how you measure that.\"\n\n## Not ready for service to end\n\nAnna Gibbons, a 23-year-old team leader with AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps, started reaching out to sponsor organizations days after being discharged three months early. She and her peers also started an online fundraiser, which brought in over $11,000 in donations within a little over a week.\n\nNow they are headed to work at an environmental and education center in rural Oregon — without the support of the federal agency.\n\n\"We weren't ready for our service to end,\" Gibbons said. \"We had the manpower to do it, we just needed the funds.\"\n\nIn central Wyoming, the Casper Housing Authority was counting on an AmeriCorps team to kick-start food production on an urban farm providing fresh, locally grown produce to residents.\n\nWithin 48 hours of learning that AmeriCorps was dismissing the 10 workers, the authority received a $20,000 donation from the Zimmerman Family Foundation allowing it to bring in the corps members and pay them minimum wage.\n\nSuch workarounds are bandages that will be difficult to maintain, said Judd Jeansonne, executive director of the Volunteer Louisiana service commission. Public funding through AmeriCorps has always been coupled with private dollars, he said, but it is a symbiotic relationship with one requiring the presence of the other to subsist.\n\n\"It's not sustainable in the long term,\" Jeansonne said, \"because those investments historically have been part of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle.\"\n\nAnd while AmeriCorps is a large national investment, Jeansonne said, it's unique in that most funding decisions are made locally by state service commissions like the one he runs in Louisiana.\n\n\"It's meeting critical community needs,\" he said. \"These are people in Louisiana or Mississippi or Arkansas, or wherever they are, identifying the needs and making sure that the dollars go there.\"\n\n___\n\nFingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa."
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"value": "# AmeriCorps cuts leave people scrambling for alternatives\n\nBy Hannah Fingerhut and Lekan Oyekanmi \nMay 3rd, 2025 04:06 AM\n\n---\n\nWEST COLUMBIA, Texas (AP) — Years had passed since Hurricane Harvey's howling winds and heavy rains tore apart Dan Lee's century-old roof in West Columbia, south of Houston. Then came the knock on his door.\n\nIt was Mosaic in Action, a nonprofit that has helped more than 450 homeowners and relies on an AmeriCorps community service program that sends young adults to work on projects across the U.S. The organization repaired Lee's roof and got rid of the mold left behind in Harvey's wake.\n\n\"Before they came, man, I had holes in the ceiling where it got wet and the sheetrock had failed,\" Lee said at his home. \"I was ashamed of it. They've just been a blessing.\"\n\nLast month, President Donald Trump 's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, gutted AmeriCorps, a 30-year-old federal agency that dispatches 200,000 volunteers and hundreds of millions of dollars. For Mosaic in Action, that meant a 10-person team it was counting on would not arrive a few days later as planned, entailing a loss of nearly 2,000 hours of service that had been committed to help 11 homeowners.\n\n\"You can imagine what it's like to be in your home, never knowing how much rain's gonna come in that day,\" said Debbie Allensworth, executive director and co-founder of Mosaic in Action. \"Without those valuable workers, we just can't do the work.\"\n\nThe far-reaching government cuts have left communities across the country — small and large, urban and rural, in red and blue states alike — scrambling for alternatives amid the uncertainty, trying to sustain a slew of initiatives, from after-school programs to veterans' services to natural disaster response.\n\n## Long a target of critics\n\nAmeriCorps employs more than 500 full-time federal workers, most of whom are now on administrative leave, and has an operating budget of roughly $1 billion. Despite bipartisan support, it has long been a target of critics who decry bloat, inefficiencies and misuse of funds.\n\n\"President Trump has the legal right to restore accountability to the entire Executive Branch,\" Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, said this week via email after Democratic officials in about two dozen states filed a federal lawsuit.\n\nIn the weeks since corps members were let go and grants were abruptly canceled, organizations and volunteers have been searching for alternative solutions.\n\nIn West Virginia, High Rocks Education Corporation was told last week to immediately halt its programming funded by the AmeriCorps State and National grant program, including growing food, teaching digital literacy and mentoring kids in afterschool programs.\n\nHigh Rocks executive director Sarah Riley said the organization has been trying to find emergency money to support corps members who will no longer have a paycheck and the nearly two dozen partner organizations that relied on AmeriCorps.\n\n\"We're all desperately trying to figure that out,\" Riley said. \"Organizations will 100% fold over this.\"\n\nMeanwhile there is a broader ripple effect that leaves holes in communities, Riley added.\n\n\"All of the kids that they mentor, that was a really important adult in their life who cared about them, who's now gone with no ability to say goodbye,\" she said. \"I don't know how you measure that.\"\n\n## Not ready for service to end\n\nAnna Gibbons, a 23-year-old team leader with AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps, started reaching out to sponsor organizations days after being discharged three months early. She and her peers also started an online fundraiser, which brought in over $11,000 in donations within a little over a week.\n\nNow they are headed to work at an environmental and education center in rural Oregon — without the support of the federal agency.\n\n\"We weren't ready for our service to end,\" Gibbons said. \"We had the manpower to do it, we just needed the funds.\"\n\nIn central Wyoming, the Casper Housing Authority was counting on an AmeriCorps team to kick-start food production on an urban farm providing fresh, locally grown produce to residents.\n\nWithin 48 hours of learning that AmeriCorps was dismissing the 10 workers, the authority received a $20,000 donation from the Zimmerman Family Foundation allowing it to bring in the corps members and pay them minimum wage.\n\nSuch workarounds are bandages that will be difficult to maintain, said Judd Jeansonne, executive director of the Volunteer Louisiana service commission. Public funding through AmeriCorps has always been coupled with private dollars, he said, but it is a symbiotic relationship with one requiring the presence of the other to subsist.\n\n\"It's not sustainable in the long term,\" Jeansonne said, \"because those investments historically have been part of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle.\"\n\nAnd while AmeriCorps is a large national investment, Jeansonne said, it's unique in that most funding decisions are made locally by state service commissions like the one he runs in Louisiana.\n\n\"It's meeting critical community needs,\" he said. \"These are people in Louisiana or Mississippi or Arkansas, or wherever they are, identifying the needs and making sure that the dollars go there.\""
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"value": "# New German government plans to boost border controls to curb migration\n\nBy Kirsten Grieshaber \nMay 7th, 2025 04:08 PM\n\n---\n\nBERLIN (AP) — Germany's new government plans to station more police at the border to curb illegal migration and even turn away some of the asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe's biggest economy, the new interior minister said Wednesday.\n\nInterior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin that police at the border would be increased in coming days. He said vulnerable people would still be allowed to enter, but his assertion that Germany would turn away some asylum-seekers goes beyond what the previous government was willing to do.\n\n\"We are not going to close the borders, but we are going to control the borders more strictly and this stronger control of the borders will also lead to a higher number of rejections,\" Dobrindt said.\n\n\"We will gradually increase this higher number of rejections and the stronger controls at the borders,\" he added. \"We will ensure that, step by step, more police forces are deployed at the borders and can also carry out these push-backs.\"\n\nThe country's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz had vowed to toughen the country's migration policy during his election campaign.\n\nJust weeks before the national election in February, the conservative leader said he would bar people from entering the country without proper papers and to step up deportations if he is elected chancellor. Those comments came after a knife attack in Aschaffenburg by a rejected asylum-seeker, which left a man and a 2-year-old boy dead.\n\nMerz succeeds former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government collapsed six months ago. Merz was elected by lawmakers on Tuesday and officially nominated as chancellor by the country's president the same day.\n\nScholz, too, had been under pressure to curb migration as shelters across the country had been filling up for years. His government tried to speed up asylum procedures and also negotiated agreements for countries to take unsuccessful asylum-seekers back in exchange for more opportunities for legal immigration.\n\nIn February, just days before the election, Scholz' government had also extended by six months the border checks it imposed on all its frontiers last fall as it attempted to cut the number of migrants arriving in the country. The government said at the time that the increase of border controls led to a drop of migrants trying to cross Germany's borders.\n\nThe European Union has a visa-free travel area known as Schengen that allows citizens of most member states to travel easily across borders for work and pleasure. Switzerland also belongs to Schengen although it is not an EU member.\n\nAccording to the EU, member states are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls in cases of a serious threat, like internal security. But it also says border controls should be applied as a last resort in exceptional situations, and must be limited in time.\n\n\"We want this Europe of open borders to be possible again, but the current situation is one of open dysfunctionality,\" Dobrindt said. \"This must be corrected and then we can very quickly return to a reduction in border controls.\"\n\nGermany's anti-immigrant, far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, had also campaigned on the migration issue with calls for deportations of \"illegal immigrants.\"\n\nLast week, Germany's domestic intelligence service classified the AfD, which placed second in national elections in February, as a \"right-wing extremist\" organization — making it subject to greater and broader surveillance of its activities.\n\nThe agency described the AfD as a threat to the country's democratic order, saying it \"disregards human dignity\" — in particular by what it called \"ongoing agitation\" against refugees and migrants.\n\nAccording to the EU's border control agency Frontex, t he number of irregular border crossings into the European Union fell significantly in 2024.\n\nIn Germany, the number of people applying for asylum fell sharply last year. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees says 250,945 people applied for asylum in 2024, down 30.2% from 2023."
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"value": "# New German government plans to boost border controls to curb migration\n\nBy Kirsten Grieshaber \nMay 7th, 2025 04:08 PM\n\n---\n\nBERLIN (AP) — Germany's new government plans to station more police at the border to curb illegal migration and even turn away some of the asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe's biggest economy, the new interior minister said Wednesday.\n\nInterior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin that police at the border would be increased in coming days. He said vulnerable people would still be allowed to enter, but his assertion that Germany would turn away some asylum-seekers goes beyond what the previous government was willing to do.\n\n\"We are not going to close the borders, but we are going to control the borders more strictly and this stronger control of the borders will also lead to a higher number of rejections,\" Dobrindt said.\n\n\"We will gradually increase this higher number of rejections and the stronger controls at the borders,\" he added. \"We will ensure that, step by step, more police forces are deployed at the borders and can also carry out these push-backs.\"\n\nThe country's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz had vowed to toughen the country's migration policy during his election campaign.\n\nJust weeks before the national election in February, the conservative leader said he would bar people from entering the country without proper papers and to step up deportations if he is elected chancellor. Those comments came after a knife attack in Aschaffenburg by a rejected asylum-seeker, which left a man and a 2-year-old boy dead.\n\nMerz succeeds former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government collapsed six months ago. Merz was elected by lawmakers on Tuesday and officially nominated as chancellor by the country's president the same day.\n\nScholz, too, had been under pressure to curb migration as shelters across the country had been filling up for years. His government tried to speed up asylum procedures and also negotiated agreements for countries to take unsuccessful asylum-seekers back in exchange for more opportunities for legal immigration.\n\nIn February, just days before the election, Scholz' government had also extended by six months the border checks it imposed on all its frontiers last fall as it attempted to cut the number of migrants arriving in the country. The government said at the time that the increase of border controls led to a drop of migrants trying to cross Germany's borders.\n\nThe European Union has a visa-free travel area known as Schengen that allows citizens of most member states to travel easily across borders for work and pleasure. Switzerland also belongs to Schengen although it is not an EU member.\n\nAccording to the EU, member states are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls in cases of a serious threat, like internal security. But it also says border controls should be applied as a last resort in exceptional situations, and must be limited in time.\n\n\"We want this Europe of open borders to be possible again, but the current situation is one of open dysfunctionality,\" Dobrindt said. \"This must be corrected and then we can very quickly return to a reduction in border controls.\"\n\nGermany's anti-immigrant, far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, had also campaigned on the migration issue with calls for deportations of \"illegal immigrants.\"\n\nLast week, Germany's domestic intelligence service classified the AfD, which placed second in national elections in February, as a \"right-wing extremist\" organization — making it subject to greater and broader surveillance of its activities.\n\nThe agency described the AfD as a threat to the country's democratic order, saying it \"disregards human dignity\" — in particular by what it called \"ongoing agitation\" against refugees and migrants.\n\nAccording to the EU's border control agency Frontex, t he number of irregular border crossings into the European Union fell significantly in 2024.\n\nIn Germany, the number of people applying for asylum fell sharply last year. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees says 250,945 people applied for asylum in 2024, down 30.2% from 2023."
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"value": "# Scottie Scheffler matches PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record\n\nBy Schuyler Dixon \nMay 4th, 2025 10:16 PM\n\n---\n\nMcKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler cradled his year-old son Bennett — the reason he missed his beloved hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson in 2024 — and struggled to keep his emotions in check for a TV interview, just as he did a few minutes later during the victory speech.\n\nThe top-ranked player had time to prepare for the moment because of the giant lead he took into Sunday's final round, and he even added a little drama by chasing the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record.\n\nScheffler matched that mark of 253 set by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and equaled six years later by Ludvig Aberg at the RSM Classic, closing with a 63 to finish at 31 under par.\n\nThe runaway victory came 11 years after his PGA Tour debut at the Nelson as a high school senior, and 22 years after a photo was taken of then-6-year-old Scheffler with the tournament namesake.\n\nScheffler couldn't help but think about that day in 2014, when his now-wife, Meredith, was his girlfriend — not yet the mother of their first child — and sister Callie, now a mother of two, was his caddie.\n\n\"My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once,\" Scheffler said. \"We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament. I just dreamed to be able to play in it, and it's more of a dream to be able to win it.\"\n\nScheffler was in position to break the tour scoring record before a flubbed chip that led to bogey on the par-3 17th hole and a par from a greenside bunker on the par-5 closing hole. His 8-foot putt for birdie and the record slid by the left side of the hole.\n\nHideki Matsuyama has the lowest score in relation to par this season, 35 under on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua.\n\nScheffler tied the 54-hole Nelson record with an eight-shot lead, and nobody got closer than six during the final round. Erik van Rooyen of South Africa matched Scheffler's 8-under 63 to finish at 23 under, three shots ahead of Sam Stevens and four ahead of another hometown favorite, Jordan Spieth.\n\n\"We spoke last night, and I told you it was going to be a steep mountain to climb, and it was,\" van Rooyen said. \"Scottie was practically flawless, which is kind of what you expect from the world No. 1. Really proud with the golf I played.\"\n\nScheffler and Spieth finished with the two lowest rounds of the tournament. Scheffler opened with a 10-under 61 on Thursday at the defenseless par-71 TPC Craig Ranch in a suburban community about 30 miles north of Dallas.\n\nSpieth shot 62 in the final round, knowing his friend and fellow Texas alum was about to become the first of the pair to win the event they both cherish.\n\nSpieth was the first to make his tour debut at the Nelson, four years before Scheffler. On top of that, Spieth contended as a 16-year-old in 2010, leading many to believe that surely he would have won it by now.\n\nScheffler stole those bragging rights.\n\n\"I think I'll take it easy on him,\" Scheffler said with a chuckle.\n\nSpieth played with Scheffler the first two days and was 12 shots behind him going into the weekend, so he understands how things have changed. They started the tournament with 13 PGA Tour wins apiece. Now Spieth trails for the first time.\n\n\"It wasn't that long ago I was definitely better than him, and now I'm definitely not right now,\" said Spieth, a three-time major champion. \"I hate admitting that about anybody, but I just watched it those first two rounds, and, like, I've got to get better. It's very inspiring.\"\n\nIt was the first victory this year for Scheffler after he won a total of 10 times before May in the previous three years combined, including two Masters victories.\n\nScheffler's previous best Nelson finish was a tie for fifth in his most recent appearance two years ago. Now he's the first wire-to-wire Nelson winner since Tom Watson 45 years ago.\n\n\"I'm not jealous of him winning this event over any other,\" Spieth said. \"I'm jealous of anyone that wins any week. When Scottie wins, I'm happy. It doesn't matter where it is. If I'm not going to win, I like when he wins.\"\n\nScheffler shattered the previous Nelson scoring record of 259 set by Steven Bowditch in 2015. That tournament was played at the TPC Four Seasons. Normally a par 70, that course had a par-69 layout the final three days when heavy rain forced officials to convert a par 4 into a par 3. Bowditch finished 18 under.\n\nThe margin of victory was the second-largest at the Nelson behind Sam Snead's 10-shot win in 1957, when it was known as the Dallas Open Invitational.\n\n\"This is a golf course where you can kind of make a run, and I knew that I couldn't just coast to the finish line today,\" Scheffler said. \"I knew I had to put together a good round.\"\n\nBecause of heavy rain Wednesday and Friday, players were allowed to lift, clean and replace their golf balls in the fairway for the first three rounds, but not in the final round. Aberg had so-called preferred lies during the first rounds at the 2023 RSM Classic.\n\n___\n\nAP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf"
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"value": "# Scottie Scheffler matches PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record\n\nBy Schuyler Dixon \nMay 4th, 2025 10:16 PM\n\n---\n\nMcKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler cradled his year-old son Bennett — the reason he missed his beloved hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson in 2024 — and struggled to keep his emotions in check for a TV interview, just as he did a few minutes later during the victory speech.\n\nThe top-ranked player had time to prepare for the moment because of the giant lead he took into Sunday's final round, and he even added a little drama by chasing the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record.\n\nScheffler matched that mark of 253 set by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and equaled six years later by Ludvig Aberg at the RSM Classic, closing with a 63 to finish at 31 under par.\n\nThe runaway victory came 11 years after his PGA Tour debut at the Nelson as a high school senior, and 22 years after a photo was taken of then-6-year-old Scheffler with the tournament namesake.\n\nScheffler couldn't help but think about that day in 2014, when his now-wife, Meredith, was his girlfriend — not yet the mother of their first child — and sister Callie, now a mother of two, was his caddie.\n\n\"My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once,\" Scheffler said. \"We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament. I just dreamed to be able to play in it, and it's more of a dream to be able to win it.\"\n\nScheffler was in position to break the tour scoring record before a flubbed chip that led to bogey on the par-3 17th hole and a par from a greenside bunker on the par-5 closing hole. His 8-foot putt for birdie and the record slid by the left side of the hole.\n\nHideki Matsuyama has the lowest score in relation to par this season, 35 under on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua.\n\nScheffler tied the 54-hole Nelson record with an eight-shot lead, and nobody got closer than six during the final round. Erik van Rooyen of South Africa matched Scheffler's 8-under 63 to finish at 23 under, three shots ahead of Sam Stevens and four ahead of another hometown favorite, Jordan Spieth.\n\n\"We spoke last night, and I told you it was going to be a steep mountain to climb, and it was,\" van Rooyen said. \"Scottie was practically flawless, which is kind of what you expect from the world No. 1. Really proud with the golf I played.\"\n\nScheffler and Spieth finished with the two lowest rounds of the tournament. Scheffler opened with a 10-under 61 on Thursday at the defenseless par-71 TPC Craig Ranch in a suburban community about 30 miles north of Dallas.\n\nSpieth shot 62 in the final round, knowing his friend and fellow Texas alum was about to become the first of the pair to win the event they both cherish.\n\nSpieth was the first to make his tour debut at the Nelson, four years before Scheffler. On top of that, Spieth contended as a 16-year-old in 2010, leading many to believe that surely he would have won it by now.\n\nScheffler stole those bragging rights.\n\n\"I think I'll take it easy on him,\" Scheffler said with a chuckle.\n\nSpieth played with Scheffler the first two days and was 12 shots behind him going into the weekend, so he understands how things have changed. They started the tournament with 13 PGA Tour wins apiece. Now Spieth trails for the first time.\n\n\"It wasn't that long ago I was definitely better than him, and now I'm definitely not right now,\" said Spieth, a three-time major champion. \"I hate admitting that about anybody, but I just watched it those first two rounds, and, like, I've got to get better. It's very inspiring.\"\n\nIt was the first victory this year for Scheffler after he won a total of 10 times before May in the previous three years combined, including two Masters victories.\n\nScheffler's previous best Nelson finish was a tie for fifth in his most recent appearance two years ago. Now he's the first wire-to-wire Nelson winner since Tom Watson 45 years ago.\n\n\"I'm not jealous of him winning this event over any other,\" Spieth said. \"I'm jealous of anyone that wins any week. When Scottie wins, I'm happy. It doesn't matter where it is. If I'm not going to win, I like when he wins.\"\n\nScheffler shattered the previous Nelson scoring record of 259 set by Steven Bowditch in 2015. That tournament was played at the TPC Four Seasons. Normally a par 70, that course had a par-69 layout the final three days when heavy rain forced officials to convert a par 4 into a par 3. Bowditch finished 18 under.\n\nThe margin of victory was the second-largest at the Nelson behind Sam Snead's 10-shot win in 1957, when it was known as the Dallas Open Invitational.\n\n\"This is a golf course where you can kind of make a run, and I knew that I couldn't just coast to the finish line today,\" Scheffler said. \"I knew I had to put together a good round.\"\n\nBecause of heavy rain Wednesday and Friday, players were allowed to lift, clean and replace their golf balls in the fairway for the first three rounds, but not in the final round. Aberg had so-called preferred lies during the first rounds at the 2023 RSM Classic."
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"value": "# 1 killed, 32 injured in collision of bus and SUV on Los Angeles area freeway\n\nMay 11th, 2025 06:39 PM\n\n---\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — One person was killed and 32 people were injured, including two critically, when a tour bus and a sport utility vehicle collided on a Los Angeles area freeway early Sunday, officials said.\n\nThe lone occupant of the SUV died after the vehicle became engulfed in flames following the crash just after 5 a.m. in the Hacienda Heights area, about 20 miles (32 km) east of downtown LA, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release.\n\nCHP Officer Zachary Salazar said 32 people were taken to hospitals, including the two in critical condition. He said the remaining people transported had injuries ranging from moderate to minor.\n\nA passenger on the bus, Joe Runnel, told KTLA-TV that people were \"begging for mercy\" in the moments after the crash that closed two lanes of State Route 60 for several hours.\n\n\"I was thrown from the back seat of the bus to the floor about three or four seats down,\" Runnel said. \"Glass was on me … there was a lot of hollering.\"\n\nThe preliminary investigation suggests that the SUV became disabled for unknown reasons in a lane and the tour bus then collided with the rear of the SUV, the CHP said. After the impact, the bus veered to the right across all lanes and collided with the guardrail along the shoulder, the news release said.\n\nThere was significant damage to the front of the bus, including a shattered windshield. The LA County Fire Department said the fire did not spread to the bus.\n\nSalazar said 63 people were aboard the bus, including the driver. He said 31 people were able to leave the scene in a separate bus.\n\nThe bus was headed from the Indio area of the desert near Palm Springs to the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, officials said. Police originally said the bus was coming from Morongo.\n\nThe highway was fully reopened by late morning.\n\n_____\n\nThis story corrects that the bus was headed from the Indio area of the desert. Police originally said it was coming from the Morongo area."
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"value": "# 1 killed, 32 injured in collision of bus and SUV on Los Angeles area freeway\n\nMay 11th, 2025 06:39 PM\n\n---\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — One person was killed and 32 people were injured, including two critically, when a tour bus and a sport utility vehicle collided on a Los Angeles area freeway early Sunday, officials said.\n\nThe lone occupant of the SUV died after the vehicle became engulfed in flames following the crash just after 5 a.m. in the Hacienda Heights area, about 20 miles (32 km) east of downtown LA, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release.\n\nCHP Officer Zachary Salazar said 32 people were taken to hospitals, including the two in critical condition. He said the remaining people transported had injuries ranging from moderate to minor.\n\nA passenger on the bus, Joe Runnel, told KTLA-TV that people were \"begging for mercy\" in the moments after the crash that closed two lanes of State Route 60 for several hours.\n\n\"I was thrown from the back seat of the bus to the floor about three or four seats down,\" Runnel said. \"Glass was on me … there was a lot of hollering.\"\n\nThe preliminary investigation suggests that the SUV became disabled for unknown reasons in a lane and the tour bus then collided with the rear of the SUV, the CHP said. After the impact, the bus veered to the right across all lanes and collided with the guardrail along the shoulder, the news release said.\n\nThere was significant damage to the front of the bus, including a shattered windshield. The LA County Fire Department said the fire did not spread to the bus.\n\nSalazar said 63 people were aboard the bus, including the driver. He said 31 people were able to leave the scene in a separate bus.\n\nThe bus was headed from the Indio area of the desert near Palm Springs to the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, officials said. Police originally said the bus was coming from Morongo.\n\nThe highway was fully reopened by late morning."
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"value": "# VanVleet leads Rockets back from 3-1 deficit and into deciding Game 7 against Warriors\n\nBy Kristie Rieken \nMay 3rd, 2025 08:06 PM\n\n---\n\nHOUSTON (AP) — Fred VanVleet combined for 55 points in the last two games to lead the Houston Rockets back from a 3-1 deficit and force a deciding Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night at home in their first-round playoff series.\n\nNow the question becomes if Postseason Fred and these scrappy, young Rockets can win a third straight game to finally vanquish longtime playoff nemesis Stephen Curry and Co. and advance to face Minnesota in the Western Conference semifinals.\n\nAfter making just 6 of 29 3-pointers in the first three games of the series, VanVleet has gone 18 for 27 in the last three. He's led the Rockets in scoring three times this postseason after doing so just eight times in the entire regular season.\n\nThe 31-year-old had his best game yet Friday night, scoring 29 points with eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Houston to the 115-107 victory to extend the series once again.\n\nVanVleet, who helped the Raptors beat the Warriors for the title in 2019, is ready for the challenge of Game 7.\n\n\"It's going to take everybody. It's not really just about me,\" he said. \"As a guy that's been there, we have enough to get it done, it's just a matter of can we play at a high enough level all at the same time? We've been able to do that over the last couple games, but we've got to stay focused and do it one more time.\"\n\nFor most of the Rockets, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2020, this will be their first Game 7. Things are very different for the Warriors, who have loads of experience in such contests.\n\nSeven Warriors have played in a Game 7, led by Curry and Draymond Green, who have been in five apiece. Curry has averaged 32.6 points in those games, highlighted by a 50-point outing to down Sacramento in 2023.\n\nCurry said things change when you get into elimination games in the playoffs.\n\n\"It's not just the points on the board, it's the feeling, it's the vibe, morale, momentum,\" he said. \"You got to dig deep to win these type of games. Thankfully we have another opportunity to go do it. We're very confident that we can go do it.\"\n\nThe Warriors are playing their fifth Game 7 since 2015 and have gone 3-1 in the previous four. It's the fifth time they're playing Houston in the postseason and have won each of the first four meetings.\n\nOne of those series wins came in a Game 7 in Houston when Curry had 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the 101-92 victory in 2018 that sent Golden State to its fourth straight NBA Finals.\n\nHouston missed 27 straight 3-pointers in that game in an epic collapse that still haunts Rockets fans, though no player on the current roster was part of that team.\n\n## Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets\n\nWhen/Where to Watch: Game 7, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT\n\nSeries: Tied 3-3\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook: Rockets by 2.5.\n\nWhat to Know: The Rockets have a chance to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Houston has done it twice, most recently in the 2015 conference semifinals against the Clippers. The Warriors were on the wrong end of such a comeback, losing the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland after having a 3-1 advantage. … Steven Adams has been a wild card in this series for the Rockets as coach Ime Udoka has employed his double big lineup with Alperen Sengun. Adams, who averaged just 13.7 minutes a game during the regular season, played 31 minutes in Game 6 to help Houston win. He had a season-high 17 points in his most minutes since 2023 as Golden State coach Steve Kerr employed the Hack-a-Shaq tactic of fouling him to slow down the Rockets. Adams, a career 53% free-throw shooter, was 9 of 16 from the line Friday night. He leads the Rockets with 21 offensive rebounds and eight blocks in this series. … Green was miffed that the Rockets seemed to come up with most loose balls in Game 6. He was asked why he thinks that was the case. \"It can be due to whatever,\" he said. \"The reality is the person who wants the ball more will get it. Right now, seems like they want it more.\" … Kerr is looking for his team to focus on ball security after Golden State has averaged 15 turnovers in its three losses in the series. \"We're in a rush,\" he said. \"We got to slow down a little bit.\"\n\n___\n\nAP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA"
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"value": "# VanVleet leads Rockets back from 3-1 deficit and into deciding Game 7 against Warriors\n\nBy Kristie Rieken \nMay 3rd, 2025 08:06 PM\n\n---\n\nHOUSTON (AP) — Fred VanVleet combined for 55 points in the last two games to lead the Houston Rockets back from a 3-1 deficit and force a deciding Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night at home in their first-round playoff series.\n\nNow the question becomes if Postseason Fred and these scrappy, young Rockets can win a third straight game to finally vanquish longtime playoff nemesis Stephen Curry and Co. and advance to face Minnesota in the Western Conference semifinals.\n\nAfter making just 6 of 29 3-pointers in the first three games of the series, VanVleet has gone 18 for 27 in the last three. He's led the Rockets in scoring three times this postseason after doing so just eight times in the entire regular season.\n\nThe 31-year-old had his best game yet Friday night, scoring 29 points with eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Houston to the 115-107 victory to extend the series once again.\n\nVanVleet, who helped the Raptors beat the Warriors for the title in 2019, is ready for the challenge of Game 7.\n\n\"It's going to take everybody. It's not really just about me,\" he said. \"As a guy that's been there, we have enough to get it done, it's just a matter of can we play at a high enough level all at the same time? We've been able to do that over the last couple games, but we've got to stay focused and do it one more time.\"\n\nFor most of the Rockets, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2020, this will be their first Game 7. Things are very different for the Warriors, who have loads of experience in such contests.\n\nSeven Warriors have played in a Game 7, led by Curry and Draymond Green, who have been in five apiece. Curry has averaged 32.6 points in those games, highlighted by a 50-point outing to down Sacramento in 2023.\n\nCurry said things change when you get into elimination games in the playoffs.\n\n\"It's not just the points on the board, it's the feeling, it's the vibe, morale, momentum,\" he said. \"You got to dig deep to win these type of games. Thankfully we have another opportunity to go do it. We're very confident that we can go do it.\"\n\nThe Warriors are playing their fifth Game 7 since 2015 and have gone 3-1 in the previous four. It's the fifth time they're playing Houston in the postseason and have won each of the first four meetings.\n\nOne of those series wins came in a Game 7 in Houston when Curry had 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the 101-92 victory in 2018 that sent Golden State to its fourth straight NBA Finals.\n\nHouston missed 27 straight 3-pointers in that game in an epic collapse that still haunts Rockets fans, though no player on the current roster was part of that team.\n\n## Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets\n\nWhen/Where to Watch: Game 7, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT\n\nSeries: Tied 3-3\n\nBetMGM Sportsbook: Rockets by 2.5.\n\nWhat to Know: The Rockets have a chance to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Houston has done it twice, most recently in the 2015 conference semifinals against the Clippers. The Warriors were on the wrong end of such a comeback, losing the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland after having a 3-1 advantage. … Steven Adams has been a wild card in this series for the Rockets as coach Ime Udoka has employed his double big lineup with Alperen Sengun. Adams, who averaged just 13.7 minutes a game during the regular season, played 31 minutes in Game 6 to help Houston win. He had a season-high 17 points in his most minutes since 2023 as Golden State coach Steve Kerr employed the Hack-a-Shaq tactic of fouling him to slow down the Rockets. Adams, a career 53% free-throw shooter, was 9 of 16 from the line Friday night. He leads the Rockets with 21 offensive rebounds and eight blocks in this series. … Green was miffed that the Rockets seemed to come up with most loose balls in Game 6. He was asked why he thinks that was the case. \"It can be due to whatever,\" he said. \"The reality is the person who wants the ball more will get it. Right now, seems like they want it more.\" … Kerr is looking for his team to focus on ball security after Golden State has averaged 15 turnovers in its three losses in the series. \"We're in a rush,\" he said. \"We got to slow down a little bit.\""
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"value": "# Nationals try to improve a bad bullpen by adding Chafin and designating Poche for assignment\n\nMay 1st, 2025 10:53 PM\n\n---\n\nPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Washington Nationals tried to improve what's been a terrible bullpen by agreeing to terms on a $1 million contract for 2025 with Andrew Chafin on Thursday and designating Colin Poche for assignment.\n\nBoth relievers are left-handers.\n\nChafin, who turns 35 next month, was released Wednesday from a minor league contact with the Detroit Tigers. He split last season between the Tigers and the Texas Rangers, going 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA across 56 1/3 innings in 62 appearances.\n\nChafin's 500 appearances since the start of 2017 are the most among relievers in the majors.\n\nPoche was 1-2 with an 11.42 ERA in 13 games with the Nationals this season.\n\nWashington entered Thursday's game at the Philadelphia Phillies with a record of 13-18.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Nationals try to improve a bad bullpen by adding Chafin and designating Poche for assignment\n\nMay 1st, 2025 10:53 PM\n\n---\n\nPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Washington Nationals tried to improve what's been a terrible bullpen by agreeing to terms on a $1 million contract for 2025 with Andrew Chafin on Thursday and designating Colin Poche for assignment.\n\nBoth relievers are left-handers.\n\nChafin, who turns 35 next month, was released Wednesday from a minor league contact with the Detroit Tigers. He split last season between the Tigers and the Texas Rangers, going 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA across 56 1/3 innings in 62 appearances.\n\nChafin's 500 appearances since the start of 2017 are the most among relievers in the majors.\n\nPoche was 1-2 with an 11.42 ERA in 13 games with the Nationals this season.\n\nWashington entered Thursday's game at the Philadelphia Phillies with a record of 13-18."
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"value": "# Veteran Stuani strikes again to ease Girona's La Liga relegation worries\n\nMay 5th, 2025 09:43 PM\n\n---\n\nGIRONA, Spain (AP) — Girona won for the first time in 12 league games, 1-0 against Mallorca and eased its La Liga relegation fears on Monday.\n\nVeteran Uruguay striker Cristhian Stuani got the all-important goal in the 10th minute when he pounced on a rebound and lashed home.\n\nIt was the 38-year-old striker's 139th goal for the club since joining from Middlesbrough in 2017.\n\n\"We're euphoric, we needed this win,\" Stuani said. \"It has been quite a while since we last won and we're in a tricky position.\n\n\"We showed defiance, and that's what gives me peace of mind.\"\n\nThe result lifted Girona six points clear of the relegation zone with four matches remaining.\n\nMallorca stayed in ninth.\n\n___\n\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer"
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"value": "# Veteran Stuani strikes again to ease Girona's La Liga relegation worries\n\nMay 5th, 2025 09:43 PM\n\n---\n\nGIRONA, Spain (AP) — Girona won for the first time in 12 league games, 1-0 against Mallorca and eased its La Liga relegation fears on Monday.\n\nVeteran Uruguay striker Cristhian Stuani got the all-important goal in the 10th minute when he pounced on a rebound and lashed home.\n\nIt was the 38-year-old striker's 139th goal for the club since joining from Middlesbrough in 2017.\n\n\"We're euphoric, we needed this win,\" Stuani said. \"It has been quite a while since we last won and we're in a tricky position.\n\n\"We showed defiance, and that's what gives me peace of mind.\"\n\nThe result lifted Girona six points clear of the relegation zone with four matches remaining.\n\nMallorca stayed in ninth."
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"value": "# Trump pulls nomination of DC US Attorney after Republican Senate defection\n\nBy Seung Min Kim and Michael Kunzelman \nMay 8th, 2025 03:58 PM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would pull his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, bowing to bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist's modest legal experience, divisive politics and support for Jan. 6 rioters.\n\nInstead, the president said Martin will be tapped as an associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney, putting him in the position of recommending pardons for a slew of defendants involved in the violent insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. When he returned to office in January, Trump granted sweeping pardons and commutations of all people charged with crimes in connection with the riot, or vowed to dismiss their cases.\n\nIn his new role, Martin will also be director of the \"weaponization working group\" at the Justice Department. That group was created in February to investigate the work of former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump that were ultimately dismissed, and other instances during the administration of former President Joe Biden that Republicans say unfairly targeted conservatives.\n\n\"In these highly important roles, Ed will make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed Justice for its victims,\" Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday evening.\n\nOn the social media platform X, Martin posted, \"Eagle Unleashed.\"\n\nTrump abandoned his pick to lead the nation's largest U.S. Attorney's office two days after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of rioters who stormed the Capitol more than four years ago. Later Thursday, Trump announced that Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, will be the interim top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C.\n\n\"He's a terrific person, and he wasn't getting the support from people that I thought,\" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the status of Martin's confirmation. He signaled he had little capacity to call on-the-fence senators to lobby them: \"I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day.\"\n\nWithin minutes of Trump's announcement, Martin jokingly posted a doctored image of himself on social media dressed in papal garments with the words, \"Plot twist\" — alluding to the breaking news that a new pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church.\n\nMartin has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump's first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background, including his support for Jan. 6 rioters.\n\nMartin has stirred up a chorus of critics during his brief but tumultuous tenure in office. He fired and demoted subordinates who worked on politically sensitive cases. He posted on social media about potential targets of investigations. And he forced the chief of the office's criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.\n\nMartin's temporary appointment is due to expire on May 20.\n\nNorth Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday that he wouldn't support Martin's nomination. Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said his opposition stemmed from Martin's defense of rioters who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Other Republicans seemed likely to oppose Martin's nomination as well.\n\nIn response to a committee questionnaire, Martin initially failed to disclose that he made over 150 appearances on the Russian government-funded RT and Sputnik networks before he took office. He later included them in a follow-up letter.\n\nDozens of former prosecutors from the office publicly opposed Martin's nomination. In a letter to the committee, more than 100 office veterans described him as \"an affront to the singular pursuit of justice for which this Office has stood for more than two centuries.\"\n\nMartin also had some prominent supporters, including Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump Jr. His backers touted his record of fighting for conservative causes and his efforts to reduce violent crime in Washington.\n\nMartin was a leading figure in Trump's \"Stop the Steal\" movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Capitol riot. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants.\n\nIn office, Martin oversaw the dismissals of hundreds of Jan. 6 cases after Trump pardoned defendants, commuted sentences or vowed to throw them out. Martin also ordered an internal review of prosecutors' use of a felony charge against hundreds of Capitol rioters, directing employees to hand over files, emails and other documents.\n\nMartin's opponents also homed in on his public praise for a Capitol riot defendant, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, who openly espoused white supremacist and antisemitic ideology and photographed himself sporting a Hitler mustache. He referred to Hale-Cusanelli as a friend who is \"an extraordinary guy.\"\n\nMartin told committee members that he condemns Hale-Cusanelli's hateful comments as \"abhorrent and deplorable.\" He claimed he didn't learn about them until after he presented him with the award during an event at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.\n\nMartin practiced law in Missouri but never worked as a prosecutor or tried a case before Trump appointed him in January. Martin chaired the Missouri Republican Party before becoming president of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum in April 2013. He co-authored a book about Trump with Schlafly, who died in 2016.\n\n___\n\nAssociated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed reporting."
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"value": "# Trump pulls nomination of DC US Attorney after Republican Senate defection\n\nBy Seung Min Kim and Michael Kunzelman \nMay 8th, 2025 03:58 PM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would pull his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, bowing to bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist's modest legal experience, divisive politics and support for Jan. 6 rioters.\n\nInstead, the president said Martin will be tapped as an associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney, putting him in the position of recommending pardons for a slew of defendants involved in the violent insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. When he returned to office in January, Trump granted sweeping pardons and commutations of all people charged with crimes in connection with the riot, or vowed to dismiss their cases.\n\nIn his new role, Martin will also be director of the \"weaponization working group\" at the Justice Department. That group was created in February to investigate the work of former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump that were ultimately dismissed, and other instances during the administration of former President Joe Biden that Republicans say unfairly targeted conservatives.\n\n\"In these highly important roles, Ed will make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed Justice for its victims,\" Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday evening.\n\nOn the social media platform X, Martin posted, \"Eagle Unleashed.\"\n\nTrump abandoned his pick to lead the nation's largest U.S. Attorney's office two days after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of rioters who stormed the Capitol more than four years ago. Later Thursday, Trump announced that Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, will be the interim top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C.\n\n\"He's a terrific person, and he wasn't getting the support from people that I thought,\" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the status of Martin's confirmation. He signaled he had little capacity to call on-the-fence senators to lobby them: \"I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day.\"\n\nWithin minutes of Trump's announcement, Martin jokingly posted a doctored image of himself on social media dressed in papal garments with the words, \"Plot twist\" — alluding to the breaking news that a new pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church.\n\nMartin has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump's first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background, including his support for Jan. 6 rioters.\n\nMartin has stirred up a chorus of critics during his brief but tumultuous tenure in office. He fired and demoted subordinates who worked on politically sensitive cases. He posted on social media about potential targets of investigations. And he forced the chief of the office's criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.\n\nMartin's temporary appointment is due to expire on May 20.\n\nNorth Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday that he wouldn't support Martin's nomination. Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said his opposition stemmed from Martin's defense of rioters who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Other Republicans seemed likely to oppose Martin's nomination as well.\n\nIn response to a committee questionnaire, Martin initially failed to disclose that he made over 150 appearances on the Russian government-funded RT and Sputnik networks before he took office. He later included them in a follow-up letter.\n\nDozens of former prosecutors from the office publicly opposed Martin's nomination. In a letter to the committee, more than 100 office veterans described him as \"an affront to the singular pursuit of justice for which this Office has stood for more than two centuries.\"\n\nMartin also had some prominent supporters, including Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump Jr. His backers touted his record of fighting for conservative causes and his efforts to reduce violent crime in Washington.\n\nMartin was a leading figure in Trump's \"Stop the Steal\" movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Capitol riot. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants.\n\nIn office, Martin oversaw the dismissals of hundreds of Jan. 6 cases after Trump pardoned defendants, commuted sentences or vowed to throw them out. Martin also ordered an internal review of prosecutors' use of a felony charge against hundreds of Capitol rioters, directing employees to hand over files, emails and other documents.\n\nMartin's opponents also homed in on his public praise for a Capitol riot defendant, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, who openly espoused white supremacist and antisemitic ideology and photographed himself sporting a Hitler mustache. He referred to Hale-Cusanelli as a friend who is \"an extraordinary guy.\"\n\nMartin told committee members that he condemns Hale-Cusanelli's hateful comments as \"abhorrent and deplorable.\" He claimed he didn't learn about them until after he presented him with the award during an event at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.\n\nMartin practiced law in Missouri but never worked as a prosecutor or tried a case before Trump appointed him in January. Martin chaired the Missouri Republican Party before becoming president of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum in April 2013. He co-authored a book about Trump with Schlafly, who died in 2016."
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"value": "# The Sacramento Kings hire Doug Christie as full-time coach following an interim stint\n\nBy Josh Dubow \nMay 1st, 2025 04:47 PM\n\n---\n\nThe Sacramento Kings announced they have hired Doug Christie as their full-time head coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the play-in tournament.\n\nThe Kings announced the hiring on Thursday in the first major decision made since Scott Perry was hired after the season as general manager. Christie will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday.\n\n\"I've known Doug a long time and have been impressed with his leadership, presence, and ability to connect deeply with his players,\" Perry said in a statement. \"He embodies the core values we believe in — toughness, discipline, professionalism, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on offense. Our goal is to support him fully and help set the stage for his long-term success. We're excited to move forward with Doug as our leader.\"\n\nChristie took over the Kings after Mike Brown was fired in late December and posted a 27-24 record in his interim stint. Sacramento made it into the play-in tournament as the ninth seed but lost its home game to Dallas.\n\nGeneral manager Monte McNair and the team \"mutually parted ways\" immediately following that game and Perry was hired as his replacement.\n\nPerry said he wanted to come to a quick resolution on the coaching decision, and he did that by keeping Christie in the role. The two will now try to get the Kings back to the postseason after losing in the play-in tournament the past two seasons.\n\nChristie had previously played for the Kings and served as both an assistant coach and announcer.\n\n\"I am deeply humbled to be named head coach of the Sacramento Kings,\" he said. \"This organization and city have been home for over 20 years. I want to thank the Kings organization and Scott for their support during this process. For me, this opportunity is all about service to the team, the organization, and the city of Sacramento. My family and I couldn't be more excited for this new chapter.\"\n\nThe Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown's first season as coach.\n\nSacramento has the fifth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches — including interims — in that span.\n\nThe Kings hope the new team of Perry and Christie brings needed stability to the franchise. The team has a core in place led by Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.\n\nThe team likely won't have a first-round draft pick; the Kings have a 3.8% chance of moving into the top four in the lottery. Otherwise the pick will go Atlanta as part of a previous deal made for Kevin Huerter.\n\n___\n\nAP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA"
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"value": "# The Sacramento Kings hire Doug Christie as full-time coach following an interim stint\n\nBy Josh Dubow \nMay 1st, 2025 04:47 PM\n\n---\n\nThe Sacramento Kings announced they have hired Doug Christie as their full-time head coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the play-in tournament.\n\nThe Kings announced the hiring on Thursday in the first major decision made since Scott Perry was hired after the season as general manager. Christie will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday.\n\n\"I've known Doug a long time and have been impressed with his leadership, presence, and ability to connect deeply with his players,\" Perry said in a statement. \"He embodies the core values we believe in — toughness, discipline, professionalism, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on offense. Our goal is to support him fully and help set the stage for his long-term success. We're excited to move forward with Doug as our leader.\"\n\nChristie took over the Kings after Mike Brown was fired in late December and posted a 27-24 record in his interim stint. Sacramento made it into the play-in tournament as the ninth seed but lost its home game to Dallas.\n\nGeneral manager Monte McNair and the team \"mutually parted ways\" immediately following that game and Perry was hired as his replacement.\n\nPerry said he wanted to come to a quick resolution on the coaching decision, and he did that by keeping Christie in the role. The two will now try to get the Kings back to the postseason after losing in the play-in tournament the past two seasons.\n\nChristie had previously played for the Kings and served as both an assistant coach and announcer.\n\n\"I am deeply humbled to be named head coach of the Sacramento Kings,\" he said. \"This organization and city have been home for over 20 years. I want to thank the Kings organization and Scott for their support during this process. For me, this opportunity is all about service to the team, the organization, and the city of Sacramento. My family and I couldn't be more excited for this new chapter.\"\n\nThe Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown's first season as coach.\n\nSacramento has the fifth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches — including interims — in that span.\n\nThe Kings hope the new team of Perry and Christie brings needed stability to the franchise. The team has a core in place led by Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.\n\nThe team likely won't have a first-round draft pick; the Kings have a 3.8% chance of moving into the top four in the lottery. Otherwise the pick will go Atlanta as part of a previous deal made for Kevin Huerter."
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"value": "# Key issues that didn't go in Gov. DeSantis' favor this legislative session\n\nBy Stephany Matat \nMay 4th, 2025 04:01 AM\n\n---\n\nTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — For six years, Gov. Ron DeSantis had a firm grasp on Florida's legislature. In his second-to-last legislative session, that is not the case.\n\nTop lawmakers once stood beside DeSantis on issues ranging from parental rights and DEI programs to abortion and gun rights. These padded DeSantis' national profile ahead of his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2024.\n\nThis year, the Republican governor looked to enforce President Donald Trump's immigration agenda, remove state property taxes and address South Florida's condominium crisis. Instead, his influence dwindled as fellow Republicans publicly defied his directives and even raised questions about his handling of state agencies.\n\nThe Legislature adjourned the legislative session late Friday without a budget prepared to be signed by DeSantis, who wields the power of the line-item veto to only approve specific appropriations in a budget package. Lawmakers extended the session until early June after announcing they have a framework for a budget. The governor would need to sign it before July 1, when the fiscal year begins.\n\nThe opposition presents a whole new challenge for the term-limited governor who may have aspirations to run for president in 2028. And DeSantis has been amping up his rhetoric against legislators, labeling them the \"House of Pettiness.\"\n\nHere are some key issues that didn't necessarily go in DeSantis' favor:\n\n## Lawmakers defied DeSantis on immigration\n\nIn January, Republican lawmakers opened and then immediately ended a special session called by DeSantis on Trump's immigration agenda. Determined to tackle the issue on their own terms, they then gaveled back in, tossed out the governor's proposals and presented their own.\n\nThe rebuke to DeSantis would have been unthinkable in previous years.\n\nA weekslong standoff ended with the governor signing negotiated immigration measures, which went beyond Trump's executive orders by mandating the death penalty for immigrants without legal status who commit capital offences in Florida.\n\n## Investigating the Florida first lady's key initiative\n\nA Florida House subcommittee began a probe of Hope Florida, an initiative by First Lady Casey DeSantis.\n\nInitially, it focused on a $10 million donation to the Hope Florida Foundation as part of a $67 million settlement between Centene Corporation, the state's largest Medicaid contractor, and a state agency.\n\nDeSantis had asked legislators to create a Hope Florida Office under the governor's oversight. This would have helped boost the first lady's key initiative ahead of the 2026 election, when she is expected to campaign to replace her husband as governor.\n\nInstead, DeSantis has spent weeks criticizing lawmakers' probes into the initiative, accusing lawmakers of drawing negative attention toward the initiative to \"attack the first lady.\"\n\nRep. Alex Andrade, who chaired the state subcommittee, announced April 24 that the investigation had ended and he was \"firmly convinced\" several parties were involved in a misuse of $10 million in Medicaid funds.\n\n## A budget backfires on DeSantis' wish list\n\nIn February, the governor recommended his own $115.6 billion budget proposal for lawmakers to consider.\n\nThe proposal included key measures such as $505 million for immigration enforcement and $1.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality projects. It also had $2.2 billion in tax relief through some provisions like repealing business rent tax and providing more sales tax holidays.\n\nYet the House and the Senate still haven't agreed on a budget. House Speaker Daniel Perez told lawmakers to expect to return in June to finalize budget approvals prior to the effective date in July.\n\nThe House is seeking a smaller $113 billion budget, contrary to the Senate's $117.4 billion spending plan. One main provision in the House is a 0.75% cut to sales tax, which DeSantis has lambasted. He is instead pushing to roll back the state's property taxes. The Senate plan doesn't include that sales tax cut.\n\nThroughout April, DeSantis repeatedly criticized the House for disagreements on the budget, whether related to Everglades restoration, law enforcement funding or tax cuts.\n\n\"They are the least-productive Florida House of Representatives that we have had in the modern history of the Florida Republican Party,\" DeSantis said in an April 16 press conference in Fort Myers.\n\n## Costly condo woes\n\nThe initial special session for immigration in January also was meant to address condominium issues, since owners are facing hikes in property insurance rates and increased association costs. Instead, legislators focused on these provisions in the final weeks of session.\n\nA 2022 law passed after the Surfside condominium collapse means condo owners have faced higher costs because associations are legally required to have enough reserves for major repairs. The law also requires a survey of reserves every decade.\n\nThis session, lawmakers aimed to relieve some of these cost hikes for condo owners, which mostly affect residents in South Florida and retirees on fixed incomes. The bill was sent to the governor Wednesday, allowing condo associations to fund reserves through lines of credit and give residents more flexibility to pause payments to their reserves while handling repairs and maintenance.\n\nIn the weeks leading to the bill's passage, the House and Senate presented two different versions, with the House version widely criticized by the governor. In April, DeSantis said the House bill would allow people to be \"driven out of their homes\" and \"pave the way for developers to make more money.\"\n\n\"Let's recognize that these consequences are not what we want, and let's provide reforms to be able to keep people in their condo units,\" DeSantis said of the House version."
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"value": "# Key issues that didn't go in Gov. DeSantis' favor this legislative session\n\nBy Stephany Matat \nMay 4th, 2025 04:01 AM\n\n---\n\nTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — For six years, Gov. Ron DeSantis had a firm grasp on Florida's legislature. In his second-to-last legislative session, that is not the case.\n\nTop lawmakers once stood beside DeSantis on issues ranging from parental rights and DEI programs to abortion and gun rights. These padded DeSantis' national profile ahead of his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2024.\n\nThis year, the Republican governor looked to enforce President Donald Trump's immigration agenda, remove state property taxes and address South Florida's condominium crisis. Instead, his influence dwindled as fellow Republicans publicly defied his directives and even raised questions about his handling of state agencies.\n\nThe Legislature adjourned the legislative session late Friday without a budget prepared to be signed by DeSantis, who wields the power of the line-item veto to only approve specific appropriations in a budget package. Lawmakers extended the session until early June after announcing they have a framework for a budget. The governor would need to sign it before July 1, when the fiscal year begins.\n\nThe opposition presents a whole new challenge for the term-limited governor who may have aspirations to run for president in 2028. And DeSantis has been amping up his rhetoric against legislators, labeling them the \"House of Pettiness.\"\n\nHere are some key issues that didn't necessarily go in DeSantis' favor:\n\n## Lawmakers defied DeSantis on immigration\n\nIn January, Republican lawmakers opened and then immediately ended a special session called by DeSantis on Trump's immigration agenda. Determined to tackle the issue on their own terms, they then gaveled back in, tossed out the governor's proposals and presented their own.\n\nThe rebuke to DeSantis would have been unthinkable in previous years.\n\nA weekslong standoff ended with the governor signing negotiated immigration measures, which went beyond Trump's executive orders by mandating the death penalty for immigrants without legal status who commit capital offences in Florida.\n\n## Investigating the Florida first lady's key initiative\n\nA Florida House subcommittee began a probe of Hope Florida, an initiative by First Lady Casey DeSantis.\n\nInitially, it focused on a $10 million donation to the Hope Florida Foundation as part of a $67 million settlement between Centene Corporation, the state's largest Medicaid contractor, and a state agency.\n\nDeSantis had asked legislators to create a Hope Florida Office under the governor's oversight. This would have helped boost the first lady's key initiative ahead of the 2026 election, when she is expected to campaign to replace her husband as governor.\n\nInstead, DeSantis has spent weeks criticizing lawmakers' probes into the initiative, accusing lawmakers of drawing negative attention toward the initiative to \"attack the first lady.\"\n\nRep. Alex Andrade, who chaired the state subcommittee, announced April 24 that the investigation had ended and he was \"firmly convinced\" several parties were involved in a misuse of $10 million in Medicaid funds.\n\n## A budget backfires on DeSantis' wish list\n\nIn February, the governor recommended his own $115.6 billion budget proposal for lawmakers to consider.\n\nThe proposal included key measures such as $505 million for immigration enforcement and $1.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality projects. It also had $2.2 billion in tax relief through some provisions like repealing business rent tax and providing more sales tax holidays.\n\nYet the House and the Senate still haven't agreed on a budget. House Speaker Daniel Perez told lawmakers to expect to return in June to finalize budget approvals prior to the effective date in July.\n\nThe House is seeking a smaller $113 billion budget, contrary to the Senate's $117.4 billion spending plan. One main provision in the House is a 0.75% cut to sales tax, which DeSantis has lambasted. He is instead pushing to roll back the state's property taxes. The Senate plan doesn't include that sales tax cut.\n\nThroughout April, DeSantis repeatedly criticized the House for disagreements on the budget, whether related to Everglades restoration, law enforcement funding or tax cuts.\n\n\"They are the least-productive Florida House of Representatives that we have had in the modern history of the Florida Republican Party,\" DeSantis said in an April 16 press conference in Fort Myers.\n\n## Costly condo woes\n\nThe initial special session for immigration in January also was meant to address condominium issues, since owners are facing hikes in property insurance rates and increased association costs. Instead, legislators focused on these provisions in the final weeks of session.\n\nA 2022 law passed after the Surfside condominium collapse means condo owners have faced higher costs because associations are legally required to have enough reserves for major repairs. The law also requires a survey of reserves every decade.\n\nThis session, lawmakers aimed to relieve some of these cost hikes for condo owners, which mostly affect residents in South Florida and retirees on fixed incomes. The bill was sent to the governor Wednesday, allowing condo associations to fund reserves through lines of credit and give residents more flexibility to pause payments to their reserves while handling repairs and maintenance.\n\nIn the weeks leading to the bill's passage, the House and Senate presented two different versions, with the House version widely criticized by the governor. In April, DeSantis said the House bill would allow people to be \"driven out of their homes\" and \"pave the way for developers to make more money.\"\n\n\"Let's recognize that these consequences are not what we want, and let's provide reforms to be able to keep people in their condo units,\" DeSantis said of the House version."
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"value": "# Shohei Ohtani could have landed 15-year deal, agent says, but he didn't want to risk skills decline\n\nBy Beth Harris \nMay 8th, 2025 09:49 PM\n\n---\n\nINGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani could have pursued a 15-year contract through age 44, agent Nez Balelo said Thursday, explaining the two-way superstar didn't want to risk a decline in his skills while under the big deal.\n\nBalelo pulled back the curtain that shrouds Ohtani a bit when he spoke at Sportico's Invest West conference featuring decision-makers in sports, entertainment and finance at the new Intuit Dome, home of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.\n\nOhtani's $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that he signed in December 2023 was the largest in professional sports. He won his third MVP award and first World Series title in his first season after moving from the Los Angeles Angels.\n\nA year later, Juan Soto went even bigger. The left fielder landed a $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets in which none of the money will be deferred.\n\n\"We wouldn't do anything different,\" Balelo said afterward. \"He won a championship. He went to the right team. No regrets.\"\n\nOhtani's deal includes $680 million in deferred payments. Those deferrals reduce the net present value of the contract to about $461 million for baseball's luxury-tax system, instead of an average of $70 million a year had there been no deferrals.\n\nOhtani will be 38 when the contract ends after the 2033 season.\n\n\"We could have went to 13, 14, 15 years,\" Balelo said. \"But Shohei wanted to always kind of keep the integrity of where he's at as a player. He just didn't want to have the end of his storybook career tail off and then on year 13, 14 and 15, it's just like who is this guy? You can't even run down first and he's not a guy anymore.\"\n\nBalelo prefers operating behind the scenes and carefully controlling the narrative around Ohtani. But even he couldn't tamp down a cottage industry of rumors about which team would land Ohtani and how much it would cost.\n\n\"It was quite a ride,\" he said in a discussion moderated by Ben Verlander, MLB analyst for FOX Sports.\n\nA social media frenzy ensued when it was reported Ohtani was on a plane to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays.\n\n\"Well, that was reckless reporting. We actually tried to let the individual know, 'No, we're not on a plane,'\" Balelo said. \"I felt bad for the country of Canada. I felt horrible for the organization because clearly they knew we weren't.\"\n\nOhtani's goals were to keep his new team competitive by allowing the club money to sign other players and to allow him to win championships and continue to be a two-way player.\n\n\"The Dodgers gave us their word that's what they were going to do,\" said Balelo, who works for CAA Sports' baseball division.\n\nOhtani is MLB's top endorser, with his earnings jumping from $65 million in 2024 to $100 million this year.\n\n\"Yeah, absolutely, those are real numbers,\" Balelo said. \"It continues to take on a life of its own.\"\n\nAccording to Balelo, Ohtani endorses just over 20 brands that are carefully vetted and chosen based on his use or belief in the product and the people behind it. His priority is his on-the-field performance and the training that goes into it.\n\n\"He takes that very, very serious and everything really becomes secondary other than his family,\" Balelo said. \"We just have to make sure that we don't overexpose him or put him in a situation where it's too heavy of a lift.\"\n\nBalelo first spotted the future superstar as a high school junior in Ohtani's native Japan and followed him closely as Ohtani's pro career began with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.\n\n\"There were some things that that I did differently than I typically would when I recruit,\" he said, declining to elaborate when asked afterward.\n\n\"It was definitely a battle, that's for sure, but we came out on top and I was very fortunate.\"\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Shohei Ohtani could have landed 15-year deal, agent says, but he didn't want to risk skills decline\n\nBy Beth Harris \nMay 8th, 2025 09:49 PM\n\n---\n\nINGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani could have pursued a 15-year contract through age 44, agent Nez Balelo said Thursday, explaining the two-way superstar didn't want to risk a decline in his skills while under the big deal.\n\nBalelo pulled back the curtain that shrouds Ohtani a bit when he spoke at Sportico's Invest West conference featuring decision-makers in sports, entertainment and finance at the new Intuit Dome, home of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.\n\nOhtani's $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that he signed in December 2023 was the largest in professional sports. He won his third MVP award and first World Series title in his first season after moving from the Los Angeles Angels.\n\nA year later, Juan Soto went even bigger. The left fielder landed a $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets in which none of the money will be deferred.\n\n\"We wouldn't do anything different,\" Balelo said afterward. \"He won a championship. He went to the right team. No regrets.\"\n\nOhtani's deal includes $680 million in deferred payments. Those deferrals reduce the net present value of the contract to about $461 million for baseball's luxury-tax system, instead of an average of $70 million a year had there been no deferrals.\n\nOhtani will be 38 when the contract ends after the 2033 season.\n\n\"We could have went to 13, 14, 15 years,\" Balelo said. \"But Shohei wanted to always kind of keep the integrity of where he's at as a player. He just didn't want to have the end of his storybook career tail off and then on year 13, 14 and 15, it's just like who is this guy? You can't even run down first and he's not a guy anymore.\"\n\nBalelo prefers operating behind the scenes and carefully controlling the narrative around Ohtani. But even he couldn't tamp down a cottage industry of rumors about which team would land Ohtani and how much it would cost.\n\n\"It was quite a ride,\" he said in a discussion moderated by Ben Verlander, MLB analyst for FOX Sports.\n\nA social media frenzy ensued when it was reported Ohtani was on a plane to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays.\n\n\"Well, that was reckless reporting. We actually tried to let the individual know, 'No, we're not on a plane,'\" Balelo said. \"I felt bad for the country of Canada. I felt horrible for the organization because clearly they knew we weren't.\"\n\nOhtani's goals were to keep his new team competitive by allowing the club money to sign other players and to allow him to win championships and continue to be a two-way player.\n\n\"The Dodgers gave us their word that's what they were going to do,\" said Balelo, who works for CAA Sports' baseball division.\n\nOhtani is MLB's top endorser, with his earnings jumping from $65 million in 2024 to $100 million this year.\n\n\"Yeah, absolutely, those are real numbers,\" Balelo said. \"It continues to take on a life of its own.\"\n\nAccording to Balelo, Ohtani endorses just over 20 brands that are carefully vetted and chosen based on his use or belief in the product and the people behind it. His priority is his on-the-field performance and the training that goes into it.\n\n\"He takes that very, very serious and everything really becomes secondary other than his family,\" Balelo said. \"We just have to make sure that we don't overexpose him or put him in a situation where it's too heavy of a lift.\"\n\nBalelo first spotted the future superstar as a high school junior in Ohtani's native Japan and followed him closely as Ohtani's pro career began with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.\n\n\"There were some things that that I did differently than I typically would when I recruit,\" he said, declining to elaborate when asked afterward.\n\n\"It was definitely a battle, that's for sure, but we came out on top and I was very fortunate.\""
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"value": "# Six Flags America in Maryland to close at the end of 2025 season\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 08:07 PM\n\n---\n\nBOWIE, Md. (AP) — After more than a quarter century of thrills and fun, Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., will close at the end of this season.\n\nThe approximately 500-acre (202-hectare) property in Bowie will be marketed for redevelopment, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced Thursday. As part of a portfolio review, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company determined that the parks \"are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,\" Six Flags President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a statement. The final day of operations will be Nov. 2.\n\n\"Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor have been an important part of the local community, and this final season will be an opportunity to celebrate the decades of fun that guests have enjoyed at the property,\" Zimmerman said.\n\nSix Flags America employs about 70 full-time associates, and severance and other benefits will be provided to eligible associates, the company said.\n\nA wildlife preserve that operated on the site in the 1970s later became an amusement park, The Washington Post reports. It opened as Six Flags America in 1999, according to a company spokesperson. The park features many attractions and rides, including nine roller coasters. The Wild One is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the country, the spokesperson said.\n\nActing Prince George's County Executive Tara H. Jackson lamented the loss of the parks.\n\n\"For decades, Six Flags has been more than just a theme park—it is a cherished part of our county's identity, a source of joy for families, and a hub of economic activity,\" Jackson said in a statement. \"We are committed to working closely with Six Flags and other stakeholders to guide a thoughtful and inclusive redevelopment process that supports jobs, growth and long-term community benefit.\""
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"value": "# Six Flags America in Maryland to close at the end of 2025 season\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 08:07 PM\n\n---\n\nBOWIE, Md. (AP) — After more than a quarter century of thrills and fun, Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., will close at the end of this season.\n\nThe approximately 500-acre (202-hectare) property in Bowie will be marketed for redevelopment, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced Thursday. As part of a portfolio review, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company determined that the parks \"are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,\" Six Flags President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a statement. The final day of operations will be Nov. 2.\n\n\"Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor have been an important part of the local community, and this final season will be an opportunity to celebrate the decades of fun that guests have enjoyed at the property,\" Zimmerman said.\n\nSix Flags America employs about 70 full-time associates, and severance and other benefits will be provided to eligible associates, the company said.\n\nA wildlife preserve that operated on the site in the 1970s later became an amusement park, The Washington Post reports. It opened as Six Flags America in 1999, according to a company spokesperson. The park features many attractions and rides, including nine roller coasters. The Wild One is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the country, the spokesperson said.\n\nActing Prince George's County Executive Tara H. Jackson lamented the loss of the parks.\n\n\"For decades, Six Flags has been more than just a theme park—it is a cherished part of our county's identity, a source of joy for families, and a hub of economic activity,\" Jackson said in a statement. \"We are committed to working closely with Six Flags and other stakeholders to guide a thoughtful and inclusive redevelopment process that supports jobs, growth and long-term community benefit.\""
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"value": "# PGA Tour makes a return to Philadelphia and LPGA Tour is at Liberty National\n\nBy The Associated Press \nMay 6th, 2025 01:37 PM\n\n---\n\n## PGA Tour\n\nTRUIST CHAMPIONSHIP\n\nSite: Philadelphia.\n\nCourse: Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon). Yardage: 7,119. Par: 70.\n\nPrize money: $20 million. Winner's share: $3.6 million.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).\n\nDefending champion: Rory McIlroy.\n\nFedEx Cup leader: Rory McIlroy.\n\nLast week: Scottie Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.\n\nNotes: Scottie Scheffler is skipping this signature event because of the schedule. He has the PGA Championship next week, followed by Colonial and Memorial. ... This is the 10th time Rory McIlroy has defended a title on a different course. ... Rasmus Hojgaard got the final spot through the Swing Five by finishing two shots ahead of twin brother Nicolai at the Byron Nelson. ... Jordan Spieth received another sponsor exemption to a signature event. His parents grew up about an hour north of Philadelphia. ... Philadelphia Cricket Club is the host course for this year because Quail Hollow has the PGA Championship. The Wissahickon course was designed by A. W. Tillinghast and went through a restoration a decade ago. ... Philadelphia gets more golf next year when the PGA Championship goes to Aronimink. ... Alex Noren is playing for the first time since October because of neck and leg injuries.\n\nNext week: PGA Championship.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/\n\n___\n\n## LPGA Tour\n\nMIZUHO AMERICAS OPEN\n\nSite: Jersey City, New Jersey.\n\nCourse: Liberty National GC. Yardage: 6,690. Par: 72.\n\nPrize money: $3 million. Winner's share: $450,000.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m. to noon (NBC Sports app), noon to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-5 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 5-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 1-3 p.m. (CBS).\n\nDefending champion: Nelly Korda.\n\nRace to CME Globe leader: Hyo Joo Kim.\n\nLast week: Haeran Ryu won the Black Desert Championship.\n\nNotes: Michelle Wie is the tournament host of the tournament at Liberty National, which previously hosted a FedEx Cup playoff event and the Presidents Cup. ... The field features seven of the top 10 in the world ranking, missing only Lilia Vu, Hyo Joo Kim and Jin Young Ko. ... Rose Zhang won the inaugural tournament in her professional debut. She has been coping with a neck injury first suffered at the Match Play and causing her to withdraw from the first major of the year at the Chevron Championship. ...Nelly Korda was 2 over for her opening nine holes last year and went on to win for her sixth title of the 2024 season. ... Korda has yet to win this year. ... Haeran Ryu last week became the second wire-to-wire winner on the LPGA this season, and the first season A Lim Kim in the season opener. ... The LPGA Tour has yet to have a multiple winner this year through 10 tournaments.\n\nNext tournament: Riviera Maya Open on May 21-24.\n\nOnline: https://www.lpga.com/\n\n___\n\n## PGA Tour\n\nONEFLIGHT MYRTLE BEACH CLASSIC\n\nSite: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.\n\nCourse: Dunes Golf & Beach Club. Yardage: 7,347. Par: 71.\n\nPrize money: $4 million. Winner's share: $720,000.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).\n\nDefending champion: Chris Gotterup.\n\nFedEx Cup leader: Rory McIlroy.\n\nLast week: Scottie Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.\n\nNotes: This is the second year of the opposite-field event held a week before the second major of the year. ... The winner gets a spot in the PGA Championship next week at Quail Hollow but not the Masters. ... Tom Kim is listed in the field. He is not eligible for his second straight signature event and did not get an exemption. ... Kim is the only player from the top 50 in the world ranking at the Myrtle Beach Classic after Nico Echavarria withdrew. ... 17-year-old Blades Brown is playing on a sponsor exemption. He missed the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour last week with a chance to secure some status. Brown made the cut in Myrtle Beach last year in his PGA Tour debut. ... Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard entered Myrtle Beach. Rasmus got the final spot in the Swing Five that makes him eligible for the $20 million signature event in Philadelphia.\n\nNext week: PGA Championship.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/\n\n___\n\n## European Tour\n\nTURKISH AIRLINES OPEN\n\nSite: Antalya, Turkey.\n\nCourse: Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort. Yardage: 7,220. Par: 71.\n\nPrize money: $2.75 million. Winner's share: $458,333.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 6:30-10 a.m. (Golf Channel), 10-11:30 a.m. (NBC Sports app); Saturday-Sunday, 6:30-11 a.m. (Golf Channel).\n\nPrevious winner: Tyrrell Hatton (2019).\n\nRace to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.\n\nLast tournament: Marco Penge won the Hainan Classic.\n\nNotes: The tournament returns to the European tour schedule for the first time since 2019. ... Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is in the field. He is expected to receive a sponsor exemption to the PGA Championship next week, typical for Ryder Cup captains. ... The field does not have anyone from the top 100 in the world ranking. John Parry at No. 108 is the highest-ranked player in the field. ... Brooks Koepka won his first European tour event at the Turkish Open in 2014. ... Chris Wood, who played in the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, is playing on a sponsor exemption. He has made only one European tour start this year, at the Qatar Masters. ... Marco Penge is making his first start since winning two weeks ago in China for his first European tour title. ... Brandon Wu, Martin Trainer and Callum Tarren are playing under the exemption for PGA Tour players who finished between Nos. 126 and 200 in the FedEx Cup last year.\n\nNext week: PGA Championship.\n\nOnline: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/\n\n___\n\n## LIV Golf League\n\nLast week: Bryson DeChambeau won LIV Golf Korea.\n\nNext tournament: LIV Golf DC on June 6-8.\n\nPoints leader: Joaquin Niemann.\n\nOnline: https://www.livgolf.com/\n\n___\n\n## PGA Tour Champions\n\nLast week: Stewart Cink won the Insperity Invitational.\n\nNext week: Regions Traditions.\n\nCharles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions\n\n___\n\n## Korn Ferry Tour\n\nLast week: Bryson Nimmer won the Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera Maya.\n\nNext week: Advent Health Championship.\n\nPoints leader: Hank Lebioda.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour\n\n___\n\n## Other tours\n\nAsian Tour: International Series Japan, Caledonia GC, Chiba, Japan. Defending champion: New tournament. Television: Wednesday-Thursday, midnight-4 a.m. (NBC Sports app); Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (NBC Sports app). New tournament. Online: https://asiantour.com/\n\nLadies European Tour: Aramco Korea Championship, New Korea CC, Goyang, South Korea. Defending champion: Hyo Joo Kim. Television: Friday-Sunday, 1:30-5:30 a.m. (NBC Sports app). Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/\n\nEpson Tour: Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic, TPC Scottsdale (Champions), Scottsdale, Arizona. Previous winner: Ruixin Liu. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/\n\nUSGA: U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball, Oklahoma City Golf & CC, Oklahoma City. Defending champions: Sarah Lim and Asterisk Talley. Online: https://www.usga.org/\n\nChallenge Tour: Challenge de Espana, Fontanals GC, Girona, Spain. Previous winner: Joel Moscatel. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/hotelplanner-tour/\n\nPGA Tour Americas: Bupa Championship, Mexico GC, Mexico City. Previous winner: Clay Feagler. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/americas\n\nSunshine Tour: FBC Zimbabwe Open, Royal Harare GC, Harare, Zimbabwe. Defending champion: Michael Hollick. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/\n\nJapan LPGA: World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup, Ibaraki GC (East), Ibaraki, Japan. Defending champion: Hyosong Lee. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/\n\nKorea LPGA: NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, Suwon CC, Yongin, South Korea. Defending champion: Yewon Lee. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/\n\n___\n\nAP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf"
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"value": "# PGA Tour makes a return to Philadelphia and LPGA Tour is at Liberty National\n\nBy The Associated Press \nMay 6th, 2025 01:37 PM\n\n---\n\n## PGA Tour\n\nTRUIST CHAMPIONSHIP\n\nSite: Philadelphia.\n\nCourse: Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon). Yardage: 7,119. Par: 70.\n\nPrize money: $20 million. Winner's share: $3.6 million.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).\n\nDefending champion: Rory McIlroy.\n\nFedEx Cup leader: Rory McIlroy.\n\nLast week: Scottie Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.\n\nNotes: Scottie Scheffler is skipping this signature event because of the schedule. He has the PGA Championship next week, followed by Colonial and Memorial. ... This is the 10th time Rory McIlroy has defended a title on a different course. ... Rasmus Hojgaard got the final spot through the Swing Five by finishing two shots ahead of twin brother Nicolai at the Byron Nelson. ... Jordan Spieth received another sponsor exemption to a signature event. His parents grew up about an hour north of Philadelphia. ... Philadelphia Cricket Club is the host course for this year because Quail Hollow has the PGA Championship. The Wissahickon course was designed by A. W. Tillinghast and went through a restoration a decade ago. ... Philadelphia gets more golf next year when the PGA Championship goes to Aronimink. ... Alex Noren is playing for the first time since October because of neck and leg injuries.\n\nNext week: PGA Championship.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/\n\n___\n\n## LPGA Tour\n\nMIZUHO AMERICAS OPEN\n\nSite: Jersey City, New Jersey.\n\nCourse: Liberty National GC. Yardage: 6,690. Par: 72.\n\nPrize money: $3 million. Winner's share: $450,000.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m. to noon (NBC Sports app), noon to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-5 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 5-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 1-3 p.m. (CBS).\n\nDefending champion: Nelly Korda.\n\nRace to CME Globe leader: Hyo Joo Kim.\n\nLast week: Haeran Ryu won the Black Desert Championship.\n\nNotes: Michelle Wie is the tournament host of the tournament at Liberty National, which previously hosted a FedEx Cup playoff event and the Presidents Cup. ... The field features seven of the top 10 in the world ranking, missing only Lilia Vu, Hyo Joo Kim and Jin Young Ko. ... Rose Zhang won the inaugural tournament in her professional debut. She has been coping with a neck injury first suffered at the Match Play and causing her to withdraw from the first major of the year at the Chevron Championship. ...Nelly Korda was 2 over for her opening nine holes last year and went on to win for her sixth title of the 2024 season. ... Korda has yet to win this year. ... Haeran Ryu last week became the second wire-to-wire winner on the LPGA this season, and the first season A Lim Kim in the season opener. ... The LPGA Tour has yet to have a multiple winner this year through 10 tournaments.\n\nNext tournament: Riviera Maya Open on May 21-24.\n\nOnline: https://www.lpga.com/\n\n___\n\n## PGA Tour\n\nONEFLIGHT MYRTLE BEACH CLASSIC\n\nSite: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.\n\nCourse: Dunes Golf & Beach Club. Yardage: 7,347. Par: 71.\n\nPrize money: $4 million. Winner's share: $720,000.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).\n\nDefending champion: Chris Gotterup.\n\nFedEx Cup leader: Rory McIlroy.\n\nLast week: Scottie Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.\n\nNotes: This is the second year of the opposite-field event held a week before the second major of the year. ... The winner gets a spot in the PGA Championship next week at Quail Hollow but not the Masters. ... Tom Kim is listed in the field. He is not eligible for his second straight signature event and did not get an exemption. ... Kim is the only player from the top 50 in the world ranking at the Myrtle Beach Classic after Nico Echavarria withdrew. ... 17-year-old Blades Brown is playing on a sponsor exemption. He missed the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour last week with a chance to secure some status. Brown made the cut in Myrtle Beach last year in his PGA Tour debut. ... Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard entered Myrtle Beach. Rasmus got the final spot in the Swing Five that makes him eligible for the $20 million signature event in Philadelphia.\n\nNext week: PGA Championship.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/\n\n___\n\n## European Tour\n\nTURKISH AIRLINES OPEN\n\nSite: Antalya, Turkey.\n\nCourse: Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort. Yardage: 7,220. Par: 71.\n\nPrize money: $2.75 million. Winner's share: $458,333.\n\nTelevision: Thursday-Friday, 6:30-10 a.m. (Golf Channel), 10-11:30 a.m. (NBC Sports app); Saturday-Sunday, 6:30-11 a.m. (Golf Channel).\n\nPrevious winner: Tyrrell Hatton (2019).\n\nRace to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.\n\nLast tournament: Marco Penge won the Hainan Classic.\n\nNotes: The tournament returns to the European tour schedule for the first time since 2019. ... Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is in the field. He is expected to receive a sponsor exemption to the PGA Championship next week, typical for Ryder Cup captains. ... The field does not have anyone from the top 100 in the world ranking. John Parry at No. 108 is the highest-ranked player in the field. ... Brooks Koepka won his first European tour event at the Turkish Open in 2014. ... Chris Wood, who played in the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, is playing on a sponsor exemption. He has made only one European tour start this year, at the Qatar Masters. ... Marco Penge is making his first start since winning two weeks ago in China for his first European tour title. ... Brandon Wu, Martin Trainer and Callum Tarren are playing under the exemption for PGA Tour players who finished between Nos. 126 and 200 in the FedEx Cup last year.\n\nNext week: PGA Championship.\n\nOnline: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/\n\n___\n\n## LIV Golf League\n\nLast week: Bryson DeChambeau won LIV Golf Korea.\n\nNext tournament: LIV Golf DC on June 6-8.\n\nPoints leader: Joaquin Niemann.\n\nOnline: https://www.livgolf.com/\n\n___\n\n## PGA Tour Champions\n\nLast week: Stewart Cink won the Insperity Invitational.\n\nNext week: Regions Traditions.\n\nCharles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions\n\n___\n\n## Korn Ferry Tour\n\nLast week: Bryson Nimmer won the Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera Maya.\n\nNext week: Advent Health Championship.\n\nPoints leader: Hank Lebioda.\n\nOnline: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour\n\n___\n\n## Other tours\n\nAsian Tour: International Series Japan, Caledonia GC, Chiba, Japan. Defending champion: New tournament. Television: Wednesday-Thursday, midnight-4 a.m. (NBC Sports app); Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (NBC Sports app). New tournament. Online: https://asiantour.com/\n\nLadies European Tour: Aramco Korea Championship, New Korea CC, Goyang, South Korea. Defending champion: Hyo Joo Kim. Television: Friday-Sunday, 1:30-5:30 a.m. (NBC Sports app). Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/\n\nEpson Tour: Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic, TPC Scottsdale (Champions), Scottsdale, Arizona. Previous winner: Ruixin Liu. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/\n\nUSGA: U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball, Oklahoma City Golf & CC, Oklahoma City. Defending champions: Sarah Lim and Asterisk Talley. Online: https://www.usga.org/\n\nChallenge Tour: Challenge de Espana, Fontanals GC, Girona, Spain. Previous winner: Joel Moscatel. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/hotelplanner-tour/\n\nPGA Tour Americas: Bupa Championship, Mexico GC, Mexico City. Previous winner: Clay Feagler. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/americas\n\nSunshine Tour: FBC Zimbabwe Open, Royal Harare GC, Harare, Zimbabwe. Defending champion: Michael Hollick. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/\n\nJapan LPGA: World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup, Ibaraki GC (East), Ibaraki, Japan. Defending champion: Hyosong Lee. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/\n\nKorea LPGA: NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, Suwon CC, Yongin, South Korea. Defending champion: Yewon Lee. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/"
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"value": "# Trump administration settles with Maine over funding freeze after dispute over trans athletes\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 07:07 PM\n\n---\n\nPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration on Friday agreed to halt all efforts to freeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition program after initially suspending those dollars due to a disagreement between the state and Trump over transgender athletes.\n\nIn response, the state will drop its lawsuit that had been filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced.\n\n\"It's unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,\" Frey said in a statement. \"But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.\"\n\nAn email message seeking comment was sent Friday to the Agriculture Department.\n\nThe settlement closes a dispute first sparked by the federal government's decision to freeze federal funds to Maine for certain administrative and technological functions in the state's schools.\n\nA letter from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins explained that the decision stemmed from a disagreement between the state and federal governments over whether Maine was complying with Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex. Trump had accused Maine of failing to comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports.\n\nSoon after the secretary's letter was sent, Maine's Department of Education could not access several sources of federal funds for a state nutrition program, according to the court's written order.\n\nMaine quickly sued the Trump administration, where the state's attorneys argued that the child nutrition program received or was due to receive more than $1.8 million for the current fiscal year. Prior year funds that were awarded but are currently inaccessible total more than $900,000, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also said that the program was anticipating about $3 million that is typically awarded every July for summer meal program sponsor administration and meal reimbursement.\n\nA federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds last month after finding that Maine was likely to succeed in its legal challenge.\n\n\"The state of Maine went to court and fought this unlawful attempt to freeze critical funding for our school lunch program – and we won,\" said Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in a statement. \"I applaud the work of Attorney General Frey and his staff in representing the state in this action against USDA, and preserving healthy school meals for 172,000 Maine school children.\""
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"value": "# Trump administration settles with Maine over funding freeze after dispute over trans athletes\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 07:07 PM\n\n---\n\nPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration on Friday agreed to halt all efforts to freeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition program after initially suspending those dollars due to a disagreement between the state and Trump over transgender athletes.\n\nIn response, the state will drop its lawsuit that had been filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced.\n\n\"It's unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,\" Frey said in a statement. \"But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.\"\n\nAn email message seeking comment was sent Friday to the Agriculture Department.\n\nThe settlement closes a dispute first sparked by the federal government's decision to freeze federal funds to Maine for certain administrative and technological functions in the state's schools.\n\nA letter from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins explained that the decision stemmed from a disagreement between the state and federal governments over whether Maine was complying with Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex. Trump had accused Maine of failing to comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports.\n\nSoon after the secretary's letter was sent, Maine's Department of Education could not access several sources of federal funds for a state nutrition program, according to the court's written order.\n\nMaine quickly sued the Trump administration, where the state's attorneys argued that the child nutrition program received or was due to receive more than $1.8 million for the current fiscal year. Prior year funds that were awarded but are currently inaccessible total more than $900,000, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also said that the program was anticipating about $3 million that is typically awarded every July for summer meal program sponsor administration and meal reimbursement.\n\nA federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds last month after finding that Maine was likely to succeed in its legal challenge.\n\n\"The state of Maine went to court and fought this unlawful attempt to freeze critical funding for our school lunch program – and we won,\" said Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in a statement. \"I applaud the work of Attorney General Frey and his staff in representing the state in this action against USDA, and preserving healthy school meals for 172,000 Maine school children.\""
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"value": "# Black bear kills a man and dog near a south Florida nature preserve\n\nMay 5th, 2025 07:36 PM\n\n---\n\nJEROME, Fla. (AP) — Authorities were searching Monday for a black bear that killed a man and a dog in south Florida.\n\nThe attack occurred in a rural area east of Naples, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement.\n\nWildlife officers warned that the animal could still be in the area on Monday, and they advised the public to be vigilant and avoid the area. Local law enforcement and wildlife officers were searching for the bear.\n\nAuthorities didn't say when they think the attack occurred or release the name of the man who was killed.\n\nFlorida's black bears, which were once threatened, have increasingly wandered into neighborhoods and private property in recent years, especially in more rural areas of north and central Florida."
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"from": "gpt",
"value": "# Black bear kills a man and dog near a south Florida nature preserve\n\nMay 5th, 2025 07:36 PM\n\n---\n\nJEROME, Fla. (AP) — Authorities were searching Monday for a black bear that killed a man and a dog in south Florida.\n\nThe attack occurred in a rural area east of Naples, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement.\n\nWildlife officers warned that the animal could still be in the area on Monday, and they advised the public to be vigilant and avoid the area. Local law enforcement and wildlife officers were searching for the bear.\n\nAuthorities didn't say when they think the attack occurred or release the name of the man who was killed.\n\nFlorida's black bears, which were once threatened, have increasingly wandered into neighborhoods and private property in recent years, especially in more rural areas of north and central Florida."
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"value": "# Trump administration sues Colorado and Denver for allegedly interfering in immigration enforcement\n\nBy Thomas Peipert \nMay 3rd, 2025 02:49 AM\n\n---\n\nDENVER (AP) — The Department of Justice sued Colorado and Denver on Friday for allegedly interfering with federal efforts to enforce immigration laws, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on what some call sanctuary cities and policies.\n\nThe lawsuit claims the state and its most populous city, Denver, have passed \"sanctuary laws\" violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.\n\n\"The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters,\" according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Denver.\n\nThere is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help, particularly for large-scale deportations, and requests that police and sheriffs alert ICE to people it wants to deport and hold them until federal officers take custody.\n\nThe Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits against Chicago and Rochester, New York.\n\nJustice Department attorneys argue Colorado's \"sanctuary policies\" allowed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to seize control of an apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora.\n\nLocal officials have called Trump's claims that the gang had taken over large swaths of the city exaggerated, but acknowledged the apartment complex was terrorized, including by people linked to Tren de Aragua.\n\nFriday's lawsuit lists as defendants Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, the state Legislature, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.\n\nPolis spokesperson Conor Cahill said in an email that Colorado is not a sanctuary state and regularly works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.\n\n\"If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid then we will follow the ruling,\" he said. \"We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit.\"\n\nRepublicans in Congress have pressured officials in Democratic-led cities to cooperate with the Trump administration's immigration agenda. Lawmakers summoned the mayors of Denver, Boston, New York and Chicago to testify last month before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.\n\nThe mayors pushed back, defending their communities as welcoming places, not lawless danger zones, and called on Congress to pass immigration reform."
},
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"value": "# Trump administration sues Colorado and Denver for allegedly interfering in immigration enforcement\n\nBy Thomas Peipert \nMay 3rd, 2025 02:49 AM\n\n---\n\nDENVER (AP) — The Department of Justice sued Colorado and Denver on Friday for allegedly interfering with federal efforts to enforce immigration laws, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on what some call sanctuary cities and policies.\n\nThe lawsuit claims the state and its most populous city, Denver, have passed \"sanctuary laws\" violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.\n\n\"The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters,\" according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Denver.\n\nThere is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help, particularly for large-scale deportations, and requests that police and sheriffs alert ICE to people it wants to deport and hold them until federal officers take custody.\n\nThe Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits against Chicago and Rochester, New York.\n\nJustice Department attorneys argue Colorado's \"sanctuary policies\" allowed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to seize control of an apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora.\n\nLocal officials have called Trump's claims that the gang had taken over large swaths of the city exaggerated, but acknowledged the apartment complex was terrorized, including by people linked to Tren de Aragua.\n\nFriday's lawsuit lists as defendants Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, the state Legislature, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.\n\nPolis spokesperson Conor Cahill said in an email that Colorado is not a sanctuary state and regularly works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.\n\n\"If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid then we will follow the ruling,\" he said. \"We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit.\"\n\nRepublicans in Congress have pressured officials in Democratic-led cities to cooperate with the Trump administration's immigration agenda. Lawmakers summoned the mayors of Denver, Boston, New York and Chicago to testify last month before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.\n\nThe mayors pushed back, defending their communities as welcoming places, not lawless danger zones, and called on Congress to pass immigration reform."
}
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62d163acc8d12a92c0712504eda39c356bb9a45ca628a9a580139566079893b1
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"value": "# A man with an open asylum case was deported. His lawyers want to know if there are others\n\nBy Michael Kunzelman \nMay 6th, 2025 10:03 PM\n\n---\n\nBALTIMORE (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia has become a household name as the Trump administration is engaged in an intense legal campaign to keep him locked up in an El Salvador prison despite his mistaken deportation. But his case isn't the only one of its kind inching through the U.S. court system.\n\nNearly two months have passed since a 20-year-old Venezuelan native, known only as Cristian in court filings, was deported to El Salvador despite having a pending asylum application. Now his lawyers want to know if there are others like him.\n\nU.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher stopped short of ordering the Trump administration to produce a list of any others who are in the same legal situation as Cristian. But the judge made it clear during a hearing Tuesday that she won't second-guess her earlier order for the Trump administration to facilitate Cristian's return to the U.S.\n\nGallagher, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, said it is a \"fair inference\" that the administration has done nothing to comply with her April 23 decision. She gave the government until Thursday to appeal her ruling before she considers ordering specific steps to comply with the order.\n\nGallagher said the case isn't about whether Cristian is entitled to asylum if he is able to return to the U.S.\n\n\"The issue is and always has been one of process,\" the judge said. \"People are entitled to that.\"\n\n## How does Cristian's case compare to Kilmar Abrego Garcia's?\n\nAbrego Garcia and Cristian both were deported on March 15. Dozens of other people were flown from the U.S. to El Salvador after Trump issued a proclamation calling for the arrest and removal of Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law.\n\nCristian had been transferred into federal custody from a jail in Harris County, Texas, in January. Abrego Garcia was arrested in Maryland, where he lived with his wife — a U.S. citizen — and their children.\n\nUnlike Cristian, Abrego Garcia is a native of El Salvador. A U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 protected him from being sent there because he likely faced persecution by local Salvadoran gangs that terrorized him and his family.\n\nGallagher ruled that the government violated a 2019 settlement agreement when it deported Cristian. She said she was guided by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis' ruling that Trump's Republican administration must facilitate Abrego Garcia's return.\n\n\"Standing by and taking no action is not facilitation,\" Gallagher wrote. \"In prior cases involving wrongfully removed individuals, courts have ordered, and the government has taken, affirmative steps toward facilitating return.\"\n\nGallagher said her order requires the government to make \"a good faith request\" for the government of El Salvador to release Cristian to U.S. custody.\n\n## What's the latest on Abrego Garcia's case?\n\nXinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, ordered the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return. The judge set May deadlines this month for administration officials to testify under oath about what they have done to comply.\n\nAbrego Garcia's attorneys said the administration was moving toward bringing him back when it asked for a pause in the court case last month.\n\n\"We agreed to that request because we understood it to be made in good faith,\" the lawyers said in a news release. \"Unfortunately, one week later, it remains unclear what, if anything, the government has done in the past seven days to bring our client home to his family.\"\n\n## What's next in Cristian's case?\n\nThe Justice Department is likely to appeal Gallagher's rulings in Cristian's favor. Any appeal would be heard by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In the meantime, Gallagher refused Tuesday to suspend her April 23 decision.\n\nThe judge scheduled Tuesday's hearing to find out what, if anything, the government has done to comply with her order to facilitate Cristian's return. Justice Department attorney Richard Ingebretsen merely told her that the State Department was notified of her ruling.\n\n\"That is the extent of the information,\" Ingebretsen added.\n\nOne of Cristian's attorneys, Kevin DeJong, dismissed that response as a \"non-answer\" and expressed concern that the administration is trying to avoid complying with the judge's order.\n\nIngebretsen said immigration officials have determined that Cristian isn't entitled to asylum. But the man's lawyers said he has a right to get a ruling on the merits of his asylum application by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.\n\nMeanwhile, Cristian's lawyers want to know if the U.S. has deported other people who are covered by the same settlement that benefited him.\n\n\"There may well be other class members removed and we don't know about it,\" DeJong said. \"It's not acceptable.\""
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"value": "# A man with an open asylum case was deported. His lawyers want to know if there are others\n\nBy Michael Kunzelman \nMay 6th, 2025 10:03 PM\n\n---\n\nBALTIMORE (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia has become a household name as the Trump administration is engaged in an intense legal campaign to keep him locked up in an El Salvador prison despite his mistaken deportation. But his case isn't the only one of its kind inching through the U.S. court system.\n\nNearly two months have passed since a 20-year-old Venezuelan native, known only as Cristian in court filings, was deported to El Salvador despite having a pending asylum application. Now his lawyers want to know if there are others like him.\n\nU.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher stopped short of ordering the Trump administration to produce a list of any others who are in the same legal situation as Cristian. But the judge made it clear during a hearing Tuesday that she won't second-guess her earlier order for the Trump administration to facilitate Cristian's return to the U.S.\n\nGallagher, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, said it is a \"fair inference\" that the administration has done nothing to comply with her April 23 decision. She gave the government until Thursday to appeal her ruling before she considers ordering specific steps to comply with the order.\n\nGallagher said the case isn't about whether Cristian is entitled to asylum if he is able to return to the U.S.\n\n\"The issue is and always has been one of process,\" the judge said. \"People are entitled to that.\"\n\n## How does Cristian's case compare to Kilmar Abrego Garcia's?\n\nAbrego Garcia and Cristian both were deported on March 15. Dozens of other people were flown from the U.S. to El Salvador after Trump issued a proclamation calling for the arrest and removal of Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law.\n\nCristian had been transferred into federal custody from a jail in Harris County, Texas, in January. Abrego Garcia was arrested in Maryland, where he lived with his wife — a U.S. citizen — and their children.\n\nUnlike Cristian, Abrego Garcia is a native of El Salvador. A U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 protected him from being sent there because he likely faced persecution by local Salvadoran gangs that terrorized him and his family.\n\nGallagher ruled that the government violated a 2019 settlement agreement when it deported Cristian. She said she was guided by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis' ruling that Trump's Republican administration must facilitate Abrego Garcia's return.\n\n\"Standing by and taking no action is not facilitation,\" Gallagher wrote. \"In prior cases involving wrongfully removed individuals, courts have ordered, and the government has taken, affirmative steps toward facilitating return.\"\n\nGallagher said her order requires the government to make \"a good faith request\" for the government of El Salvador to release Cristian to U.S. custody.\n\n## What's the latest on Abrego Garcia's case?\n\nXinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, ordered the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return. The judge set May deadlines this month for administration officials to testify under oath about what they have done to comply.\n\nAbrego Garcia's attorneys said the administration was moving toward bringing him back when it asked for a pause in the court case last month.\n\n\"We agreed to that request because we understood it to be made in good faith,\" the lawyers said in a news release. \"Unfortunately, one week later, it remains unclear what, if anything, the government has done in the past seven days to bring our client home to his family.\"\n\n## What's next in Cristian's case?\n\nThe Justice Department is likely to appeal Gallagher's rulings in Cristian's favor. Any appeal would be heard by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In the meantime, Gallagher refused Tuesday to suspend her April 23 decision.\n\nThe judge scheduled Tuesday's hearing to find out what, if anything, the government has done to comply with her order to facilitate Cristian's return. Justice Department attorney Richard Ingebretsen merely told her that the State Department was notified of her ruling.\n\n\"That is the extent of the information,\" Ingebretsen added.\n\nOne of Cristian's attorneys, Kevin DeJong, dismissed that response as a \"non-answer\" and expressed concern that the administration is trying to avoid complying with the judge's order.\n\nIngebretsen said immigration officials have determined that Cristian isn't entitled to asylum. But the man's lawyers said he has a right to get a ruling on the merits of his asylum application by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.\n\nMeanwhile, Cristian's lawyers want to know if the U.S. has deported other people who are covered by the same settlement that benefited him.\n\n\"There may well be other class members removed and we don't know about it,\" DeJong said. \"It's not acceptable.\""
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"value": "# SafeSport Center to Grassley: 'Should have been additional scrutiny' on ex-cop's hiring\n\nBy Eddie Pells \nMay 5th, 2025 11:21 PM\n\n---\n\nThe top lawyer for the U.S. Center for SafeSport wrote to Sen. Chuck Grassley that \"there should have been additional scrutiny\" when the center learned a vice cop it was considering hiring as an investigator had been subject to an internal investigation at his last job.\n\nThe center ended up hiring Jason Krasley, who was later charged with rape and other felonies from episodes that happened when he worked as an officer in Allentown, Pennsylvania. About 2 1/2 years after bringing him on, the center fired Krasley when it learned of his arrest for allegedly stealing money seized in a drug sting he participated in while with the force.\n\nThe Krasley affair led to the center's CEO, Ju'Riese Colon, losing her job two weeks ago. It was general connsel Jessica Perrill who responded last week to a letter originally directed to Colon from Grassley, R-Iowa.\n\nAmong Grassley's questions were why the center hired the former cop knowing he was subject of an internal investigation.\n\n\"There should have been additional scrutiny into the concerning statements by the reference, which would prompt additional scrutiny today,\" Perrill wrote. \"Unfortunately, we have been unable to find any evidence of further inquiry by the Center into the internal investigation.\"\n\nPerrill referenced a letter sent March 14 by Colon to Grassley that outlined stronger hiring policies the center has implemented in the wake of Krasley's arrest.\n\nThey include enhanced reference checks and access to the National Decertification Index, which keeps track of officers who have been sanctioned because of misconduct.\n\nPerrill wrote that the center learned on Sept. 4, 2024, of the 2019 theft allegations against Krasley and others involving harrasment from a separate arrest in June 2024. But, she said, the agency took no action because \"law enforcement\" asked the center to not do anything to tip off Krasley about a criminal investigation.\n\nIn the two months between learning about the allegations and firing Krasley, Perrill said the center \"closely monitored Krasley's work.\"\n\n\"Nothing of concern was observed during this period,\" Perrill wrote.\n\n___\n\nAP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports"
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"value": "# SafeSport Center to Grassley: 'Should have been additional scrutiny' on ex-cop's hiring\n\nBy Eddie Pells \nMay 5th, 2025 11:21 PM\n\n---\n\nThe top lawyer for the U.S. Center for SafeSport wrote to Sen. Chuck Grassley that \"there should have been additional scrutiny\" when the center learned a vice cop it was considering hiring as an investigator had been subject to an internal investigation at his last job.\n\nThe center ended up hiring Jason Krasley, who was later charged with rape and other felonies from episodes that happened when he worked as an officer in Allentown, Pennsylvania. About 2 1/2 years after bringing him on, the center fired Krasley when it learned of his arrest for allegedly stealing money seized in a drug sting he participated in while with the force.\n\nThe Krasley affair led to the center's CEO, Ju'Riese Colon, losing her job two weeks ago. It was general connsel Jessica Perrill who responded last week to a letter originally directed to Colon from Grassley, R-Iowa.\n\nAmong Grassley's questions were why the center hired the former cop knowing he was subject of an internal investigation.\n\n\"There should have been additional scrutiny into the concerning statements by the reference, which would prompt additional scrutiny today,\" Perrill wrote. \"Unfortunately, we have been unable to find any evidence of further inquiry by the Center into the internal investigation.\"\n\nPerrill referenced a letter sent March 14 by Colon to Grassley that outlined stronger hiring policies the center has implemented in the wake of Krasley's arrest.\n\nThey include enhanced reference checks and access to the National Decertification Index, which keeps track of officers who have been sanctioned because of misconduct.\n\nPerrill wrote that the center learned on Sept. 4, 2024, of the 2019 theft allegations against Krasley and others involving harrasment from a separate arrest in June 2024. But, she said, the agency took no action because \"law enforcement\" asked the center to not do anything to tip off Krasley about a criminal investigation.\n\nIn the two months between learning about the allegations and firing Krasley, Perrill said the center \"closely monitored Krasley's work.\"\n\n\"Nothing of concern was observed during this period,\" Perrill wrote."
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"value": "# Top-5 race, Conference League push and Salah stats: What's still at stake in the Premier League?\n\nBy Steve Douglas \nMay 9th, 2025 10:56 AM\n\n---\n\nThe title race is done, three teams have already been relegated, yet the Premier League isn't quite limping to the finishing line.\n\nThe race to secure the final four Champions League qualification places, along with champion Liverpool, is maintaining the interest in England's top league with three rounds to go. In fact, it's hardly been tighter.\n\nSix clubs are involved — Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa — and two will miss out on securing a spot in Europe's lucrative elite competition.\n\nAs well as that, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham are in a four-way fight for eighth and qualification for a potential Conference League spot, which would be a big deal to the four somewhat unheralded but improving clubs.\n\nThen there's some individual milestones to reach. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah takes center stage here, as he leads the Golden Boot race for the top scorer and also has his eye on a Premier League assist record.\n\n___\n\nCHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION\n\nArsenal, in second place, is a near-certainty to qualify for the Champions League so more scrutiny is on the five teams below, with third-place Man City and seventh-place Villa separated by just four points.\n\nThe biggest game this weekend sees fourth-place Newcastle host fifth-place Chelsea on Sunday. They are both on 63 points, one below City and two clear of sixth-place Forest, which is at home to already-relegated Leicester on Sunday.\n\nChelsea might have the toughest run-in, having to play Manchester United at home and Forest away. Newcastle also has to play Arsenal away and Everton at home.\n\nCity can go a long way toward securing a top-five finish by winning at already-relegated Southampton on Saturday, before closing games against Bournemouth at home and Fulham away.\n\nForest can put things in its own hands by beating Leicester ahead of games against West Ham away and then Chelsea at home, which could essentially wind up being a Champions League playoff.\n\nVilla closes with a run of Bournemouth away, Tottenham at home and Man United away, and is the outsider for Champions League qualification.\n\nTottenham and Man United are both likely to be more focused on the Europa League final, where the winner also gets a Champions League spot.\n\nOTHER EUROPEAN COMPETITIONS\n\nIf Man City wins the FA Cup after reaching the final against Crystal Palace, there's a strong possibility that eighth place secures a place in the Conference League — Europe's third-tier competition.\n\nBournemouth currently occupies eighth on 53 points, one ahead of Brentford and Brighton and two clear of Fulham.\n\nPlaying in the Conference League should excite Bournemouth and Brentford, in particular, as they have never played in a European competition.\n\nBrighton played in the Europa League in the 2023-24 season, while Fulham reached the Europa League final in 2010.\n\nGOLDEN BOOT\n\nSalah, the newly crowned \"Footballer of the Year\" in England, leads the Premier League's scoring chart on 28 goals — five more than Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. Man City's Erling Haaland has 21.\n\nSalah has either won outright or shared the Golden Boot on three occasions — 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2021-22 — and is set to stop Haaland from winning it three straight seasons.\n\nAnother race will likely be on Salah's mind, too.\n\nThe record for assists in a single Premier League season is 20, held jointly by Arsenal great Thierry Henry and Man City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. Salah is two behind, ahead of remaining games against Arsenal at home, Brighton away and Palace at home.\n\n___\n\nSteve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80\n\n___\n\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer"
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"value": "# Top-5 race, Conference League push and Salah stats: What's still at stake in the Premier League?\n\nBy Steve Douglas \nMay 9th, 2025 10:56 AM\n\n---\n\nThe title race is done, three teams have already been relegated, yet the Premier League isn't quite limping to the finishing line.\n\nThe race to secure the final four Champions League qualification places, along with champion Liverpool, is maintaining the interest in England's top league with three rounds to go. In fact, it's hardly been tighter.\n\nSix clubs are involved — Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa — and two will miss out on securing a spot in Europe's lucrative elite competition.\n\nAs well as that, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham are in a four-way fight for eighth and qualification for a potential Conference League spot, which would be a big deal to the four somewhat unheralded but improving clubs.\n\nThen there's some individual milestones to reach. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah takes center stage here, as he leads the Golden Boot race for the top scorer and also has his eye on a Premier League assist record.\n\n___\n\nCHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION\n\nArsenal, in second place, is a near-certainty to qualify for the Champions League so more scrutiny is on the five teams below, with third-place Man City and seventh-place Villa separated by just four points.\n\nThe biggest game this weekend sees fourth-place Newcastle host fifth-place Chelsea on Sunday. They are both on 63 points, one below City and two clear of sixth-place Forest, which is at home to already-relegated Leicester on Sunday.\n\nChelsea might have the toughest run-in, having to play Manchester United at home and Forest away. Newcastle also has to play Arsenal away and Everton at home.\n\nCity can go a long way toward securing a top-five finish by winning at already-relegated Southampton on Saturday, before closing games against Bournemouth at home and Fulham away.\n\nForest can put things in its own hands by beating Leicester ahead of games against West Ham away and then Chelsea at home, which could essentially wind up being a Champions League playoff.\n\nVilla closes with a run of Bournemouth away, Tottenham at home and Man United away, and is the outsider for Champions League qualification.\n\nTottenham and Man United are both likely to be more focused on the Europa League final, where the winner also gets a Champions League spot.\n\nOTHER EUROPEAN COMPETITIONS\n\nIf Man City wins the FA Cup after reaching the final against Crystal Palace, there's a strong possibility that eighth place secures a place in the Conference League — Europe's third-tier competition.\n\nBournemouth currently occupies eighth on 53 points, one ahead of Brentford and Brighton and two clear of Fulham.\n\nPlaying in the Conference League should excite Bournemouth and Brentford, in particular, as they have never played in a European competition.\n\nBrighton played in the Europa League in the 2023-24 season, while Fulham reached the Europa League final in 2010.\n\nGOLDEN BOOT\n\nSalah, the newly crowned \"Footballer of the Year\" in England, leads the Premier League's scoring chart on 28 goals — five more than Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. Man City's Erling Haaland has 21.\n\nSalah has either won outright or shared the Golden Boot on three occasions — 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2021-22 — and is set to stop Haaland from winning it three straight seasons.\n\nAnother race will likely be on Salah's mind, too.\n\nThe record for assists in a single Premier League season is 20, held jointly by Arsenal great Thierry Henry and Man City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. Salah is two behind, ahead of remaining games against Arsenal at home, Brighton away and Palace at home."
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"value": "# Vance hails 'industrial renaissance' while touring South Carolina steel plant\n\nBy Meg Kinnard \nMay 1st, 2025 09:55 PM\n\n---\n\nHUGER, S.C. (AP) — Vice President JD Vance visited a steel plant in South Carolina on Thursday as he heralded the launch of an \"industrial renaissance\" in the U.S., in part due to President Donald Trump's moves to boost domestic industry.\n\nVance made the trip to Nucor Steel in Huger as part of the administration's events marking Trump's first 100 days in office.\n\n\"I hope every single one of you, you guys in front me, feel a sense of pride, because these are the products that actually make America work,\" Vance told several hundred guests and Nucor steel workers gathered on a gravel lot outside one of the buildings at the company's sprawling facility. \"These are the products that make our citizens' lives better.\"\n\nNucor's corporate leaders have cheered Trump's tariff policies, which have shaken the global economy and proved less popular with other business leaders. The company's stock rose 6% when the Trump administration announced new tariffs on imported steel, though the price has fluctuated since.\n\nAfter an earnings call this week, Nucor CEO Leon Topalian said on CNBC that the company's backlog of orders, which its leaders have said is 25% higher than last year at this time, served as a signal of \"improving signs coming through the economy.\"\n\nIt was Vance's first visit to South Carolina, an industry-rich state that also plays a pivotal role in national politics. Trump won the state's first-in-the-South GOP primary in 2016, which helped cement Trump's role as a frontrunner that year, and he's remained popular in the state ever since.\n\nFrom the stage, Vance shouted out two of the state's elected Republicans in attendance, Lt. Gov. Pam Evette and Rep. Nancy Mace. Both have been supporters of Trump and Vance, and both are expected to vie for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the state next year.\n\nVance, who was accompanied on the visit and factory tour by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, said the 100-day mark for the administration also signaled \"energy dominance,\" adding that there needed to be \"no tension\" between ramping up domestic manufacturing and safeguarding the environment.\n\n\"We have started drill, baby, drilling,\" Vance said. \"It means cheaper gas, and it means an America that is self-reliant.\"\n\nDrilling off South Carolina's coast has long been a controversial issue in the state, which has 187 miles (300 kilometers) of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Trump signed a memorandum in 2020 directing the interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, until 2032. President Joe Biden in January moved to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, a last-minute effort to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.\n\nAfter taking office, Trump said he had directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to undo Biden's ban on future offshore oil drilling on the East and West coasts, saying the last-minute action \"viciously took out\" more than 625 million acres (2.5 million square kilometers) offshore that could contribute to the nation's \"net worth.\"\n\nVance's remarks came shortly after news broke that Mike Waltz, the former GOP congressman from Florida, was out as Trump's national security adviser, weeks after it was revealed that he had added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.\n\nSubsequently, Trump posted on social media that he would be tapping Waltz to serve as ambassador to the United Nations and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take over Waltz's former duties, in addition to serving as the chief U.S. diplomat.\n\nVance mentioned neither development in his remarks. Zeldin did not know about the U.N. appointment until an Associated Press reporter asked for his reaction to it afterward. He thanked the reporter for being the \"bearer of great news\" and said he felt Waltz \"would do a tremendous job\" in the role.\n\n___\n\nKinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP"
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"value": "# Vance hails 'industrial renaissance' while touring South Carolina steel plant\n\nBy Meg Kinnard \nMay 1st, 2025 09:55 PM\n\n---\n\nHUGER, S.C. (AP) — Vice President JD Vance visited a steel plant in South Carolina on Thursday as he heralded the launch of an \"industrial renaissance\" in the U.S., in part due to President Donald Trump's moves to boost domestic industry.\n\nVance made the trip to Nucor Steel in Huger as part of the administration's events marking Trump's first 100 days in office.\n\n\"I hope every single one of you, you guys in front me, feel a sense of pride, because these are the products that actually make America work,\" Vance told several hundred guests and Nucor steel workers gathered on a gravel lot outside one of the buildings at the company's sprawling facility. \"These are the products that make our citizens' lives better.\"\n\nNucor's corporate leaders have cheered Trump's tariff policies, which have shaken the global economy and proved less popular with other business leaders. The company's stock rose 6% when the Trump administration announced new tariffs on imported steel, though the price has fluctuated since.\n\nAfter an earnings call this week, Nucor CEO Leon Topalian said on CNBC that the company's backlog of orders, which its leaders have said is 25% higher than last year at this time, served as a signal of \"improving signs coming through the economy.\"\n\nIt was Vance's first visit to South Carolina, an industry-rich state that also plays a pivotal role in national politics. Trump won the state's first-in-the-South GOP primary in 2016, which helped cement Trump's role as a frontrunner that year, and he's remained popular in the state ever since.\n\nFrom the stage, Vance shouted out two of the state's elected Republicans in attendance, Lt. Gov. Pam Evette and Rep. Nancy Mace. Both have been supporters of Trump and Vance, and both are expected to vie for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the state next year.\n\nVance, who was accompanied on the visit and factory tour by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, said the 100-day mark for the administration also signaled \"energy dominance,\" adding that there needed to be \"no tension\" between ramping up domestic manufacturing and safeguarding the environment.\n\n\"We have started drill, baby, drilling,\" Vance said. \"It means cheaper gas, and it means an America that is self-reliant.\"\n\nDrilling off South Carolina's coast has long been a controversial issue in the state, which has 187 miles (300 kilometers) of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Trump signed a memorandum in 2020 directing the interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, until 2032. President Joe Biden in January moved to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, a last-minute effort to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.\n\nAfter taking office, Trump said he had directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to undo Biden's ban on future offshore oil drilling on the East and West coasts, saying the last-minute action \"viciously took out\" more than 625 million acres (2.5 million square kilometers) offshore that could contribute to the nation's \"net worth.\"\n\nVance's remarks came shortly after news broke that Mike Waltz, the former GOP congressman from Florida, was out as Trump's national security adviser, weeks after it was revealed that he had added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.\n\nSubsequently, Trump posted on social media that he would be tapping Waltz to serve as ambassador to the United Nations and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take over Waltz's former duties, in addition to serving as the chief U.S. diplomat.\n\nVance mentioned neither development in his remarks. Zeldin did not know about the U.N. appointment until an Associated Press reporter asked for his reaction to it afterward. He thanked the reporter for being the \"bearer of great news\" and said he felt Waltz \"would do a tremendous job\" in the role."
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"value": "# Brazilian police arrest 4 suspected of quadruple homicide on a soccer pitch\n\nBy Associated Press \nMay 7th, 2025 04:19 PM\n\n---\n\nRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian police arrested three young adults and one 15-year-old who are suspected of killing four people during a shootout on a soccer pitch in the northeastern city of Fortaleza, authorities said Wednesday.\n\nThe quadruple homicide occurred late on Tuesday in the same area where two sisters who were influencers were killed on May 1. Local media have reported a series of violent episodes in reaction to their deaths, including another shootout on a soccer field with no fatalities, a vandalized bus, protests and shuttered schools.\n\nTuesday's victims were playing soccer when armed people invaded the pitch and fired dozens of shots, killing two on site. The other two later died from their injuries, local news outlet G1 reported.\n\nMilitary police later arrested three individuals aged 18, 19 and 22, with prior convictions for attempted murder, robbery and drug trafficking, the secretariat for public safety and social defense said in a statement. They now face charges of homicide, being part of a criminal organization, illegal possession of a firearm and corruption of a minor.\n\nA 15-year-old was also taken into custody. An investigation is underway.\n\nThe secretariat said the military police will increase its presence in the area for an indefinite period.\n\n____\n\nFollow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america"
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"value": "# Brazilian police arrest 4 suspected of quadruple homicide on a soccer pitch\n\nBy Associated Press \nMay 7th, 2025 04:19 PM\n\n---\n\nRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian police arrested three young adults and one 15-year-old who are suspected of killing four people during a shootout on a soccer pitch in the northeastern city of Fortaleza, authorities said Wednesday.\n\nThe quadruple homicide occurred late on Tuesday in the same area where two sisters who were influencers were killed on May 1. Local media have reported a series of violent episodes in reaction to their deaths, including another shootout on a soccer field with no fatalities, a vandalized bus, protests and shuttered schools.\n\nTuesday's victims were playing soccer when armed people invaded the pitch and fired dozens of shots, killing two on site. The other two later died from their injuries, local news outlet G1 reported.\n\nMilitary police later arrested three individuals aged 18, 19 and 22, with prior convictions for attempted murder, robbery and drug trafficking, the secretariat for public safety and social defense said in a statement. They now face charges of homicide, being part of a criminal organization, illegal possession of a firearm and corruption of a minor.\n\nA 15-year-old was also taken into custody. An investigation is underway.\n\nThe secretariat said the military police will increase its presence in the area for an indefinite period."
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"value": "# White Sox OF Andrew Benintendi departs because of left calf tightness\n\nMay 4th, 2025 10:58 PM\n\n---\n\nCHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi left Sunday's win over the Houston Astros because of left calf tightness.\n\nBenintendi went 0 for 3, but he reached on an error in the fifth. He scored on Josh Rojas' bases-loaded walk with two down.\n\nBrooks Baldwin hit for Benintendi in the sixth, then remained in the game as the left fielder.\n\nBenintendi is day to day. He is batting .224 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 24 games.\n\nSunday's game was cut short by rain in the seventh inning. The White Sox won 5-4 to secure their first series win over Houston since 2021.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# White Sox OF Andrew Benintendi departs because of left calf tightness\n\nMay 4th, 2025 10:58 PM\n\n---\n\nCHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi left Sunday's win over the Houston Astros because of left calf tightness.\n\nBenintendi went 0 for 3, but he reached on an error in the fifth. He scored on Josh Rojas' bases-loaded walk with two down.\n\nBrooks Baldwin hit for Benintendi in the sixth, then remained in the game as the left fielder.\n\nBenintendi is day to day. He is batting .224 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 24 games.\n\nSunday's game was cut short by rain in the seventh inning. The White Sox won 5-4 to secure their first series win over Houston since 2021."
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"value": "# Panama town reckons with dark history of colonialism in Festival of Devils and Congos\n\nBy Matias Delacroix \nMay 4th, 2025 02:36 AM\n\n---\n\nPORTOBELO, Panama (AP) — Red bathed the small Panamanian town of Portobelo on Saturday in a celebration meant to represent a fight between good and evil, and the resistance of slaves and Spanish colonizers.\n\nEvery year, hundreds in the town, which sits wedged between the Caribbean Sea and the region's tropical jungles, take to the streets for the Festival of Devils and Congos. The festival uses dramatic imagery and bright colors characteristic of Caribbean celebrations to capture the historic struggle between slaves during the time of colonization.\n\nMarchers dress with intricate red and black masks, which merges imagery of the devil and Spanish colonizers. Slaves are dressed in color and, protected by angles dressed in white, chase the devils as they dance, eventually converting their oppressors to good.\n\nIt's the culture of memory, the devil representing the culture of the oppressor, or in this case, the white man during times of slavery toward the Blacks, known as Congos, said 34-year-old Eduardo Guadalupe. He said he celebrated in a large black mask, with what appeared to be red and black dotted flames flaring out of the top and the sides."
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"value": "# Panama town reckons with dark history of colonialism in Festival of Devils and Congos\n\nBy Matias Delacroix \nMay 4th, 2025 02:36 AM\n\n---\n\nPORTOBELO, Panama (AP) — Red bathed the small Panamanian town of Portobelo on Saturday in a celebration meant to represent a fight between good and evil, and the resistance of slaves and Spanish colonizers.\n\nEvery year, hundreds in the town, which sits wedged between the Caribbean Sea and the region's tropical jungles, take to the streets for the Festival of Devils and Congos. The festival uses dramatic imagery and bright colors characteristic of Caribbean celebrations to capture the historic struggle between slaves during the time of colonization.\n\nMarchers dress with intricate red and black masks, which merges imagery of the devil and Spanish colonizers. Slaves are dressed in color and, protected by angles dressed in white, chase the devils as they dance, eventually converting their oppressors to good.\n\nIt's the culture of memory, the devil representing the culture of the oppressor, or in this case, the white man during times of slavery toward the Blacks, known as Congos, said 34-year-old Eduardo Guadalupe. He said he celebrated in a large black mask, with what appeared to be red and black dotted flames flaring out of the top and the sides."
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"value": "# US applications for jobless benefits fall last week despite elevated uncertainty over Trump tariffs\n\nBy Matt Ott \nMay 8th, 2025 12:40 PM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week despite heightened uncertainty about how President Donald Trump's tariffs will impact the U.S. and global economies.\n\nJobless claim applications fell by 13,000 to 228,000 for the week ending May 3, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's in line with the 229,000 new applications analysts forecast.\n\nWeekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have mostly bounced around a healthy range between 200,000 and 250,000 since COVID-19 decimated the economy and wiped out millions of jobs.\n\nEven though Trump has paused or pulled back on many of his tariff threats, concerns remain about a global economic slowdown that could upend the U.S. labor market, which has been a pillar of the American economy for years.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Federal Reserve held its benchmark lending rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year.\n\nFed chair Jerome Powell said the risks of both higher unemployment and inflation have risen, an unusual combination that complicates the central bank's dual mandate of controlling prices and keeping unemployment low.\n\nPowell said that tariffs have dampened consumer and business sentiment but that data has not yet shown significant harm to the economy.\n\nThere have been trade developments this week, with the U.S. and Britain expected to announce the framework for trade deal later Thursday.\n\nNo new deals have been reached with America's largest trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and China. Trump has left the highest tariffs in place on China, heightening tensions between the world's two largest economies. Washington and Beijing are sending officials to Switzerland this weekend for an initial round of trade talks.\n\nTrump is attempting to reshape the global economy by dramatically increasing import taxes to rejuvenate the U.S. manufacturing sector.\n\nA contraction has already begun in the U.S., where the economy shrank at a 0.3% annual pace from January through March as Trump's trade wars disrupted business. First-quarter growth was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before Trump's massive tariffs went into effect.\n\nIt was the first quarterly GDP decline in three years.\n\nLike his pledge to institute tariffs, Trump's promise to drastically downsize the federal government workforce has occupied much of the early weeks of his presidency and is still in motion.\n\nIt's not clear when the job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency — or \"DOGE,\" spearheaded by Elon Musk — will surface in the weekly layoffs data. However, the federal government staff reductions are already being felt, even outside of the Washington, D.C. area.\n\nDespite showing some signs of weakening during the past year, the labor market remains robust with plentiful jobs and relatively few layoffs.\n\nLast week the government reported that U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 177,000 jobs in April. The unemployment rate held at a historically healthy 4.2%, however, many economists anticipate that a negative impact from trade wars will materialize this year for American workers.\n\nCompanies that have announced job cuts this year include Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Facebook parent company Meta.\n\nThe Labor Department reported that the four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 1,000 to 227,000.\n\nThe total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of April 26 fell to 1.88 million, a decrease of 29,000."
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"value": "# US applications for jobless benefits fall last week despite elevated uncertainty over Trump tariffs\n\nBy Matt Ott \nMay 8th, 2025 12:40 PM\n\n---\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week despite heightened uncertainty about how President Donald Trump's tariffs will impact the U.S. and global economies.\n\nJobless claim applications fell by 13,000 to 228,000 for the week ending May 3, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's in line with the 229,000 new applications analysts forecast.\n\nWeekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have mostly bounced around a healthy range between 200,000 and 250,000 since COVID-19 decimated the economy and wiped out millions of jobs.\n\nEven though Trump has paused or pulled back on many of his tariff threats, concerns remain about a global economic slowdown that could upend the U.S. labor market, which has been a pillar of the American economy for years.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Federal Reserve held its benchmark lending rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year.\n\nFed chair Jerome Powell said the risks of both higher unemployment and inflation have risen, an unusual combination that complicates the central bank's dual mandate of controlling prices and keeping unemployment low.\n\nPowell said that tariffs have dampened consumer and business sentiment but that data has not yet shown significant harm to the economy.\n\nThere have been trade developments this week, with the U.S. and Britain expected to announce the framework for trade deal later Thursday.\n\nNo new deals have been reached with America's largest trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and China. Trump has left the highest tariffs in place on China, heightening tensions between the world's two largest economies. Washington and Beijing are sending officials to Switzerland this weekend for an initial round of trade talks.\n\nTrump is attempting to reshape the global economy by dramatically increasing import taxes to rejuvenate the U.S. manufacturing sector.\n\nA contraction has already begun in the U.S., where the economy shrank at a 0.3% annual pace from January through March as Trump's trade wars disrupted business. First-quarter growth was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before Trump's massive tariffs went into effect.\n\nIt was the first quarterly GDP decline in three years.\n\nLike his pledge to institute tariffs, Trump's promise to drastically downsize the federal government workforce has occupied much of the early weeks of his presidency and is still in motion.\n\nIt's not clear when the job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency — or \"DOGE,\" spearheaded by Elon Musk — will surface in the weekly layoffs data. However, the federal government staff reductions are already being felt, even outside of the Washington, D.C. area.\n\nDespite showing some signs of weakening during the past year, the labor market remains robust with plentiful jobs and relatively few layoffs.\n\nLast week the government reported that U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 177,000 jobs in April. The unemployment rate held at a historically healthy 4.2%, however, many economists anticipate that a negative impact from trade wars will materialize this year for American workers.\n\nCompanies that have announced job cuts this year include Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Facebook parent company Meta.\n\nThe Labor Department reported that the four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 1,000 to 227,000.\n\nThe total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of April 26 fell to 1.88 million, a decrease of 29,000."
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"value": "# Former Panamanian president Martinelli leaves Nicaraguan embassy for asylum in Colombia\n\nMay 11th, 2025 03:33 AM\n\n---\n\nPANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli left the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City where he had sought refuge more than a year ago after the courts upheld a money laundering sentence against him and headed to Colombia where he has received political asylum, the government said late Saturday.\n\nPanama's foreign ministry said in a statement that Colombian President Gustavo Petro sent Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino a formal note saying that he had granted Martinelli asylum and that Panama had granted the former president safe passage to Colombia.\n\n\"The Republic of Colombia is a State that has historically recognized with the utmost respect, compliance, and promotion the institutions of International Law, including the asylum system within the Inter-American system,\" the statement said.\n\nMartinelli, 73, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering in July 2023 in connection with the purchase of a publishing group. Following the confirmation of that sentence, the former president sought refuge in the Nicaraguan diplomatic mission in Panama after President Daniel Ortega's government granted him asylum. He had remained inside the embassy for more than a year.\n\nMartinelli is a businessman and supermarket magnate who governed Panama from 2009 to 2014, a period of rapid economic growth driven by the construction of major projects such as the first metro in Central America and the expansion of the interoceanic canal. But his government was tainted by accusations of bribery and cost overruns. He was sanctioned by the United States for corruption in January 2023.\n\nMartinelli maintains that his prosecution was politically motivated as he sought to run for a second term of office.\n\nIn 2023, he won his party's nomination to seek the presidency again. However, he was convicted of money laundering, and after the Supreme Court denied his appeal, he was ineligible to run.\n\nUltimately, Martinelli supported his running mate, current President Mulino.\n\nNicaragua granted Martinelli political asylum in February 2024. Panama had refused to grant Nicaragua permission to move Martinelli to Nicaragua.\n\nThe Colombian government had not previously commented on the matter."
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"value": "# Former Panamanian president Martinelli leaves Nicaraguan embassy for asylum in Colombia\n\nMay 11th, 2025 03:33 AM\n\n---\n\nPANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli left the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City where he had sought refuge more than a year ago after the courts upheld a money laundering sentence against him and headed to Colombia where he has received political asylum, the government said late Saturday.\n\nPanama's foreign ministry said in a statement that Colombian President Gustavo Petro sent Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino a formal note saying that he had granted Martinelli asylum and that Panama had granted the former president safe passage to Colombia.\n\n\"The Republic of Colombia is a State that has historically recognized with the utmost respect, compliance, and promotion the institutions of International Law, including the asylum system within the Inter-American system,\" the statement said.\n\nMartinelli, 73, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering in July 2023 in connection with the purchase of a publishing group. Following the confirmation of that sentence, the former president sought refuge in the Nicaraguan diplomatic mission in Panama after President Daniel Ortega's government granted him asylum. He had remained inside the embassy for more than a year.\n\nMartinelli is a businessman and supermarket magnate who governed Panama from 2009 to 2014, a period of rapid economic growth driven by the construction of major projects such as the first metro in Central America and the expansion of the interoceanic canal. But his government was tainted by accusations of bribery and cost overruns. He was sanctioned by the United States for corruption in January 2023.\n\nMartinelli maintains that his prosecution was politically motivated as he sought to run for a second term of office.\n\nIn 2023, he won his party's nomination to seek the presidency again. However, he was convicted of money laundering, and after the Supreme Court denied his appeal, he was ineligible to run.\n\nUltimately, Martinelli supported his running mate, current President Mulino.\n\nNicaragua granted Martinelli political asylum in February 2024. Panama had refused to grant Nicaragua permission to move Martinelli to Nicaragua.\n\nThe Colombian government had not previously commented on the matter."
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"value": "# At least 20 people killed in Sudan after a suspected drone strike hits a prison\n\nBy Samy Magdy \nMay 10th, 2025 11:10 AM\n\n---\n\nCAIRO (AP) — A suspected drone strike launched by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces hit a prison in the southern region of Kordofan on Saturday and killed at least 20 inmates, authorities said.\n\nFifty other detainees were wounded in the attack on the main prison in Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan, Information Minister Khalid Aleiser said in a statement.\n\nAleiser, who is also the spokesman of the military-allied government, accused the Rapid Support Forces for the attack, which came as the militia escalates drone strikes on the military-held areas across the country.\n\nSudan plunged into civil war on April 15, 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country. Obeid is 363 kilometers (225 miles) south of Khartoum.\n\nThere was no immediate comment from the RSF, which earlier this month launched multi-day drone attack on Port Sudan, the Red Sea city serving as an interim seat for the Sudanese government. The strikes hit the city's airports, maritime port and other facilities including fuel storages.\n\nThe military earlier struck Nyala airport in South Darfur, where the RSF receives foreign military assistance, including drones. Local media say dozens of RSF officers were killed in last week's strike.\n\nIn the western region of Darfur, an artillery attack by the RSF on Friday on a camp for displaced people killed at least 14, according to the Emergency Room, an activist group tracking the war. The dead included two parents, their eight children and the children's grandmother, the group said.\n\nThe RSF has launched nearly daily attacks on the camp and the nearby city of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, which the paramilitaries have attempted to seize for more than a year.\n\nLast month the RSF rampaged through Sudan's largest camp for displaced, Zamzam, killing more than 400 people. The militia took control of the camp, pushing its population to flee.\n\nThe war has killed at least 24,000 people, though the number is likely far higher. It has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who crossed into neighboring countries. Parts of the country have been pushed into famine.\n\nThe fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups."
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"value": "# At least 20 people killed in Sudan after a suspected drone strike hits a prison\n\nBy Samy Magdy \nMay 10th, 2025 11:10 AM\n\n---\n\nCAIRO (AP) — A suspected drone strike launched by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces hit a prison in the southern region of Kordofan on Saturday and killed at least 20 inmates, authorities said.\n\nFifty other detainees were wounded in the attack on the main prison in Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan, Information Minister Khalid Aleiser said in a statement.\n\nAleiser, who is also the spokesman of the military-allied government, accused the Rapid Support Forces for the attack, which came as the militia escalates drone strikes on the military-held areas across the country.\n\nSudan plunged into civil war on April 15, 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country. Obeid is 363 kilometers (225 miles) south of Khartoum.\n\nThere was no immediate comment from the RSF, which earlier this month launched multi-day drone attack on Port Sudan, the Red Sea city serving as an interim seat for the Sudanese government. The strikes hit the city's airports, maritime port and other facilities including fuel storages.\n\nThe military earlier struck Nyala airport in South Darfur, where the RSF receives foreign military assistance, including drones. Local media say dozens of RSF officers were killed in last week's strike.\n\nIn the western region of Darfur, an artillery attack by the RSF on Friday on a camp for displaced people killed at least 14, according to the Emergency Room, an activist group tracking the war. The dead included two parents, their eight children and the children's grandmother, the group said.\n\nThe RSF has launched nearly daily attacks on the camp and the nearby city of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, which the paramilitaries have attempted to seize for more than a year.\n\nLast month the RSF rampaged through Sudan's largest camp for displaced, Zamzam, killing more than 400 people. The militia took control of the camp, pushing its population to flee.\n\nThe war has killed at least 24,000 people, though the number is likely far higher. It has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who crossed into neighboring countries. Parts of the country have been pushed into famine.\n\nThe fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups."
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"value": "# Quakers march against Trump's crackdown on immigrants carrying on their long faith tradition\n\nBy Luis Andres Henao \nMay 10th, 2025 11:34 AM\n\n---\n\nPRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — A group of Quakers are marching more than 300 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate against the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants.\n\nThe march extends a long tradition of Quaker activism. Historically, Quakers have been involved in peaceful protests to end wars and slavery, and support women's voting rights in line with their commitment to justice and peace. Far more recently, Quakers sued the federal government earlier this year over immigration agents' ability to make arrests at houses of worship.\n\nOrganizers of the march say their protest seeks to show solidarity with migrants and other groups that are being targeted by President Donald Trump's administration.\n\n\"It feels really daunting to be up against such critical and large and in some ways existential threats,\" said Jess Hobbs Pifer, a 25-year-old Quaker and march organizer, who said she felt \"a connection\" to the faith's long history of activism.\n\n\"I just have to put one foot in front of the other to move towards something better, something more true to what Quakers before us saw for this country and what people saw for the American Experiment, the American dream,\" she said.\n\nTheir goal is to walk south from the Flushing Quaker Meeting House — across New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania — to the U.S. Capitol to deliver a copy of the \"Flushing Remonstrance\" — a 17th century document that called for religious freedom and opposed a ban on Quaker worship.\n\nQuakers say it remains relevant in 2025 as a reminder to \"uphold the guiding principle that all are welcome.\"\n\n\"We really saw a common thread between the ways that the administration is sort of flying against the norms and ideals of constitutional law and equality before the law,\" said Max Goodman, 28, a Quaker, who joined the march.\n\n\"Even when they aren't breaking rules explicitly, they're really engaging in bad faith with the spirit of pluralism, tolerance and respect for human dignity that undergirds our founding documents as Americans and also shows up in this document that's really important in New York Quaker history.\"\n\n## A Quaker history of resistance\n\nThe Religious Society of Friends — best known as the Quakers — originated in 17th century England.\n\nThe Christian group was founded by George Fox, an Englishman who objected to Anglican emphasis on ceremony. In the 1640s, he said he heard a voice that led him to develop a personal relationship with Christ, described as the Inner Light.\n\nFox taught that the Inner Light emancipates a person from adherence to any creed, ecclesiastical authority or ritual forms.\n\nBrought to court for opposing the established church, Fox tangled with a judge who derided him as a \"quaker\" in reference to his agitation over religious matters.\n\nFollowing the faith's core beliefs in nonviolence and justice, Quakers have demonstrated for the abolition of slavery, in favor of the suffrage movement, against both World Wars, and the U.S. role in the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan, said Ross Brubeck, 38, one of the Quaker march organizers.\n\nThey also joined protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle and the Black Lives Matter protests after the 2020 killing of George Floyd.\n\n\"Within the DNA of Quakerism is actions speaking out against authority,\" said Brubeck, who was marching along a trail in New Jersey with companions waving an upside-down American flag — intended to serve as a signal of distress.\n\n\"Quakers have had a central role in opposition to repression within the United States since its founding,\" Brubeck said.\n\nThe basic unit of Quaker organization is the weekly meeting, which corresponds to the congregation in other churches. Quakers gather for silent worship in meeting houses, where they wait for a message from God to move through them until they speak.\n\nWhen Brubeck and his group reached downtown Princeton, they were met by members of the local Quaker group, who praised them for their effort and guided them to their meeting house. After taking their shoes off their blistery feet, some rested on wooden pews and later prayed in silence, holding hands in a circle in preparation for another long walk.\n\n\"I felt humbled by their presence knowing what a long way they've been walking,\" said Casey Oware, a member of the Princeton Friends Meeting. \"And also a sense of connection knowing that we're fighting for the same thing.\"\n\nHer friend, Marae McGhee, a retired teacher and member of the local Quaker group, agreed: \"It's such a disturbing time and I think a lot of people feel that there's little they can do. But these folks are doing it — they're giving their feet and their energy.\"\n\n## Quaker beliefs and a lawsuit challenge to Trump\n\nQuaker practices and beliefs vary from a more Bible-centered Christianity, with pastors as worship leaders, to a more liberal approach with less structured worship and a wide range of teachings.\n\nOne the most well-known Quakers was William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania following the faith's emphasis on religious tolerance; the group became influential in cities like Philadelphia.\n\nBut members of the group have also faced scorn for refusing to join wars due to their belief in pacifism and nonviolence. Some were persecuted and even killed for trying to spread their religious beliefs.\n\nEarlier this year, five Quaker congregations filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration move giving immigration agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship.\n\nThe Quaker groups were later joined by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and a Sikh temple. Following that, more than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans — ranging from the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism to the Mennonites — filed a similar lawsuit, but a federal judge ruled against them last month.\n\nDuring the presidential campaign, Donald Trump insisted that immigrants were an existential threat to America. Immigration into the U.S., both legal and illegal, surged during President Joe Biden's administration, and Trump assailed that influx in ways that proved powerful with voters.\n\nSince returning to the White House, Trump has launched a campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him.\n\n\"Immigrants are the ones experiencing the most acute persecution in the United States,\" Brubeck said. \"The message to Trump is that the power is not his to make.\"\n\n__\n\nAssociated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content."
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"value": "# Quakers march against Trump's crackdown on immigrants carrying on their long faith tradition\n\nBy Luis Andres Henao \nMay 10th, 2025 11:34 AM\n\n---\n\nPRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — A group of Quakers are marching more than 300 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate against the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants.\n\nThe march extends a long tradition of Quaker activism. Historically, Quakers have been involved in peaceful protests to end wars and slavery, and support women's voting rights in line with their commitment to justice and peace. Far more recently, Quakers sued the federal government earlier this year over immigration agents' ability to make arrests at houses of worship.\n\nOrganizers of the march say their protest seeks to show solidarity with migrants and other groups that are being targeted by President Donald Trump's administration.\n\n\"It feels really daunting to be up against such critical and large and in some ways existential threats,\" said Jess Hobbs Pifer, a 25-year-old Quaker and march organizer, who said she felt \"a connection\" to the faith's long history of activism.\n\n\"I just have to put one foot in front of the other to move towards something better, something more true to what Quakers before us saw for this country and what people saw for the American Experiment, the American dream,\" she said.\n\nTheir goal is to walk south from the Flushing Quaker Meeting House — across New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania — to the U.S. Capitol to deliver a copy of the \"Flushing Remonstrance\" — a 17th century document that called for religious freedom and opposed a ban on Quaker worship.\n\nQuakers say it remains relevant in 2025 as a reminder to \"uphold the guiding principle that all are welcome.\"\n\n\"We really saw a common thread between the ways that the administration is sort of flying against the norms and ideals of constitutional law and equality before the law,\" said Max Goodman, 28, a Quaker, who joined the march.\n\n\"Even when they aren't breaking rules explicitly, they're really engaging in bad faith with the spirit of pluralism, tolerance and respect for human dignity that undergirds our founding documents as Americans and also shows up in this document that's really important in New York Quaker history.\"\n\n## A Quaker history of resistance\n\nThe Religious Society of Friends — best known as the Quakers — originated in 17th century England.\n\nThe Christian group was founded by George Fox, an Englishman who objected to Anglican emphasis on ceremony. In the 1640s, he said he heard a voice that led him to develop a personal relationship with Christ, described as the Inner Light.\n\nFox taught that the Inner Light emancipates a person from adherence to any creed, ecclesiastical authority or ritual forms.\n\nBrought to court for opposing the established church, Fox tangled with a judge who derided him as a \"quaker\" in reference to his agitation over religious matters.\n\nFollowing the faith's core beliefs in nonviolence and justice, Quakers have demonstrated for the abolition of slavery, in favor of the suffrage movement, against both World Wars, and the U.S. role in the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan, said Ross Brubeck, 38, one of the Quaker march organizers.\n\nThey also joined protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle and the Black Lives Matter protests after the 2020 killing of George Floyd.\n\n\"Within the DNA of Quakerism is actions speaking out against authority,\" said Brubeck, who was marching along a trail in New Jersey with companions waving an upside-down American flag — intended to serve as a signal of distress.\n\n\"Quakers have had a central role in opposition to repression within the United States since its founding,\" Brubeck said.\n\nThe basic unit of Quaker organization is the weekly meeting, which corresponds to the congregation in other churches. Quakers gather for silent worship in meeting houses, where they wait for a message from God to move through them until they speak.\n\nWhen Brubeck and his group reached downtown Princeton, they were met by members of the local Quaker group, who praised them for their effort and guided them to their meeting house. After taking their shoes off their blistery feet, some rested on wooden pews and later prayed in silence, holding hands in a circle in preparation for another long walk.\n\n\"I felt humbled by their presence knowing what a long way they've been walking,\" said Casey Oware, a member of the Princeton Friends Meeting. \"And also a sense of connection knowing that we're fighting for the same thing.\"\n\nHer friend, Marae McGhee, a retired teacher and member of the local Quaker group, agreed: \"It's such a disturbing time and I think a lot of people feel that there's little they can do. But these folks are doing it — they're giving their feet and their energy.\"\n\n## Quaker beliefs and a lawsuit challenge to Trump\n\nQuaker practices and beliefs vary from a more Bible-centered Christianity, with pastors as worship leaders, to a more liberal approach with less structured worship and a wide range of teachings.\n\nOne the most well-known Quakers was William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania following the faith's emphasis on religious tolerance; the group became influential in cities like Philadelphia.\n\nBut members of the group have also faced scorn for refusing to join wars due to their belief in pacifism and nonviolence. Some were persecuted and even killed for trying to spread their religious beliefs.\n\nEarlier this year, five Quaker congregations filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration move giving immigration agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship.\n\nThe Quaker groups were later joined by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and a Sikh temple. Following that, more than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans — ranging from the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism to the Mennonites — filed a similar lawsuit, but a federal judge ruled against them last month.\n\nDuring the presidential campaign, Donald Trump insisted that immigrants were an existential threat to America. Immigration into the U.S., both legal and illegal, surged during President Joe Biden's administration, and Trump assailed that influx in ways that proved powerful with voters.\n\nSince returning to the White House, Trump has launched a campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him.\n\n\"Immigrants are the ones experiencing the most acute persecution in the United States,\" Brubeck said. \"The message to Trump is that the power is not his to make.\""
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"value": "# Columbus Crew top Charlotte FC 4-2 to maintain Eastern Conference lead\n\nMay 4th, 2025 02:13 AM\n\n---\n\nCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dylan Chambost scored the game's first goal and helped lead a balanced attack by the Eastern Conference leading Columbus Crew who beat Charlotte FC 4-2 on Saturday.\n\nChambost scored with a left-footed shot from the center of the box at 25 minutes to put Columbus (7-1-3) ahead 1-0. Chambost put it in from short distance after Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina failed to secure a save on a shot by Diego Rossi. Kahlina also failed to clear the zone and kicked it back to the Crew to set up the score.\n\nRossi made it 2-0 on a penalty kick at 39 minutes following a foul by Liel Abada.\n\nWilfried Zaha put Charlotte (6-4-1) on the board with a penalty kick in the second minute of extra time in the first half shaving the deficit to a goal.\n\nAziel Jackson made it a two-goal advantage again with a shot from the center of the box with a right boot at the 51st.\n\nAbada atoned for his earlier foul scoring at the 64th from the right side of the box to get Charlotte within 3-2.\n\nJacen Russell-Rowe's header at the 81st put the Crew back up a pair to end the scoring.\n\n___\n\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer"
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"value": "# Columbus Crew top Charlotte FC 4-2 to maintain Eastern Conference lead\n\nMay 4th, 2025 02:13 AM\n\n---\n\nCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dylan Chambost scored the game's first goal and helped lead a balanced attack by the Eastern Conference leading Columbus Crew who beat Charlotte FC 4-2 on Saturday.\n\nChambost scored with a left-footed shot from the center of the box at 25 minutes to put Columbus (7-1-3) ahead 1-0. Chambost put it in from short distance after Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina failed to secure a save on a shot by Diego Rossi. Kahlina also failed to clear the zone and kicked it back to the Crew to set up the score.\n\nRossi made it 2-0 on a penalty kick at 39 minutes following a foul by Liel Abada.\n\nWilfried Zaha put Charlotte (6-4-1) on the board with a penalty kick in the second minute of extra time in the first half shaving the deficit to a goal.\n\nAziel Jackson made it a two-goal advantage again with a shot from the center of the box with a right boot at the 51st.\n\nAbada atoned for his earlier foul scoring at the 64th from the right side of the box to get Charlotte within 3-2.\n\nJacen Russell-Rowe's header at the 81st put the Crew back up a pair to end the scoring."
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"value": "# Witt and Wacha lead Royals to 2-1 victory over White Sox\n\nBy David Smale \nMay 8th, 2025 02:07 AM\n\n---\n\nKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-run homer to give Michael Wacha all the support he needed as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Wednesday night.\n\nIt was the third straight quality start for Wacha (2-4), who allowed just three hits in seven innings, walked one and struck out five.\n\nThe Royals, who won for the 14th time in their last 16 games, lead the majors with 18 quality starts.\n\nThe White Sox got a run in the ninth off Carlos Estévez on a single by Luis Robert, but left the tying run stranded at third. Estévez allowed one run and three hits, but struck out two, including Josh Rojas for the final out to earn his 11th save.\n\nJonathan Cannon (2-4) took the loss, allowing two runs and nine hits in six innings.\n\nThe White Sox have lost nine straight against Kansas City and 10 in a row at Kauffman Stadium. Both are franchise records against the Royals and in Kansas City.\n\nBoth starting pitchers were effective early on a damp, cool night. With a mist falling and game-time temperatures in the low 60s, Wacha and Cannon each threw four scoreless innings.\n\nBut while Wacha threw up another zero in the top of the fifth, Cannon ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning. Luke Maile led off with a single and, with two outs, Witt hit his fifth homer of the season to left field.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe White Sox had runners on first and second with two outs in the second inning, but Wacha got Lenyn Sosa to line out to right. That was Chicago's only inning with two runners on base against Wacha.\n\n## Key stat\n\nThe Royals have scored four runs or fewer in 32 of 38 games this season. They're 16-16 in those games.\n\n## Up next\n\nThe White Sox and Royals will conclude their four-game series with an afternoon game Thursday. RHP Davis Martin (1-3, 3.52 ERA) will start for Chicago, while Kansas City will counter with LHP Kris Bubic (3-2, 1.98).\n\n— AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB"
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"value": "# Witt and Wacha lead Royals to 2-1 victory over White Sox\n\nBy David Smale \nMay 8th, 2025 02:07 AM\n\n---\n\nKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-run homer to give Michael Wacha all the support he needed as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Wednesday night.\n\nIt was the third straight quality start for Wacha (2-4), who allowed just three hits in seven innings, walked one and struck out five.\n\nThe Royals, who won for the 14th time in their last 16 games, lead the majors with 18 quality starts.\n\nThe White Sox got a run in the ninth off Carlos Estévez on a single by Luis Robert, but left the tying run stranded at third. Estévez allowed one run and three hits, but struck out two, including Josh Rojas for the final out to earn his 11th save.\n\nJonathan Cannon (2-4) took the loss, allowing two runs and nine hits in six innings.\n\nThe White Sox have lost nine straight against Kansas City and 10 in a row at Kauffman Stadium. Both are franchise records against the Royals and in Kansas City.\n\nBoth starting pitchers were effective early on a damp, cool night. With a mist falling and game-time temperatures in the low 60s, Wacha and Cannon each threw four scoreless innings.\n\nBut while Wacha threw up another zero in the top of the fifth, Cannon ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning. Luke Maile led off with a single and, with two outs, Witt hit his fifth homer of the season to left field.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe White Sox had runners on first and second with two outs in the second inning, but Wacha got Lenyn Sosa to line out to right. That was Chicago's only inning with two runners on base against Wacha.\n\n## Key stat\n\nThe Royals have scored four runs or fewer in 32 of 38 games this season. They're 16-16 in those games.\n\n## Up next\n\nThe White Sox and Royals will conclude their four-game series with an afternoon game Thursday. RHP Davis Martin (1-3, 3.52 ERA) will start for Chicago, while Kansas City will counter with LHP Kris Bubic (3-2, 1.98)."
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"value": "# Warren Buffett's best and worst investments in his 60 years leading Berkshire Hathaway\n\nBy Josh Funk \nMay 3rd, 2025 09:01 PM\n\n---\n\nOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Saturday that he wants to step down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year. The revelation came as a surprise because the 94-year-old had previously said he did not plan to retire.\n\nBuffett, one of the world's richest people and most accomplished investors, took control of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 when it was a textiles manufacturer. He turned the company into a conglomerate by finding other businesses and stocks to buy that were selling for less than they were worth.\n\nHis success made him a Wall Street icon. It also earned him the nickname \"Oracle of Omaha,\" a reference to the Nebraska city where Buffett was born and chose to live and work.\n\nHere are some of his best and worst investments over the years:\n\n## Buffett's Best\n\n— National Indemnity and National Fire & Marine: Purchased in 1967, the company was one of Buffett's first insurance investments. Insurance float — the premium money insurers can invest between the time when policies are bought and when claims are made — provided the capital for many of Berkshire's investments over the years and helped fuel the company's growth. Berkshire's insurance division has grown to include Geico, General Reinsurance and several other insurers. The float totaled $173 billion at the end of the first quarter.\n\n— Buying blocks of stock in American Express, Coca-Cola Co. and Bank of America at times when the companies were out of favor because of scandals or market conditions. Collectively, the shares are worth over $100 billion more than what Buffett paid for them, and that doesn't count all the dividends he has collected over the years.\n\n— Apple: Buffett long said that he didn't understand tech companies well enough to value them and pick the long-term winners, but he started buying Apple shares in 2016. He later explained that he bought more than $31 billion worth because he understood the iPhone maker as a consumer products company with extremely loyal customers. The value of his investment grew to more than $174 billion before Buffett started selling Berkshire Hathaway's shares.\n\n— BYD: On the advice of his late investing partner Charlie Munger, Buffett bet big on the genius of BYD founder Wang Chanfu in 2008 with a $232 million investment in the Chinese electric vehicle maker. The value of that stake soared to more than $9 billion before Buffett began selling it off. Berkshire's remaining stake is still worth about $1.8 billion.\n\n— See's Candy: Buffett repeatedly pointed to his 1972 purchase as a turning point in his career. Buffett said Munger persuaded him that it made sense to buy great businesses at good prices as long as they had enduring competitive advantages. Previously, Buffett had primarily invested in companies of any quality as long as they were selling for less than he thought they were worth. Berkshire paid $25 million for See's and recorded pretax earnings of $1.65 billion from the candy company through 2011. The amount continued to grow but Buffett didn't routinely highlight it.\n\n— Berkshire Hathaway Energy: Utilities provide a large and steady stream of profits for Berkshire. The conglomerate paid $2.1 billion, or about $35.05 per share, for Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy in 2000. The utility unit subsequently was renamed and made several acquisitions, including PacifiCorp and NV Energy. The utilities added more than $3.7 billion to Berkshire's profit in 2024, although Buffett has said they are now worth less than they used to be because of the liability they face related to wildfires.\n\n## Buffett's Worst\n\n— Berkshire Hathaway: Buffett had said his investment in the Berkshire Hathaway textile mills was probably his worst investment ever. The textile company he took over in 1965 bled money for many years before Buffett finally shut it down in 1985, though Berkshire did provide cash for some of Buffett's early acquisitions. Of course, the Berkshire shares Buffett began buying for $7 and $8 a share in 1962 are now worth $809,350 per share, so even Buffett's worst investment turned out OK.\n\n— Dexter Shoe Co.: Buffett said he made an awful blunder by buying Dexter in 1993 for $433 million, a mistake made even worse because he used Berkshire stock for the deal. Buffett says he essentially gave away 1.6% of Berkshire for a worthless business.\n\n— Missed opportunities. Buffett said that some of his worst mistakes over the years were the investments and deals that he didn't make. Berkshire easily could have made billions if Buffett had been comfortable investing in Amazon, Google or Microsoft early on. But it wasn't just tech companies he missed out on. Buffett told shareholders he was caught \"sucking his thumb\" when he failed to follow through on a plan to buy 100 million Walmart shares that would be worth nearly $10 billion today.\n\n— Selling banks too soon. Not long before the COVID pandemic, Buffett seemed to sour on most of his bank stocks. Repeated scandals involving Wells Fargo gave him a reason to start unloading his 500 million shares, many of them for around $30 per share. But he also sold off his JP Morgan stake at prices less than $100. Both stocks have more than doubled since then.\n\n— Blue Chip Stamps: Buffett and Munger, Berkshire's former vice chairman, took control of Blue Chip in 1970 when the customer rewards program was generating $126 million in sales. But as trading stamps fell out of favor with retailers and consumers, sales steadily declined; in 2006, they totaled a mere $25,920. However, Buffett and Munger used the float that Blue Chip generated to acquire See's Candy, Wesco Financial and Precision Castparts, which are all steady contributors to Berkshire."
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"value": "# Warren Buffett's best and worst investments in his 60 years leading Berkshire Hathaway\n\nBy Josh Funk \nMay 3rd, 2025 09:01 PM\n\n---\n\nOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Saturday that he wants to step down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year. The revelation came as a surprise because the 94-year-old had previously said he did not plan to retire.\n\nBuffett, one of the world's richest people and most accomplished investors, took control of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 when it was a textiles manufacturer. He turned the company into a conglomerate by finding other businesses and stocks to buy that were selling for less than they were worth.\n\nHis success made him a Wall Street icon. It also earned him the nickname \"Oracle of Omaha,\" a reference to the Nebraska city where Buffett was born and chose to live and work.\n\nHere are some of his best and worst investments over the years:\n\n## Buffett's Best\n\n— National Indemnity and National Fire & Marine: Purchased in 1967, the company was one of Buffett's first insurance investments. Insurance float — the premium money insurers can invest between the time when policies are bought and when claims are made — provided the capital for many of Berkshire's investments over the years and helped fuel the company's growth. Berkshire's insurance division has grown to include Geico, General Reinsurance and several other insurers. The float totaled $173 billion at the end of the first quarter.\n\n— Buying blocks of stock in American Express, Coca-Cola Co. and Bank of America at times when the companies were out of favor because of scandals or market conditions. Collectively, the shares are worth over $100 billion more than what Buffett paid for them, and that doesn't count all the dividends he has collected over the years.\n\n— Apple: Buffett long said that he didn't understand tech companies well enough to value them and pick the long-term winners, but he started buying Apple shares in 2016. He later explained that he bought more than $31 billion worth because he understood the iPhone maker as a consumer products company with extremely loyal customers. The value of his investment grew to more than $174 billion before Buffett started selling Berkshire Hathaway's shares.\n\n— BYD: On the advice of his late investing partner Charlie Munger, Buffett bet big on the genius of BYD founder Wang Chanfu in 2008 with a $232 million investment in the Chinese electric vehicle maker. The value of that stake soared to more than $9 billion before Buffett began selling it off. Berkshire's remaining stake is still worth about $1.8 billion.\n\n— See's Candy: Buffett repeatedly pointed to his 1972 purchase as a turning point in his career. Buffett said Munger persuaded him that it made sense to buy great businesses at good prices as long as they had enduring competitive advantages. Previously, Buffett had primarily invested in companies of any quality as long as they were selling for less than he thought they were worth. Berkshire paid $25 million for See's and recorded pretax earnings of $1.65 billion from the candy company through 2011. The amount continued to grow but Buffett didn't routinely highlight it.\n\n— Berkshire Hathaway Energy: Utilities provide a large and steady stream of profits for Berkshire. The conglomerate paid $2.1 billion, or about $35.05 per share, for Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy in 2000. The utility unit subsequently was renamed and made several acquisitions, including PacifiCorp and NV Energy. The utilities added more than $3.7 billion to Berkshire's profit in 2024, although Buffett has said they are now worth less than they used to be because of the liability they face related to wildfires.\n\n## Buffett's Worst\n\n— Berkshire Hathaway: Buffett had said his investment in the Berkshire Hathaway textile mills was probably his worst investment ever. The textile company he took over in 1965 bled money for many years before Buffett finally shut it down in 1985, though Berkshire did provide cash for some of Buffett's early acquisitions. Of course, the Berkshire shares Buffett began buying for $7 and $8 a share in 1962 are now worth $809,350 per share, so even Buffett's worst investment turned out OK.\n\n— Dexter Shoe Co.: Buffett said he made an awful blunder by buying Dexter in 1993 for $433 million, a mistake made even worse because he used Berkshire stock for the deal. Buffett says he essentially gave away 1.6% of Berkshire for a worthless business.\n\n— Missed opportunities. Buffett said that some of his worst mistakes over the years were the investments and deals that he didn't make. Berkshire easily could have made billions if Buffett had been comfortable investing in Amazon, Google or Microsoft early on. But it wasn't just tech companies he missed out on. Buffett told shareholders he was caught \"sucking his thumb\" when he failed to follow through on a plan to buy 100 million Walmart shares that would be worth nearly $10 billion today.\n\n— Selling banks too soon. Not long before the COVID pandemic, Buffett seemed to sour on most of his bank stocks. Repeated scandals involving Wells Fargo gave him a reason to start unloading his 500 million shares, many of them for around $30 per share. But he also sold off his JP Morgan stake at prices less than $100. Both stocks have more than doubled since then.\n\n— Blue Chip Stamps: Buffett and Munger, Berkshire's former vice chairman, took control of Blue Chip in 1970 when the customer rewards program was generating $126 million in sales. But as trading stamps fell out of favor with retailers and consumers, sales steadily declined; in 2006, they totaled a mere $25,920. However, Buffett and Munger used the float that Blue Chip generated to acquire See's Candy, Wesco Financial and Precision Castparts, which are all steady contributors to Berkshire."
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"value": "# Drake Baldwin drives in the winning run to lift Braves over Reds 5-4 in 11 innings\n\nBy Bill Trocchi \nMay 9th, 2025 02:43 AM\n\n---\n\nATLANTA (AP) — Drake Baldwin hit an RBI single in the 11th inning to drive in automatic runner Ozzie Albies and give the Braves their fourth win in their last five games, 5-4 over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.\n\nScott Blewett (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win.\n\nThe Braves forced extra innings with a two-run rally in the ninth inning. Eli White bunted home Albies with the first run and Michael Harris II drove in pinch runner Eddie Rosario with a single to left field. Harris was 3 for 5 with two RBIs.\n\nTaylor Rogers (1-1) took the loss.\n\nRookie Rece Hinds hit a tie-breaking two-run homer off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead. He was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a walk in his second game of the season with the Reds.\n\nReds catcher Jose Trevino was 3 for 4 with three doubles and an RBI.\n\nSpencer Schwellenbach lasted six innings and gave up five hits, one run, two walks, five strikeouts. It was his sixth quality start of the season in eight outings and came after he struggled against the Dodgers in his last start.\n\nReds manager Terry Francona was ejected in the 11th inning for arguing a caught stealing call at second base.\n\n## Key moment\n\nIn the 11th, Baldwin threw out Blake Dunn stealing to end the inning and gives the Braves a chance to win.\n\n## Key stat\n\nBraves reliever Pierce Johnson has retired 25 straight batters in his last eight appearances covering 8 1/3 innings. He has nine strikeouts during that stretch.\n\n## Up next\n\nRHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 5.06 ERA) opens a three-game series for the Braves at Pittsburgh against LHP Bailey Falter (1-3, 5.06) on Friday. The Reds will continue their seven-game road trip at Houston where RHP Nick Martinez (1-3, 4.19) will face Astros RHP Hunter Brown (5-1, 1.67) on Friday.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Drake Baldwin drives in the winning run to lift Braves over Reds 5-4 in 11 innings\n\nBy Bill Trocchi \nMay 9th, 2025 02:43 AM\n\n---\n\nATLANTA (AP) — Drake Baldwin hit an RBI single in the 11th inning to drive in automatic runner Ozzie Albies and give the Braves their fourth win in their last five games, 5-4 over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.\n\nScott Blewett (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win.\n\nThe Braves forced extra innings with a two-run rally in the ninth inning. Eli White bunted home Albies with the first run and Michael Harris II drove in pinch runner Eddie Rosario with a single to left field. Harris was 3 for 5 with two RBIs.\n\nTaylor Rogers (1-1) took the loss.\n\nRookie Rece Hinds hit a tie-breaking two-run homer off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead. He was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a walk in his second game of the season with the Reds.\n\nReds catcher Jose Trevino was 3 for 4 with three doubles and an RBI.\n\nSpencer Schwellenbach lasted six innings and gave up five hits, one run, two walks, five strikeouts. It was his sixth quality start of the season in eight outings and came after he struggled against the Dodgers in his last start.\n\nReds manager Terry Francona was ejected in the 11th inning for arguing a caught stealing call at second base.\n\n## Key moment\n\nIn the 11th, Baldwin threw out Blake Dunn stealing to end the inning and gives the Braves a chance to win.\n\n## Key stat\n\nBraves reliever Pierce Johnson has retired 25 straight batters in his last eight appearances covering 8 1/3 innings. He has nine strikeouts during that stretch.\n\n## Up next\n\nRHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 5.06 ERA) opens a three-game series for the Braves at Pittsburgh against LHP Bailey Falter (1-3, 5.06) on Friday. The Reds will continue their seven-game road trip at Houston where RHP Nick Martinez (1-3, 4.19) will face Astros RHP Hunter Brown (5-1, 1.67) on Friday."
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"value": "# Ryan Fox chips in for birdie in playoff to win Myrtle Beach Classic and take PGA spot\n\nMay 11th, 2025 11:18 PM\n\n---\n\nMYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Ryan Fox of New Zealand chipped in from just outside 50 feet on the first playoff hole to win the Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, sending him back to the PGA Championship.\n\nFox closed with a 5-under 66 that looked like it might not be enough when Mackenzie Hughes came to the 18th hole with a one-shot lead.\n\nHughes pulled his drive into the trees, had to pitch out and missed a 10-foot par putt for a 67 that put him in a playoff at 15-under 269 with Fox and Harry Higgs, who missed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th with a chance to win for the first time. Higgs shot 68.\n\nGoing back to the 18th for the playoff, Hughes and Higgs found the fairway and each had decent looks at birdie. Fox went from the rough to the collar right of the green. He raised both arms when the chip dropped for birdie.\n\n\"I had a really similar line in regulation and missed the putt right,\" Fox said. \"My caddie, Dean (Smith), said to me, `Remember, this doesn't break that much.′ So I just kind of aimed straight at it, and I hit the spot I wanted to hit. ... To be honest, it never looked like it was going anywhere else, and the rest of it is a bit of a blur from there.\"\n\nHiggs and Hughes each missed their birdie putts.\n\nThe 38-year-old Fox had won three times on the European tour, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship in 2023, and has climbed as high as No. 23 in the world. But he had yet to record a top 10 on the PGA Tour this year.\n\n\"Very rewarding,\" Fox said. \"I haven't transitioned probably as well as I would have liked over to the PGA Tour. It was a tough year last year. I managed to just keep my card. It's been a scratchy start this year as well. I always deep down felt like I could compete with the guys out here. Just haven't been able to put it together. I was very happy to do it this week and give myself a chance on Sunday was nice again.\"\n\nThe PGA Championship was holding a spot in the field at Quail Hollow for the winner of the Myrtle Beach Classic. This will be Fox's fourth straight year playing the major. Hughes was already in the field.\n\nThe victory also gives Fox a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in The Sentry at Kapalua to start next year.\n\n___\n\nAP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf"
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"value": "# Ryan Fox chips in for birdie in playoff to win Myrtle Beach Classic and take PGA spot\n\nMay 11th, 2025 11:18 PM\n\n---\n\nMYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Ryan Fox of New Zealand chipped in from just outside 50 feet on the first playoff hole to win the Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, sending him back to the PGA Championship.\n\nFox closed with a 5-under 66 that looked like it might not be enough when Mackenzie Hughes came to the 18th hole with a one-shot lead.\n\nHughes pulled his drive into the trees, had to pitch out and missed a 10-foot par putt for a 67 that put him in a playoff at 15-under 269 with Fox and Harry Higgs, who missed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th with a chance to win for the first time. Higgs shot 68.\n\nGoing back to the 18th for the playoff, Hughes and Higgs found the fairway and each had decent looks at birdie. Fox went from the rough to the collar right of the green. He raised both arms when the chip dropped for birdie.\n\n\"I had a really similar line in regulation and missed the putt right,\" Fox said. \"My caddie, Dean (Smith), said to me, `Remember, this doesn't break that much.′ So I just kind of aimed straight at it, and I hit the spot I wanted to hit. ... To be honest, it never looked like it was going anywhere else, and the rest of it is a bit of a blur from there.\"\n\nHiggs and Hughes each missed their birdie putts.\n\nThe 38-year-old Fox had won three times on the European tour, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship in 2023, and has climbed as high as No. 23 in the world. But he had yet to record a top 10 on the PGA Tour this year.\n\n\"Very rewarding,\" Fox said. \"I haven't transitioned probably as well as I would have liked over to the PGA Tour. It was a tough year last year. I managed to just keep my card. It's been a scratchy start this year as well. I always deep down felt like I could compete with the guys out here. Just haven't been able to put it together. I was very happy to do it this week and give myself a chance on Sunday was nice again.\"\n\nThe PGA Championship was holding a spot in the field at Quail Hollow for the winner of the Myrtle Beach Classic. This will be Fox's fourth straight year playing the major. Hughes was already in the field.\n\nThe victory also gives Fox a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in The Sentry at Kapalua to start next year."
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"value": "# Hellebuyck and Jets back on road in NHL playoffs at Dallas; Florida seeks to get even vs. Toronto\n\nBy Stephen Hawkins \nMay 10th, 2025 06:33 PM\n\n---\n\nThe latest version of Connor Hellebuyck certainly resembles the goalie that was so dominant in the regular season for Winnipeg. Now he has to go on the road again in the NHL playoffs against Dallas.\n\nFlorida is back in its series against Toronto, avoiding the dreaded 3-0 deficit thanks to Sergei Bobrovsky's eight saves in overtime before Brad Marchand's game-winning goal.\n\nPresidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg and reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida resume their respective second-round series Sunday. The Jets and Stars are even switching to Dallas for Game 3, while the Panthers are home again for Game 4 against the Maple Leafs.\n\nHellebuyck is the odds-on favorite to win his third Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie, and also among three finalists for the Hart Trophy that goes to the MVP of the NHL regular season. But he is 0-3 on the road this postseason, with a .758 save percentage and a 7.24 goals-against-average while not finishing any of the three games at St. Louis in the first round.\n\nSince those road losses, Hellebuyck won Game 7 in overtime against the Blues and split the first two games against Dallas. The Stars got only Mikko Rantanen's natural hat trick in the second period of their 3-2 win in the series opener, then Hellebuyck had a 21-save shutout in Game 2 late Friday night.\n\n\"There were stretches in the first round where I really liked my game, just wasn't in the results. But, built it back better. I like where we're at,\" said Hellebuyck, who had a 25-save shutout at Dallas the final week of the regular season. \"The team in front of me is playing phenomenal, so, we're going to have fun. Just continue to have fun.\"\n\nThere's still a hill to climb for the Panthers after their 5-4 win in Game 3 — and they will have to win at least one game in Toronto to advance — but there's new life in Sunrise going into Game 4.\n\n\"The context changes up until the puck dropping (Sunday),\" Florida coach Paul Maurice said. \"The eight teams that are left are all legitimate teams. They can all win.\"\n\n## Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars\n\nWhen/Where to Watch: Game 3, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EDT (TBS/truTV/Max)\n\nSeries: Tied 1-1.\n\nThe Stars took over home-ice advantage when finally winning a Game 1 in their eight postseason series with coach Pete DeBoer over the past three seasons. They never really gave themselves a chance in Game 2, when Tyler Sequin's double-minor penalty only 17 seconds in set up the Jets for fast 1-0 lead that they doubled 3 1/2 minutes later.\n\n\"They score on the power play and then one goes off our own skate into the net, and you're down 2-0. ... That's a big hole in this rink. Self-inflicted. The one was kind of unlucky,\" DeBoer said after Game 2.\n\nDallas in its last home game overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 against Colorado, when Rantanen had a hat trick as part of a four-point third period against his former team. He had only one shot on goal in Game 2 at Winnipeg, when Stars defensemen accounted for 10 of their 21 shots.\n\n\"We're a resilient group and we have a lot of confidence in our game,\" Stars center Wyatt Johnston said.\n\n## Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers\n\nWhen/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (TBS/truTV/Max)\n\nSeries: Toronto leads 2-1.\n\nToronto has scored four or more goals in each of its last four playoff games, one of three such streaks in Maple Leafs postseason history and the first time that's happened since 1999. They're also the first team to have such a run in this year's playoffs.\n\nScoring isn't the problem. The issue is whether Florida has found its scoring groove as well.\n\nThe Panthers are now 21-0-0 this season — and winners of 52 consecutive games since 2023, including playoffs — when scoring at least five goals. And they needed all five on Friday, with Marchand's OT winner cutting Toronto's series lead to 2-1.\n\n\"It's a battle,\" said Toronto's John Tavares, who had two goals in Game 3. \"Excited about the opportunity that we have on Sunday. We're right there, so just keep going. We know we can be better in a lot of areas.\"\n\nGoaltenders have taken some hits in this series.\n\nThe Leafs said Saturday that Anthony Stolarz, who left Game 1, is progressing but has not resumed skating — indicating that Joseph Woll makes his third consecutive start on Sunday. Woll has allowed 11 goals on 84 shots, an .869 save percentage. Bobrovsky has allowed 13 goals on 81 shots, an .840 save percentage.\n\n___\n\nAP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Sunrise, Florida, contributed to this report.\n\n___\n\nAP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl"
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"value": "# Hellebuyck and Jets back on road in NHL playoffs at Dallas; Florida seeks to get even vs. Toronto\n\nBy Stephen Hawkins \nMay 10th, 2025 06:33 PM\n\n---\n\nThe latest version of Connor Hellebuyck certainly resembles the goalie that was so dominant in the regular season for Winnipeg. Now he has to go on the road again in the NHL playoffs against Dallas.\n\nFlorida is back in its series against Toronto, avoiding the dreaded 3-0 deficit thanks to Sergei Bobrovsky's eight saves in overtime before Brad Marchand's game-winning goal.\n\nPresidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg and reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida resume their respective second-round series Sunday. The Jets and Stars are even switching to Dallas for Game 3, while the Panthers are home again for Game 4 against the Maple Leafs.\n\nHellebuyck is the odds-on favorite to win his third Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie, and also among three finalists for the Hart Trophy that goes to the MVP of the NHL regular season. But he is 0-3 on the road this postseason, with a .758 save percentage and a 7.24 goals-against-average while not finishing any of the three games at St. Louis in the first round.\n\nSince those road losses, Hellebuyck won Game 7 in overtime against the Blues and split the first two games against Dallas. The Stars got only Mikko Rantanen's natural hat trick in the second period of their 3-2 win in the series opener, then Hellebuyck had a 21-save shutout in Game 2 late Friday night.\n\n\"There were stretches in the first round where I really liked my game, just wasn't in the results. But, built it back better. I like where we're at,\" said Hellebuyck, who had a 25-save shutout at Dallas the final week of the regular season. \"The team in front of me is playing phenomenal, so, we're going to have fun. Just continue to have fun.\"\n\nThere's still a hill to climb for the Panthers after their 5-4 win in Game 3 — and they will have to win at least one game in Toronto to advance — but there's new life in Sunrise going into Game 4.\n\n\"The context changes up until the puck dropping (Sunday),\" Florida coach Paul Maurice said. \"The eight teams that are left are all legitimate teams. They can all win.\"\n\n## Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars\n\nWhen/Where to Watch: Game 3, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EDT (TBS/truTV/Max)\n\nSeries: Tied 1-1.\n\nThe Stars took over home-ice advantage when finally winning a Game 1 in their eight postseason series with coach Pete DeBoer over the past three seasons. They never really gave themselves a chance in Game 2, when Tyler Sequin's double-minor penalty only 17 seconds in set up the Jets for fast 1-0 lead that they doubled 3 1/2 minutes later.\n\n\"They score on the power play and then one goes off our own skate into the net, and you're down 2-0. ... That's a big hole in this rink. Self-inflicted. The one was kind of unlucky,\" DeBoer said after Game 2.\n\nDallas in its last home game overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 against Colorado, when Rantanen had a hat trick as part of a four-point third period against his former team. He had only one shot on goal in Game 2 at Winnipeg, when Stars defensemen accounted for 10 of their 21 shots.\n\n\"We're a resilient group and we have a lot of confidence in our game,\" Stars center Wyatt Johnston said.\n\n## Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers\n\nWhen/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (TBS/truTV/Max)\n\nSeries: Toronto leads 2-1.\n\nToronto has scored four or more goals in each of its last four playoff games, one of three such streaks in Maple Leafs postseason history and the first time that's happened since 1999. They're also the first team to have such a run in this year's playoffs.\n\nScoring isn't the problem. The issue is whether Florida has found its scoring groove as well.\n\nThe Panthers are now 21-0-0 this season — and winners of 52 consecutive games since 2023, including playoffs — when scoring at least five goals. And they needed all five on Friday, with Marchand's OT winner cutting Toronto's series lead to 2-1.\n\n\"It's a battle,\" said Toronto's John Tavares, who had two goals in Game 3. \"Excited about the opportunity that we have on Sunday. We're right there, so just keep going. We know we can be better in a lot of areas.\"\n\nGoaltenders have taken some hits in this series.\n\nThe Leafs said Saturday that Anthony Stolarz, who left Game 1, is progressing but has not resumed skating — indicating that Joseph Woll makes his third consecutive start on Sunday. Woll has allowed 11 goals on 84 shots, an .869 save percentage. Bobrovsky has allowed 13 goals on 81 shots, an .840 save percentage."
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"value": "# Colombia president warns of plot to remove him as former ally calls him a drug 'addict'\n\nBy Manuel Rueda \nMay 6th, 2025 11:01 PM\n\n---\n\nBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that an \"international plot\" to oust him from office is underway after his former foreign minister accused him of being a drug \"addict\" for the second time in three weeks.\n\nAlvaro Leyva published a seven-page letter on the social platform X calling for Petro's resignation and alleging that he is \"dependent on substances that affect emotional and mental equilibrium.\"\n\nPetro, who was elected in 2022 and has a year left in office, vehemently denied the accusation during a speech in Bogota, saying he is a \"revolutionary\" who will not be \"enslaved\" by drugs.\n\nLeyva, a seasoned politician and former presidential candidate, first leveled the accusation against Petro in a letter published April 22, in which he said the president \"went missing\" for two days during a state visit to Paris and attributed that to purported drug use. Petro replied that he had taken time off to visit relatives in France.\n\nLeyva doubled down Tuesday, saying Petro also failed to show up at meetings during a 2023 visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as well as a high-profile visit to Chile's Supreme Court while on an official trip to that country.\n\n\"You must recognize, President, that your disappearances and inexplicable behaviors are the result of your sickly condition\" Leyva said in the new letter. \"The president of Colombia, the country of coca, has fallen into the trap of vice.\"\n\nPetro's unpredictable schedule and unexplained absences from official events have long been a source of debate, with the Colombian opposition accusing him of being erratic and unreliable.\n\nOn multiple occasions lawmakers have urged Petro, who once said in a televised Cabinet meeting that cocaine \"is no worse than whiskey,\" to undergo medical examination to prove he is not consuming illegal substances.\n\nAlso Tuesday, Sen. Miguel Uribe drafted a petition calling on the Senate to create a commission of three medical specialists who can investigate Petro's health and help determine whether he \"has a permanent physical incapacity,\" a move that could eventually lead to his removal from office.\n\nThe petition has not been discussed on the Senate floor so far.\n\nPetro said the opposition and Leyva, a former ally, are out to oust him and called it \"an attempt to undermine Colombia's sovereignty, its democracy and the freedom of Colombians.\"\n\nThe president also accused U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, of being a leader of the purported plot, but without providing evidence.\n\n\"Don't try to overthrow the President of Colombia\" Petro said in a message on X. \"Or you will unleash the Colombian revolution.\"\n\nDíaz-Balart replied on the same platform, writing in Spanish that Petro is \"an embarrassment.\"\n\n\"I hope that with professional help you can fight your addiction and get better,\" Díaz-Balart said.\n\nLeyva, who long worked to facilitate negotiations between the Colombian government and rebel groups, supported Petro during his presidential campaign and became foreign minister in August 2022.\n\nHe was removed from his position in February 2024 after the Inspector General's office found him guilty of illegally interfering with a contract for a company to print passports.\n\nPetro said Tuesday that Leyva is \"bitter\" about his ouster.\n\n\"The Inspector General removed him,\" he said. \"But he is trying to take it out on me.\""
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"value": "# Colombia president warns of plot to remove him as former ally calls him a drug 'addict'\n\nBy Manuel Rueda \nMay 6th, 2025 11:01 PM\n\n---\n\nBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that an \"international plot\" to oust him from office is underway after his former foreign minister accused him of being a drug \"addict\" for the second time in three weeks.\n\nAlvaro Leyva published a seven-page letter on the social platform X calling for Petro's resignation and alleging that he is \"dependent on substances that affect emotional and mental equilibrium.\"\n\nPetro, who was elected in 2022 and has a year left in office, vehemently denied the accusation during a speech in Bogota, saying he is a \"revolutionary\" who will not be \"enslaved\" by drugs.\n\nLeyva, a seasoned politician and former presidential candidate, first leveled the accusation against Petro in a letter published April 22, in which he said the president \"went missing\" for two days during a state visit to Paris and attributed that to purported drug use. Petro replied that he had taken time off to visit relatives in France.\n\nLeyva doubled down Tuesday, saying Petro also failed to show up at meetings during a 2023 visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as well as a high-profile visit to Chile's Supreme Court while on an official trip to that country.\n\n\"You must recognize, President, that your disappearances and inexplicable behaviors are the result of your sickly condition\" Leyva said in the new letter. \"The president of Colombia, the country of coca, has fallen into the trap of vice.\"\n\nPetro's unpredictable schedule and unexplained absences from official events have long been a source of debate, with the Colombian opposition accusing him of being erratic and unreliable.\n\nOn multiple occasions lawmakers have urged Petro, who once said in a televised Cabinet meeting that cocaine \"is no worse than whiskey,\" to undergo medical examination to prove he is not consuming illegal substances.\n\nAlso Tuesday, Sen. Miguel Uribe drafted a petition calling on the Senate to create a commission of three medical specialists who can investigate Petro's health and help determine whether he \"has a permanent physical incapacity,\" a move that could eventually lead to his removal from office.\n\nThe petition has not been discussed on the Senate floor so far.\n\nPetro said the opposition and Leyva, a former ally, are out to oust him and called it \"an attempt to undermine Colombia's sovereignty, its democracy and the freedom of Colombians.\"\n\nThe president also accused U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, of being a leader of the purported plot, but without providing evidence.\n\n\"Don't try to overthrow the President of Colombia\" Petro said in a message on X. \"Or you will unleash the Colombian revolution.\"\n\nDíaz-Balart replied on the same platform, writing in Spanish that Petro is \"an embarrassment.\"\n\n\"I hope that with professional help you can fight your addiction and get better,\" Díaz-Balart said.\n\nLeyva, who long worked to facilitate negotiations between the Colombian government and rebel groups, supported Petro during his presidential campaign and became foreign minister in August 2022.\n\nHe was removed from his position in February 2024 after the Inspector General's office found him guilty of illegally interfering with a contract for a company to print passports.\n\nPetro said Tuesday that Leyva is \"bitter\" about his ouster.\n\n\"The Inspector General removed him,\" he said. \"But he is trying to take it out on me.\""
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"value": "# Kenyan opposition MP is killed in 'targeted' shooting\n\nMay 1st, 2025 07:46 AM\n\n---\n\nNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan opposition legislator was shot dead in the capital Nairobi in what police have described as a \"targeted and premeditated\" crime.\n\nMP Charles Were was shot on Wednesday night after his car stopped at a roundabout on a busy major road.\n\nPresident Willian Ruto urged police to conduct a \"through investigation\" and said Thursday that those responsible \"must be held to account.\"\n\nWere was in the company of his driver and bodyguard when a motorcycle taxi approached their car, and a passenger disembarked and approached their car before firing at the MP, police said in a statement.\n\nThe legislator was reelected in 2022 to represent Kasipul constituency in western Kenya for the Orange Democratic Movement party.\n\nOpposition leader Raila Odinga described Were as a \"gallant son of the soil.\"\n\nOdinga was President Ruto's main challenger in the 2022 general election.\n\nPolitical tensions in Kenya have simmed down since last year, when the country saw a series of opposition-backed anti-government protests during which dozens of people died. Ruto later appointed members of Odinga's party to the cabinet and the two leaders signed a political pact in March this year."
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"value": "# Kenyan opposition MP is killed in 'targeted' shooting\n\nMay 1st, 2025 07:46 AM\n\n---\n\nNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan opposition legislator was shot dead in the capital Nairobi in what police have described as a \"targeted and premeditated\" crime.\n\nMP Charles Were was shot on Wednesday night after his car stopped at a roundabout on a busy major road.\n\nPresident Willian Ruto urged police to conduct a \"through investigation\" and said Thursday that those responsible \"must be held to account.\"\n\nWere was in the company of his driver and bodyguard when a motorcycle taxi approached their car, and a passenger disembarked and approached their car before firing at the MP, police said in a statement.\n\nThe legislator was reelected in 2022 to represent Kasipul constituency in western Kenya for the Orange Democratic Movement party.\n\nOpposition leader Raila Odinga described Were as a \"gallant son of the soil.\"\n\nOdinga was President Ruto's main challenger in the 2022 general election.\n\nPolitical tensions in Kenya have simmed down since last year, when the country saw a series of opposition-backed anti-government protests during which dozens of people died. Ruto later appointed members of Odinga's party to the cabinet and the two leaders signed a political pact in March this year."
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"value": "# The 49ers bring back tight end Ross Dwelley for a 2nd stint with the team\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 07:43 PM\n\n---\n\nSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers signed tight end Ross Dwelley to a one-year contract on Friday, bringing him back for a second stint with the team.\n\nDwelley originally joined the Niners as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and spent his first six seasons in the NFL with the team before signing with Atlanta last season. Dwelley provides more depth behind starter George Kittle and free agent addition Luke Farrell.\n\nDwelley played all 17 games last season for the Falcons but only had one catch for 5 yards. The majority of his time on the field came during special teams.\n\nDwelley has 45 catches for 523 yards and five TDs in 101 career games.\n\n___\n\nAP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl"
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"value": "# The 49ers bring back tight end Ross Dwelley for a 2nd stint with the team\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 07:43 PM\n\n---\n\nSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers signed tight end Ross Dwelley to a one-year contract on Friday, bringing him back for a second stint with the team.\n\nDwelley originally joined the Niners as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and spent his first six seasons in the NFL with the team before signing with Atlanta last season. Dwelley provides more depth behind starter George Kittle and free agent addition Luke Farrell.\n\nDwelley played all 17 games last season for the Falcons but only had one catch for 5 yards. The majority of his time on the field came during special teams.\n\nDwelley has 45 catches for 523 yards and five TDs in 101 career games."
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"value": "# Syria detains Damascus-based leader of prominent Palestinian faction\n\nBy Bassem Mroue \nMay 3rd, 2025 04:23 PM\n\n---\n\nBEIRUT (AP) — Syria on Saturday detained a prominent Damascus-based Palestinian official whose group was close to the government of ousted president Bashar Assad.\n\nTalal Naji, 79, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, or PFLP-GC, was detained Saturday morning shortly after he left his house with a driver and two guards, a Palestinian official told The Associated Press.\n\nThe official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, added that shortly after Naji was detained near his home in the Mazze neighborhood, security officials came to his home and questioned two unarmed guards for about an hour.\n\nA Syrian government official told the AP that Naji was taken for questioning and should be released later. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media.\n\nThe PFLP-GC became known for dramatic attacks against Israel, including the hijacking an El Al jetliner in 1968 and the machine gunning of another airliner at Zurich airport in 1969. In 1970, it planted a bomb on a Swissair jet that blew up on a flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv, killing all 47 on aboard.\n\nNaji's arrest comes nearly two weeks after Syrian authorities detained two members of the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group identified the two officials arrested at the time as its leader in Syria Khaled Khaled and another senior official Yasser Zafari. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.\n\nUnder Assad, several Palestinians factions were based in Syria and some of them remained after the fall of his 54-year Assad family in December."
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"value": "# Syria detains Damascus-based leader of prominent Palestinian faction\n\nBy Bassem Mroue \nMay 3rd, 2025 04:23 PM\n\n---\n\nBEIRUT (AP) — Syria on Saturday detained a prominent Damascus-based Palestinian official whose group was close to the government of ousted president Bashar Assad.\n\nTalal Naji, 79, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, or PFLP-GC, was detained Saturday morning shortly after he left his house with a driver and two guards, a Palestinian official told The Associated Press.\n\nThe official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, added that shortly after Naji was detained near his home in the Mazze neighborhood, security officials came to his home and questioned two unarmed guards for about an hour.\n\nA Syrian government official told the AP that Naji was taken for questioning and should be released later. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media.\n\nThe PFLP-GC became known for dramatic attacks against Israel, including the hijacking an El Al jetliner in 1968 and the machine gunning of another airliner at Zurich airport in 1969. In 1970, it planted a bomb on a Swissair jet that blew up on a flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv, killing all 47 on aboard.\n\nNaji's arrest comes nearly two weeks after Syrian authorities detained two members of the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group identified the two officials arrested at the time as its leader in Syria Khaled Khaled and another senior official Yasser Zafari. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.\n\nUnder Assad, several Palestinians factions were based in Syria and some of them remained after the fall of his 54-year Assad family in December."
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"value": "# 5 people charged after migrant boat capsized, killing 3, including 14-year-old boy from India\n\nBy Julie Watson \nMay 6th, 2025 05:16 PM\n\n---\n\nSAN DIEGO (AP) — Federal officials filed charges Tuesday against five people in connection to a boat carrying migrants that capsized a day earlier off San Diego's Pacific coast, killing three people, including a 14-year-old boy from India.\n\nThe boy's 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and is presumed dead, the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego said in a statement. Their parents were among four people who were injured and taken to the hospital, including the father, who is in a coma.\n\nThe other two killed were from Mexico, including an 18-year-old boy and another man, according to the Mexican consulate. The 18-year-old's girlfriend, who is 16, remains hospitalized after water filled her lungs, the consulate said. The consulate is working with the families in Mexico to repatriate the bodies of those who died.\n\nNine people were initially reported missing. All but the 10-year-old girl were found late Monday by Border Patrol agents conducting operations in the San Diego area, officials said.\n\nThe search efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard stopped late Monday. Crews combed the area via helicopter and a cutter for hours after the boat flipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the Mexico border. Officials described the skiff as a panga, a small wooden open-air boat used to fish but also commonly used by smugglers to bring people into the U.S. from Mexico.\n\nTwo Mexican citizens were arrested at the beach near where the boat overturned. They were charged with human smuggling resulting in death, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.\n\nBorder Patrol agents found eight migrants after they managed to make it to shore. The agents also identified vehicles with drivers who were waiting to pick up the migrants as part of the smuggling scheme, according to court documents.\n\nU.S. authorities arrested the three drivers, all Mexican citizens, and charged them with unlawfully transporting migrants, according to court documents. One had been deported in 2023 from the U.S.\n\nIt was unclear if any of the defendants had defense attorneys, and they could not be reached for comment. The Mexican consulate said they have not been contacted by any of the accused yet to ask for legal help.\n\nSeven of the eight migrants are also from Mexico and were interviewed by the consular staff.\n\n\"The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business,\" U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said. \"We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.\"\n\nMigrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California's coast. Pangas leave the Mexican coast in the dead of night.\n\nIn 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog. One capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the U.S. coast.\n\nA federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison in 2022 for piloting a small vessel overloaded with 32 migrants that smashed apart in powerful surf off San Diego's coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen others."
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"value": "# 5 people charged after migrant boat capsized, killing 3, including 14-year-old boy from India\n\nBy Julie Watson \nMay 6th, 2025 05:16 PM\n\n---\n\nSAN DIEGO (AP) — Federal officials filed charges Tuesday against five people in connection to a boat carrying migrants that capsized a day earlier off San Diego's Pacific coast, killing three people, including a 14-year-old boy from India.\n\nThe boy's 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and is presumed dead, the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego said in a statement. Their parents were among four people who were injured and taken to the hospital, including the father, who is in a coma.\n\nThe other two killed were from Mexico, including an 18-year-old boy and another man, according to the Mexican consulate. The 18-year-old's girlfriend, who is 16, remains hospitalized after water filled her lungs, the consulate said. The consulate is working with the families in Mexico to repatriate the bodies of those who died.\n\nNine people were initially reported missing. All but the 10-year-old girl were found late Monday by Border Patrol agents conducting operations in the San Diego area, officials said.\n\nThe search efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard stopped late Monday. Crews combed the area via helicopter and a cutter for hours after the boat flipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the Mexico border. Officials described the skiff as a panga, a small wooden open-air boat used to fish but also commonly used by smugglers to bring people into the U.S. from Mexico.\n\nTwo Mexican citizens were arrested at the beach near where the boat overturned. They were charged with human smuggling resulting in death, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.\n\nBorder Patrol agents found eight migrants after they managed to make it to shore. The agents also identified vehicles with drivers who were waiting to pick up the migrants as part of the smuggling scheme, according to court documents.\n\nU.S. authorities arrested the three drivers, all Mexican citizens, and charged them with unlawfully transporting migrants, according to court documents. One had been deported in 2023 from the U.S.\n\nIt was unclear if any of the defendants had defense attorneys, and they could not be reached for comment. The Mexican consulate said they have not been contacted by any of the accused yet to ask for legal help.\n\nSeven of the eight migrants are also from Mexico and were interviewed by the consular staff.\n\n\"The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business,\" U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said. \"We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.\"\n\nMigrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California's coast. Pangas leave the Mexican coast in the dead of night.\n\nIn 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog. One capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the U.S. coast.\n\nA federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison in 2022 for piloting a small vessel overloaded with 32 migrants that smashed apart in powerful surf off San Diego's coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen others."
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"value": "# Man charged with murder in the death of LA-area technical college dean\n\nBy Jaimie Ding \nMay 7th, 2025 12:32 AM\n\n---\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — A security guard was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of the dean of a small technical college near Los Angeles, officials said.\n\nThe dean of student affairs, Cameisha Denise Clark, died at the hospital Monday after being shot Friday afternoon at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology campus in Inglewood, according to family. Another female employee was wounded in the shooting.\n\nJesse Figueroa, 40, was charged with murder, attempted murder and several counts for possessing a firearm as a felon. He also faces gun sentencing enhancements, which can lead to additional penalties when a gun is used during a crime.\n\nFigueroa will appear in court May 29 and faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison if convicted as charged. His public defender did not respond to request for comment.\n\nThe technical college's campus president, Chris Becker, said Figueroa worked for a company that provides security to the school.\n\nInglewood Mayor James Butts said last week it appeared to be an incident of workplace violence, but charging documents did not lay out a possible motive.\n\nClark's family said she had been recently promoted to dean at the school.\n\n\"Cameisha uplifted everyone fortunate enough to cross her path,\" her family said in a statement to KNBC. \"Her leadership, integrity, and deep sense of purpose helped shape futures of countless students from the campus of Clark Atlanta University to Spartan College. She believed in the potential of others even when they could not yet see it in themselves.\""
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"value": "# Man charged with murder in the death of LA-area technical college dean\n\nBy Jaimie Ding \nMay 7th, 2025 12:32 AM\n\n---\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — A security guard was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of the dean of a small technical college near Los Angeles, officials said.\n\nThe dean of student affairs, Cameisha Denise Clark, died at the hospital Monday after being shot Friday afternoon at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology campus in Inglewood, according to family. Another female employee was wounded in the shooting.\n\nJesse Figueroa, 40, was charged with murder, attempted murder and several counts for possessing a firearm as a felon. He also faces gun sentencing enhancements, which can lead to additional penalties when a gun is used during a crime.\n\nFigueroa will appear in court May 29 and faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison if convicted as charged. His public defender did not respond to request for comment.\n\nThe technical college's campus president, Chris Becker, said Figueroa worked for a company that provides security to the school.\n\nInglewood Mayor James Butts said last week it appeared to be an incident of workplace violence, but charging documents did not lay out a possible motive.\n\nClark's family said she had been recently promoted to dean at the school.\n\n\"Cameisha uplifted everyone fortunate enough to cross her path,\" her family said in a statement to KNBC. \"Her leadership, integrity, and deep sense of purpose helped shape futures of countless students from the campus of Clark Atlanta University to Spartan College. She believed in the potential of others even when they could not yet see it in themselves.\""
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"value": "# German spy agency suspends 'extremist' designation of far-right AfD party\n\nBy Associated Press \nMay 8th, 2025 03:30 PM\n\n---\n\nBERLIN (AP) — Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party as a \" right-wing extremist \" movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities.\n\nThe announced pause comes after the party, known as AfD, filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown.\n\nGerman officials have denied that allegation and have faulted what they called the party's \"ongoing agitation\" against refugees and migrants.\n\nThe AfD's co-leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, responded in a joint statement saying the intelligence service's decision Thursday was \"a first important step\" that would help \"counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.\"\n\nThe pause by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution means that it cannot move forward with previous plans to use enhanced tools like video and audio surveillance, and use of informants, to scrutinize the activities of the AfD, which came second in parliamentary elections in February. It does not mean that the intelligence agency has dropped those plans for good.\n\nThe decision, months in the making, came days before the new German government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office on Tuesday — replacing the outgoing coalition led by the Social Democrats' Olaf Scholz.\n\nThe intelligence agency cited a number of pronouncements by AfD officials, including statements like, \"Every additional foreigner in this country is one too many,\" the German news agency DPA reported.\n\nThe U.S. administration has criticized the decision by the intelligence service, prompting a retort from the German Foreign Ministry.\n\nIn a social media post last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification, saying the move to give new powers to the spy agency to watch the opposition amounted to \"tyranny in disguise.\"\n\nThe German Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision resulted from an independent investigation to protect Germany's Constitution and the rule of law."
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"value": "# German spy agency suspends 'extremist' designation of far-right AfD party\n\nBy Associated Press \nMay 8th, 2025 03:30 PM\n\n---\n\nBERLIN (AP) — Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party as a \" right-wing extremist \" movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities.\n\nThe announced pause comes after the party, known as AfD, filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown.\n\nGerman officials have denied that allegation and have faulted what they called the party's \"ongoing agitation\" against refugees and migrants.\n\nThe AfD's co-leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, responded in a joint statement saying the intelligence service's decision Thursday was \"a first important step\" that would help \"counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.\"\n\nThe pause by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution means that it cannot move forward with previous plans to use enhanced tools like video and audio surveillance, and use of informants, to scrutinize the activities of the AfD, which came second in parliamentary elections in February. It does not mean that the intelligence agency has dropped those plans for good.\n\nThe decision, months in the making, came days before the new German government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office on Tuesday — replacing the outgoing coalition led by the Social Democrats' Olaf Scholz.\n\nThe intelligence agency cited a number of pronouncements by AfD officials, including statements like, \"Every additional foreigner in this country is one too many,\" the German news agency DPA reported.\n\nThe U.S. administration has criticized the decision by the intelligence service, prompting a retort from the German Foreign Ministry.\n\nIn a social media post last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification, saying the move to give new powers to the spy agency to watch the opposition amounted to \"tyranny in disguise.\"\n\nThe German Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision resulted from an independent investigation to protect Germany's Constitution and the rule of law."
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"value": "# A jazz club in Johannesburg plays its last songs and laments downtown's decline\n\nBy Louise Dewast \nMay 11th, 2025 04:50 PM\n\n---\n\nJOHANNESBURG (AP) — On a Friday evening in downtown Johannesburg, a world away from the genteel suburbs that include some of Africa's wealthiest neighborhoods, groups of men huddle on a dark street as a security patrol whizzes past.\n\nAround the corner, popular jazz venue the Marabi Club is hosting its last Friday night show before closing down – another victim of the city center's decay and the jarring inequality in post-apartheid South Africa.\n\n\"It's devastating. This is such an iconic space in the inner city and now we have one more reason not to come downtown. It's a true sign of the city's decline,\" said Renata Lawton-Misra, 34, a climate change consultant, attending the concert with her husband, Kyle Schutte.\n\nFor Schutte, the reasons behind the closure are clear. \"Safety concerns,\" said the 38-year-old financial consultant who said he wouldn't normally set foot in the area. Downtown is now known for rampant crime and dilapidated infrastructure after an exodus of white people to the suburbs after the apartheid system of racial segregation ended in 1994. \"True or not, perception is the issue.\"\n\nThe Marabi Club had been part of a wave of investments designed to reinvigorate downtown, in particular the Maboneng district, about a decade ago. It was founded in 2017 by TJ Steyn, son of the late South African insurance magnate Douw Steyn, and Dale De Ruig.\n\nThe club attracted visitors including Jay Z and Beyonce.\n\n\"Look at what we created here with amazing food and music,\" said waiter Emanuel Mcotheli, pointing to the packed room of mainly Black urban professionals.\n\nThe club was named after marabi, a jazz movement that emerged in the 1920s, to honor South Africa's rich musical heritage. Back then, miners and day laborers would congregate downtown and were drawn into illegal shebeens (taverns) by the sound of marabi, repetitive and improvisational keyboard tunes.\n\nThe genre gained popularity through bands like the Jazz Maniacs and influential artists such as Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba.\n\n\"I grew up singing marabi,\" said the club's resident vocalist Mbalizethu Siluma, 40, who sings soul and R&B, inviting the snappily dressed guests to dance after dinner.\n\nDespite the attention the club has received, South Africa's strict COVID-19 lockdown severely hit it and other businesses that hoped to reshape parts of downtown Johannesburg. A succession of short-lived mayors, eight in five years, made things worse as essential public works went undone.\n\nThe neglect of downtown Johannesburg was exposed to international attention in 2023 when a fire in an overcrowded apartment building left unregulated by authorities killed 76 people.\n\n\"We knew it wasn't the perfect place to open a jazz club but we were hopeful that it was on an upward move,\" De Ruig told The Associated Press. \"Ultimately, it was a bit of a false start.\"\n\nHe said the city has provided almost \"almost no support\" and basic requests for better lighting, security and cleaning in the area were ignored.\n\nThe city's government said it could not comment on the reasons behind a private venue shutting its doors, but spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said it was \"unfortunate for the creative economy.\"\n\nFor Lusanda Netshitenzhe, a member of the steering committee for the Joburg Crisis Alliance, a coalition working to end corruption and improve city government services, the Marabi Club's closing represents a broader issue.\n\n\"People unfortunately don't feel safe getting to Maboneng,\" Netshitenzhe said. The area \"once celebrated ... is unfortunately no longer doing well due to continued deep systemic issues, poor urban governance and lack of leadership in the city of Johannesburg.\"\n\nMayor Dada Morero said in his State of the City address this month that \"drastic times call for drastic measures\" and vowed to intensify efforts to revitalize the inner city, including rehabilitating abandoned buildings and installing public lighting.\n\nAny plans for reviving the area come too late for the club and its musicians.\n\n\"Maybe there's something better coming … look at how this place is, Marabi isn't dying,\" Siluma said before hitting the stage.\n\nDe Ruig and his partner are considering moving the club to Steyn City, a gated commercial and residential estate owned by the Steyn family, 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of Johannesburg's city center.\n\nDowntown is left to those who can't afford to leave.\n\n___\n\nMore AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa"
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"value": "# A jazz club in Johannesburg plays its last songs and laments downtown's decline\n\nBy Louise Dewast \nMay 11th, 2025 04:50 PM\n\n---\n\nJOHANNESBURG (AP) — On a Friday evening in downtown Johannesburg, a world away from the genteel suburbs that include some of Africa's wealthiest neighborhoods, groups of men huddle on a dark street as a security patrol whizzes past.\n\nAround the corner, popular jazz venue the Marabi Club is hosting its last Friday night show before closing down – another victim of the city center's decay and the jarring inequality in post-apartheid South Africa.\n\n\"It's devastating. This is such an iconic space in the inner city and now we have one more reason not to come downtown. It's a true sign of the city's decline,\" said Renata Lawton-Misra, 34, a climate change consultant, attending the concert with her husband, Kyle Schutte.\n\nFor Schutte, the reasons behind the closure are clear. \"Safety concerns,\" said the 38-year-old financial consultant who said he wouldn't normally set foot in the area. Downtown is now known for rampant crime and dilapidated infrastructure after an exodus of white people to the suburbs after the apartheid system of racial segregation ended in 1994. \"True or not, perception is the issue.\"\n\nThe Marabi Club had been part of a wave of investments designed to reinvigorate downtown, in particular the Maboneng district, about a decade ago. It was founded in 2017 by TJ Steyn, son of the late South African insurance magnate Douw Steyn, and Dale De Ruig.\n\nThe club attracted visitors including Jay Z and Beyonce.\n\n\"Look at what we created here with amazing food and music,\" said waiter Emanuel Mcotheli, pointing to the packed room of mainly Black urban professionals.\n\nThe club was named after marabi, a jazz movement that emerged in the 1920s, to honor South Africa's rich musical heritage. Back then, miners and day laborers would congregate downtown and were drawn into illegal shebeens (taverns) by the sound of marabi, repetitive and improvisational keyboard tunes.\n\nThe genre gained popularity through bands like the Jazz Maniacs and influential artists such as Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba.\n\n\"I grew up singing marabi,\" said the club's resident vocalist Mbalizethu Siluma, 40, who sings soul and R&B, inviting the snappily dressed guests to dance after dinner.\n\nDespite the attention the club has received, South Africa's strict COVID-19 lockdown severely hit it and other businesses that hoped to reshape parts of downtown Johannesburg. A succession of short-lived mayors, eight in five years, made things worse as essential public works went undone.\n\nThe neglect of downtown Johannesburg was exposed to international attention in 2023 when a fire in an overcrowded apartment building left unregulated by authorities killed 76 people.\n\n\"We knew it wasn't the perfect place to open a jazz club but we were hopeful that it was on an upward move,\" De Ruig told The Associated Press. \"Ultimately, it was a bit of a false start.\"\n\nHe said the city has provided almost \"almost no support\" and basic requests for better lighting, security and cleaning in the area were ignored.\n\nThe city's government said it could not comment on the reasons behind a private venue shutting its doors, but spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said it was \"unfortunate for the creative economy.\"\n\nFor Lusanda Netshitenzhe, a member of the steering committee for the Joburg Crisis Alliance, a coalition working to end corruption and improve city government services, the Marabi Club's closing represents a broader issue.\n\n\"People unfortunately don't feel safe getting to Maboneng,\" Netshitenzhe said. The area \"once celebrated ... is unfortunately no longer doing well due to continued deep systemic issues, poor urban governance and lack of leadership in the city of Johannesburg.\"\n\nMayor Dada Morero said in his State of the City address this month that \"drastic times call for drastic measures\" and vowed to intensify efforts to revitalize the inner city, including rehabilitating abandoned buildings and installing public lighting.\n\nAny plans for reviving the area come too late for the club and its musicians.\n\n\"Maybe there's something better coming … look at how this place is, Marabi isn't dying,\" Siluma said before hitting the stage.\n\nDe Ruig and his partner are considering moving the club to Steyn City, a gated commercial and residential estate owned by the Steyn family, 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of Johannesburg's city center.\n\nDowntown is left to those who can't afford to leave."
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"value": "# The 151st Kentucky Derby could be a mudder's delight with rain in the forecast\n\nBy Beth Harris \nMay 2nd, 2025 07:12 PM\n\n---\n\nLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Derby is tough to win, with a huge field of stampeding horses and 150,000 screaming fans in the stands. Toss in a rainy forecast that could turn the Churchill Downs dirt strip into something resembling peanut butter and it gets trickier.\n\nA field of 19 3-year-olds is set to run 1 1/4 miles for a $3.1 million prize and the garland of red roses on Saturday. Mucking things up is a forecast of 65 degrees (18 degrees Celsius) with a 90% chance of rain.\n\nThe soggy weather isn't just a bummer for those wanting the fairest of track conditions. The Derby is also a big party and fashion show, and rain means pulling out ponchos — no umbrellas allowed — to protect the huge hats and floral dresses.\n\nThirteen of the Derby contenders — including early 3-1 favorite Journalism — have never raced on a wet track. Clods of flying mud hitting their faces could be a turnoff.\n\n\"I may go through three pairs of goggles,\" said Brian Hernandez Jr., who will be aboard Burnham Square.\n\nSix longshots have experience in the muck, with four winning. Coal Battle is 2 for 2, while Japan-based Luxor Cafe is 3 for 4. The others are Neoequos and American Promise, trained by 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas.\n\nThe last Derby run on a sloppy track was in 2019, when Country House won via a disqualification that had nothing to do with the weather. The last muddy track was in 1989, when Sunday Silence won.\n\nTrainer Bob Baffert goes for a record-setting seventh victory in his return from a three-year suspension. He'll saddle Citizen Bull, last year's 2-year-old champion. The colt breaks from the dreaded No. 1 post, leaving him little choice but to get to the front before the rest of the field comes over, potentially cutting him off.\n\n\"We're going to tell him to get out of there like he just robbed a bank,\" Baffert said.\n\nNo horse has won from the No. 1 post since Ferdinand in 1986.\n\nBaffert's other horse, Rodriguez, was scratched Thursday with a bruised foot, moving Baeza into the field. Trainer Todd Pletcher's only entry, Grande, was scratched Friday for the same reason.\n\nHall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen tries to snap an 0 for 26 Derby losing streak with a pair of 20-1 shots: Publisher and Tiztastic. Both are next to each other in the starting gate.\n\nSovereignty, the early 5-1 second choice, won at Churchill Downs last fall. He'll try to snap an 0 for 13 Derby skid for Godolphin, the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.\n\n\"I know he loves this track,\" jockey Junior Alvarado said, \"so I'm sitting on a good run with him now.\"\n\nSandman, the early 6-1 third choice, is the most expensive horse in the field at $1.2 million. Conversely, 30-1 shot Chunk of Gold was bought for $2,500.\n\n\"There's been a lot of expensive horses not pan out and there's been a lot of cheap ones that have panned out,\" Chunk of Gold trainer Ethan West said. \"It's not like he's a big, robust, grand-looking animal. He's very good-looking, but he doesn't look like Journalism, that's for sure.\"\n\nJournalism looked the part of the Derby favorite while training during a mostly rain-free week on the track and breaks from the No. 8 post.\n\n\"The history of the Derby is usually a pretty vibrant opening quarter-mile,\" trainer Michael McCarthy said. \"He'll be part of that, probably just back off the speed.\"\n\nThe Southern California-based colt's mother's name is Mopotism and wanting a name ending in \"ism,\" co-owner Aron Wellman took inspiration from his old gig as sports editor of the Beverly Hills High School newspaper.\n\n\"Now more than ever, in the climate that we're living in, journalists and responsible journalism is so important,\" he said. \"It's so poignant that a horse named Journalism is going to have all eyes on him.\"\n\n___\n\nAP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing"
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"value": "# The 151st Kentucky Derby could be a mudder's delight with rain in the forecast\n\nBy Beth Harris \nMay 2nd, 2025 07:12 PM\n\n---\n\nLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Derby is tough to win, with a huge field of stampeding horses and 150,000 screaming fans in the stands. Toss in a rainy forecast that could turn the Churchill Downs dirt strip into something resembling peanut butter and it gets trickier.\n\nA field of 19 3-year-olds is set to run 1 1/4 miles for a $3.1 million prize and the garland of red roses on Saturday. Mucking things up is a forecast of 65 degrees (18 degrees Celsius) with a 90% chance of rain.\n\nThe soggy weather isn't just a bummer for those wanting the fairest of track conditions. The Derby is also a big party and fashion show, and rain means pulling out ponchos — no umbrellas allowed — to protect the huge hats and floral dresses.\n\nThirteen of the Derby contenders — including early 3-1 favorite Journalism — have never raced on a wet track. Clods of flying mud hitting their faces could be a turnoff.\n\n\"I may go through three pairs of goggles,\" said Brian Hernandez Jr., who will be aboard Burnham Square.\n\nSix longshots have experience in the muck, with four winning. Coal Battle is 2 for 2, while Japan-based Luxor Cafe is 3 for 4. The others are Neoequos and American Promise, trained by 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas.\n\nThe last Derby run on a sloppy track was in 2019, when Country House won via a disqualification that had nothing to do with the weather. The last muddy track was in 1989, when Sunday Silence won.\n\nTrainer Bob Baffert goes for a record-setting seventh victory in his return from a three-year suspension. He'll saddle Citizen Bull, last year's 2-year-old champion. The colt breaks from the dreaded No. 1 post, leaving him little choice but to get to the front before the rest of the field comes over, potentially cutting him off.\n\n\"We're going to tell him to get out of there like he just robbed a bank,\" Baffert said.\n\nNo horse has won from the No. 1 post since Ferdinand in 1986.\n\nBaffert's other horse, Rodriguez, was scratched Thursday with a bruised foot, moving Baeza into the field. Trainer Todd Pletcher's only entry, Grande, was scratched Friday for the same reason.\n\nHall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen tries to snap an 0 for 26 Derby losing streak with a pair of 20-1 shots: Publisher and Tiztastic. Both are next to each other in the starting gate.\n\nSovereignty, the early 5-1 second choice, won at Churchill Downs last fall. He'll try to snap an 0 for 13 Derby skid for Godolphin, the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.\n\n\"I know he loves this track,\" jockey Junior Alvarado said, \"so I'm sitting on a good run with him now.\"\n\nSandman, the early 6-1 third choice, is the most expensive horse in the field at $1.2 million. Conversely, 30-1 shot Chunk of Gold was bought for $2,500.\n\n\"There's been a lot of expensive horses not pan out and there's been a lot of cheap ones that have panned out,\" Chunk of Gold trainer Ethan West said. \"It's not like he's a big, robust, grand-looking animal. He's very good-looking, but he doesn't look like Journalism, that's for sure.\"\n\nJournalism looked the part of the Derby favorite while training during a mostly rain-free week on the track and breaks from the No. 8 post.\n\n\"The history of the Derby is usually a pretty vibrant opening quarter-mile,\" trainer Michael McCarthy said. \"He'll be part of that, probably just back off the speed.\"\n\nThe Southern California-based colt's mother's name is Mopotism and wanting a name ending in \"ism,\" co-owner Aron Wellman took inspiration from his old gig as sports editor of the Beverly Hills High School newspaper.\n\n\"Now more than ever, in the climate that we're living in, journalists and responsible journalism is so important,\" he said. \"It's so poignant that a horse named Journalism is going to have all eyes on him.\""
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"value": "# First-round picks Walker and Pearce headline Falcons' rookie minicamp and revamped pass rush\n\nMay 9th, 2025 09:22 PM\n\n---\n\nFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons' commitment to boosting their pass rush was on display at their rookie minicamp on Friday, with edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., each drafted in the first round, on the practice field.\n\nFree agent Leonard Floyd also was added to boost a pass rush that has been a persistent weak spot.\n\nAtlanta finished next-to-last in sacks in 2024. It marked the third time in the past four years the Falcons ranked in the bottom two in the league in that category.\n\n\"I get beat up all year about not getting sacks, and that's got to change,\" coach Raheem Morris said Friday. \"And the only way you can change that is to change that. And that was a part of the process. Very intentional, going out and trying to fix the edge room.\"\n\nAfter selecting Walker from Georgia at No. 15 overall, the Falcons traded back into the first round to take Tennessee's Pearce at No. 26. The Falcons sent the Rams their 2026 first-round pick as well as second-round and seventh-round selections in this year's draft. The Falcons also obtained a third-round selection from the Rams and then made another deal, moving up in the third round, to select Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.\n\nOn Friday, the Falcons announced Walker, Watts, defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and offensive tackle Jack Nelson signed their rookie contracts. Bowman and Nelson were drafted in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively.\n\nThe Falcons were criticized for giving up too much to get Pearce after signing Floyd and drafting Walker, but Morris said Friday: \"It's very intentional to go out and fix our rush to find ... pressure players.\"\n\nMorris said it was important for Atlanta \"to be able to add three guys that were not here last year that you expect to have significant roles in your pass rush and your pressure players.\"\n\nThe Falcons finished 8-9 last season, their seventh consecutive losing record. Their last playoff appearance came in 2017.\n\nThe Falcons had 41 players at the minicamp, with five draft picks joining undrafted free agents and players in camp on a tryout basis.\n\n___\n\nAP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl"
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"value": "# First-round picks Walker and Pearce headline Falcons' rookie minicamp and revamped pass rush\n\nMay 9th, 2025 09:22 PM\n\n---\n\nFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons' commitment to boosting their pass rush was on display at their rookie minicamp on Friday, with edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., each drafted in the first round, on the practice field.\n\nFree agent Leonard Floyd also was added to boost a pass rush that has been a persistent weak spot.\n\nAtlanta finished next-to-last in sacks in 2024. It marked the third time in the past four years the Falcons ranked in the bottom two in the league in that category.\n\n\"I get beat up all year about not getting sacks, and that's got to change,\" coach Raheem Morris said Friday. \"And the only way you can change that is to change that. And that was a part of the process. Very intentional, going out and trying to fix the edge room.\"\n\nAfter selecting Walker from Georgia at No. 15 overall, the Falcons traded back into the first round to take Tennessee's Pearce at No. 26. The Falcons sent the Rams their 2026 first-round pick as well as second-round and seventh-round selections in this year's draft. The Falcons also obtained a third-round selection from the Rams and then made another deal, moving up in the third round, to select Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.\n\nOn Friday, the Falcons announced Walker, Watts, defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and offensive tackle Jack Nelson signed their rookie contracts. Bowman and Nelson were drafted in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively.\n\nThe Falcons were criticized for giving up too much to get Pearce after signing Floyd and drafting Walker, but Morris said Friday: \"It's very intentional to go out and fix our rush to find ... pressure players.\"\n\nMorris said it was important for Atlanta \"to be able to add three guys that were not here last year that you expect to have significant roles in your pass rush and your pressure players.\"\n\nThe Falcons finished 8-9 last season, their seventh consecutive losing record. Their last playoff appearance came in 2017.\n\nThe Falcons had 41 players at the minicamp, with five draft picks joining undrafted free agents and players in camp on a tryout basis."
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"value": "# Naylor hits an RBI single in the 10th inning as the Diamondbacks top the Phillies 11-9\n\nMay 4th, 2025 10:02 PM\n\n---\n\nPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Naylor hit an RBI single in Arizona's three-run 10th inning, and the Diamondbacks topped the Philadelphia Phillies 11-9 on Sunday to salvage the finale of their weekend series.\n\nGeraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll each had three RBIs for Arizona, which led 7-2 after five innings.\n\nNaylor drove in Eugenio Suárez with his grounder into left field. Tim Tawa hit a sacrifice fly off José Alvarado (3-1), and Perdomo walked to force home a run.\n\nThe Phillies got one back in the bottom of the 10th on Max Kepler's sacrifice fly off Jalen Beeks. With one out and two runners on, Bryce Harper flied out to center and Kyle Schwarber bounced to first.\n\nPhiladelphia trailed 8-6 before rallying in the ninth against Shelby Miller (3-0). Schwarber hit his 11th homer after Miller struck out the first two batters. Consecutive singles for Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm produced the tying run.\n\nMiller did not allow an earned run in his first 13 appearances this season covering 13 2/3 innings.\n\nBeeks earned his first save of the season.\n\nHarper homered in the first for Philadelphia, and Weston Wilson connected for a three-run shot in the sixth. Schwarber extended his on-base streak to 40 games.\n\nJose Herrera hit a two-run double in the fourth to stake Arizona to a 7-1 lead.\n\nDiamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings. He was charged with four runs, three earned, and five hits.\n\nIt was Rodriguez's 12th career game with double-digit strikeouts.\n\nRanger Suárez was tagged for seven runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the season for the Phillies. He had been sidelined by low back stiffness.\n\n## Key moment\n\nAlek Thomas singled and pinch-hitter Gabriel Moreno was hit by a pitch ahead of Perdomo's bases-loaded walk in the 10th, providing a valuable insurance run for the Diamondbacks.\n\n## Key stat\n\nThe Diamondbacks improved to 8-3 in series finales this season, including wins in seven of the last eight.\n\n## Up next\n\nAfter an off day, the Phillies start a three-game series at Tampa Bay. Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.48 ERA) starts Tuesday night against the Rays' Drew Rasmussen (1-2, 2.64 ERA).\n\nArizona heads home to start a three-game series Monday against the New York Mets. Manager Torey Lovullo said Ryne Nelson (1-0, 5.82 ERA) will start in place of Corbin Burnes, whose turn in the rotation is being skipped because of right shoulder inflammation.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Naylor hits an RBI single in the 10th inning as the Diamondbacks top the Phillies 11-9\n\nMay 4th, 2025 10:02 PM\n\n---\n\nPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Naylor hit an RBI single in Arizona's three-run 10th inning, and the Diamondbacks topped the Philadelphia Phillies 11-9 on Sunday to salvage the finale of their weekend series.\n\nGeraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll each had three RBIs for Arizona, which led 7-2 after five innings.\n\nNaylor drove in Eugenio Suárez with his grounder into left field. Tim Tawa hit a sacrifice fly off José Alvarado (3-1), and Perdomo walked to force home a run.\n\nThe Phillies got one back in the bottom of the 10th on Max Kepler's sacrifice fly off Jalen Beeks. With one out and two runners on, Bryce Harper flied out to center and Kyle Schwarber bounced to first.\n\nPhiladelphia trailed 8-6 before rallying in the ninth against Shelby Miller (3-0). Schwarber hit his 11th homer after Miller struck out the first two batters. Consecutive singles for Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm produced the tying run.\n\nMiller did not allow an earned run in his first 13 appearances this season covering 13 2/3 innings.\n\nBeeks earned his first save of the season.\n\nHarper homered in the first for Philadelphia, and Weston Wilson connected for a three-run shot in the sixth. Schwarber extended his on-base streak to 40 games.\n\nJose Herrera hit a two-run double in the fourth to stake Arizona to a 7-1 lead.\n\nDiamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings. He was charged with four runs, three earned, and five hits.\n\nIt was Rodriguez's 12th career game with double-digit strikeouts.\n\nRanger Suárez was tagged for seven runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the season for the Phillies. He had been sidelined by low back stiffness.\n\n## Key moment\n\nAlek Thomas singled and pinch-hitter Gabriel Moreno was hit by a pitch ahead of Perdomo's bases-loaded walk in the 10th, providing a valuable insurance run for the Diamondbacks.\n\n## Key stat\n\nThe Diamondbacks improved to 8-3 in series finales this season, including wins in seven of the last eight.\n\n## Up next\n\nAfter an off day, the Phillies start a three-game series at Tampa Bay. Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.48 ERA) starts Tuesday night against the Rays' Drew Rasmussen (1-2, 2.64 ERA).\n\nArizona heads home to start a three-game series Monday against the New York Mets. Manager Torey Lovullo said Ryne Nelson (1-0, 5.82 ERA) will start in place of Corbin Burnes, whose turn in the rotation is being skipped because of right shoulder inflammation."
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"value": "# Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver has no-hit bid vs Reds broken up in 8th inning\n\nBy Bill Trocchi \nMay 6th, 2025 01:05 AM\n\n---\n\nATLANTA (AP) — AJ Smith-Shawver's bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Santiago Espinal led off the eighth inning with a clean single to center field, giving the Cincinnati Reds their first hit against the Atlanta Braves pitcher Monday night.\n\nEspinal's base hit came on the 93rd pitch from Smith-Shawver, who worked into the eighth inning for the first time as a professional.\n\nSmith-Shawver struck out five and walked four — two in the first inning and two in the fourth. He gave up at least four hits in all four of his previous starts this season.\n\nThe right-hander got a popup and a double play to end the eighth, then was lifted after 99 pitches with Atlanta leading 4-0.\n\nEnyel De Los Santos entered in the ninth for the Braves.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver has no-hit bid vs Reds broken up in 8th inning\n\nBy Bill Trocchi \nMay 6th, 2025 01:05 AM\n\n---\n\nATLANTA (AP) — AJ Smith-Shawver's bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Santiago Espinal led off the eighth inning with a clean single to center field, giving the Cincinnati Reds their first hit against the Atlanta Braves pitcher Monday night.\n\nEspinal's base hit came on the 93rd pitch from Smith-Shawver, who worked into the eighth inning for the first time as a professional.\n\nSmith-Shawver struck out five and walked four — two in the first inning and two in the fourth. He gave up at least four hits in all four of his previous starts this season.\n\nThe right-hander got a popup and a double play to end the eighth, then was lifted after 99 pitches with Atlanta leading 4-0.\n\nEnyel De Los Santos entered in the ninth for the Braves."
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"value": "# Luis Arraez has 3 hits, 3 RBIs to help Padres beat Pirates 9-4\n\nMay 3rd, 2025 03:43 AM\n\n---\n\nPITTSBURGH (AP) — Luis Arraez had three hits and drove in three runs to help the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-4 on Friday night for their third straight victory.\n\nArraez is 6 for 12 since returning from a concussion. Fernando Tatis Jr. left the game in the third after being hit on the left forearm by a pitch from Mitch Keller. The Padres announced that initial X-rays were negative.\n\nOneil Cruz drew a two-out walk from Padres starter Dylan Cease in the third, stole second and scored on a single by Bryan Reynolds for a 1-0 lead.\n\nGavin Sheets homered — his fourth of the season — leading off the fourth against Keller (1-3), Xander Bogaerts singled and scored on a Taylor Wade hit to give the Padres the lead. Alexander Canario drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-2 in the bottom half.\n\nOscar Gonzalez singled and scored on an Arraez double to give the Padres the lead for good in a three-run fifth. Brandon Lockridge drove in a run with a two-out single in the eighth and Arraez followed with a two-run single for an 8-4 lead. Jason Heyward had a sacrifice fly in the ninth.\n\nCease threw 91 pitches to get through four innings. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. Jeremiah Estrada (1-1) struck out the side in the seventh for the win.\n\nKeller gave up five runs — four earned — on eight hits in five innings.\n\nPittsburgh has lost three of four to begin a six-game homestand.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe Pirates scored a run in four straight innings to pull within 5-4 heading to the eighth. The Padres pulled away with four hits and three runs off lefty Caleb Ferguson.\n\n## Key stat\n\nSan Diego began the day with a team ERA of 2.86 — second only to the Mets. The Padres' bullpen is the best at 1.77.\n\n## Up next\n\nRHP Randy Vásquez (1-3, 4.28) starts for the Padres on Saturday against Pirates LHP Bailey Falter (1-3, 5.93).\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
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"value": "# Luis Arraez has 3 hits, 3 RBIs to help Padres beat Pirates 9-4\n\nMay 3rd, 2025 03:43 AM\n\n---\n\nPITTSBURGH (AP) — Luis Arraez had three hits and drove in three runs to help the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-4 on Friday night for their third straight victory.\n\nArraez is 6 for 12 since returning from a concussion. Fernando Tatis Jr. left the game in the third after being hit on the left forearm by a pitch from Mitch Keller. The Padres announced that initial X-rays were negative.\n\nOneil Cruz drew a two-out walk from Padres starter Dylan Cease in the third, stole second and scored on a single by Bryan Reynolds for a 1-0 lead.\n\nGavin Sheets homered — his fourth of the season — leading off the fourth against Keller (1-3), Xander Bogaerts singled and scored on a Taylor Wade hit to give the Padres the lead. Alexander Canario drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-2 in the bottom half.\n\nOscar Gonzalez singled and scored on an Arraez double to give the Padres the lead for good in a three-run fifth. Brandon Lockridge drove in a run with a two-out single in the eighth and Arraez followed with a two-run single for an 8-4 lead. Jason Heyward had a sacrifice fly in the ninth.\n\nCease threw 91 pitches to get through four innings. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. Jeremiah Estrada (1-1) struck out the side in the seventh for the win.\n\nKeller gave up five runs — four earned — on eight hits in five innings.\n\nPittsburgh has lost three of four to begin a six-game homestand.\n\n## Key moment\n\nThe Pirates scored a run in four straight innings to pull within 5-4 heading to the eighth. The Padres pulled away with four hits and three runs off lefty Caleb Ferguson.\n\n## Key stat\n\nSan Diego began the day with a team ERA of 2.86 — second only to the Mets. The Padres' bullpen is the best at 1.77.\n\n## Up next\n\nRHP Randy Vásquez (1-3, 4.28) starts for the Padres on Saturday against Pirates LHP Bailey Falter (1-3, 5.93)."
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"value": "# Artists in this former pasta factory are preserving Italian opera traditions\n\nBy Francesca Primavilla and Trisha Thomas \nMay 2nd, 2025 04:16 AM\n\n---\n\nROME (AP) — Behind a rusty gate near Rome's Circus Maximus is a building passed daily by hordes of tourists. They're oblivious to the fact that behind its faded, flaking paint is a hive of activity sustaining one of Italy's grandest cultural institutions.\n\nIt was a pasta factory until almost a century ago, when the Rome Opera House transformed the four-story building into a sprawling warehouse and workshop. It is home to a trove of scenic backdrops and 70,000 costumes from over a century of performances. Even more are being created — the traditional way.\n\nFor this year, the opera house's costume designers, tailors and seamstresses have been scouring archives and working to reconstruct the original outfits of Giacomo Puccini's Opera \"Tosca.\" It is a tale of passion, cruelty and deception set in Rome in the 1800s, featuring a dark-haired beauty forced to commit murder to protect her dignity and the man she loves. This year marks the 125th anniversary of its first-ever performance.\n\n\"Fortunately, all the sketches for each costume exist and are very detailed and we have reconstructed them, respecting as much as possible the taste of the time from the point of view of the fabrics, the shapes and all the materials used,\" Anna Biagiotti, the opera house's costume director, said in an interview inside the warehouse.\n\nBehind each sketch Biagotti found detailed notes. She compiled a binder her team refers to as \"the bible,\" filled with copies of the originals. To help her roughly 30 tailors, Biagotti painstakingly transcribed the tightly scrawled cursive notes of then-lead costume designer Adolph Hohenstein into legible, capital letters.\n\nThey work in a cramped space above the opera house — sewing, pinning, stitching, cutting, ironing. Each year, they churn out some 700 costumes for opera and ballet performances, which are later stored in the warehouse, hanging inside plastic dry cleaning covers. There is no digitalized system to track them once there; they can only be located by the designers and tailors who have spent their lives in the trade.\n\nAnd on the warehouse's top floor, set designers in a giant loft space walk atop a canvas, dragging grey wagons loaded with buckets of paint. On April 10, they used brushes with handles so long they looked like brooms to paint ancient doors, archways, statues and frescoes to conjure a three-dimensional Roman palazzo upon the flat surface. An overhead walkway provided a view to ensure the optical illusion was coming out just right.\n\nIt's a dying craft, said Danilo Mancini, director of set production. In other places, painted sets have been replaced by LED walls, projections and back-lit screens — but not at the Rome Opera House. For Tosca, set designers also worked off Hohenstein's sketches for the original show.\n\nBoth Mancini and music director Michele Mariotti credit Puccini for keeping their passions alive.\n\n\"Puccini was a genius, not only in terms of the beauty of the music, but precisely because of the theatrical and cinematographic flair he gives to his works,\" said Mariotti. \"If we are all here, we must be grateful to him, not so much for the rebirth of the work, but for its survival. Because he understood that if it was not regenerated in some way, opera would have disappeared.\""
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"value": "# Artists in this former pasta factory are preserving Italian opera traditions\n\nBy Francesca Primavilla and Trisha Thomas \nMay 2nd, 2025 04:16 AM\n\n---\n\nROME (AP) — Behind a rusty gate near Rome's Circus Maximus is a building passed daily by hordes of tourists. They're oblivious to the fact that behind its faded, flaking paint is a hive of activity sustaining one of Italy's grandest cultural institutions.\n\nIt was a pasta factory until almost a century ago, when the Rome Opera House transformed the four-story building into a sprawling warehouse and workshop. It is home to a trove of scenic backdrops and 70,000 costumes from over a century of performances. Even more are being created — the traditional way.\n\nFor this year, the opera house's costume designers, tailors and seamstresses have been scouring archives and working to reconstruct the original outfits of Giacomo Puccini's Opera \"Tosca.\" It is a tale of passion, cruelty and deception set in Rome in the 1800s, featuring a dark-haired beauty forced to commit murder to protect her dignity and the man she loves. This year marks the 125th anniversary of its first-ever performance.\n\n\"Fortunately, all the sketches for each costume exist and are very detailed and we have reconstructed them, respecting as much as possible the taste of the time from the point of view of the fabrics, the shapes and all the materials used,\" Anna Biagiotti, the opera house's costume director, said in an interview inside the warehouse.\n\nBehind each sketch Biagotti found detailed notes. She compiled a binder her team refers to as \"the bible,\" filled with copies of the originals. To help her roughly 30 tailors, Biagotti painstakingly transcribed the tightly scrawled cursive notes of then-lead costume designer Adolph Hohenstein into legible, capital letters.\n\nThey work in a cramped space above the opera house — sewing, pinning, stitching, cutting, ironing. Each year, they churn out some 700 costumes for opera and ballet performances, which are later stored in the warehouse, hanging inside plastic dry cleaning covers. There is no digitalized system to track them once there; they can only be located by the designers and tailors who have spent their lives in the trade.\n\nAnd on the warehouse's top floor, set designers in a giant loft space walk atop a canvas, dragging grey wagons loaded with buckets of paint. On April 10, they used brushes with handles so long they looked like brooms to paint ancient doors, archways, statues and frescoes to conjure a three-dimensional Roman palazzo upon the flat surface. An overhead walkway provided a view to ensure the optical illusion was coming out just right.\n\nIt's a dying craft, said Danilo Mancini, director of set production. In other places, painted sets have been replaced by LED walls, projections and back-lit screens — but not at the Rome Opera House. For Tosca, set designers also worked off Hohenstein's sketches for the original show.\n\nBoth Mancini and music director Michele Mariotti credit Puccini for keeping their passions alive.\n\n\"Puccini was a genius, not only in terms of the beauty of the music, but precisely because of the theatrical and cinematographic flair he gives to his works,\" said Mariotti. \"If we are all here, we must be grateful to him, not so much for the rebirth of the work, but for its survival. Because he understood that if it was not regenerated in some way, opera would have disappeared.\""
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"value": "# Tyre Nichols remembered as beautiful soul with creative eye\n\nBy Adam Beam, Travis Loller, and Claire Galofaro \nMay 7th, 2025 10:25 PM\n\n---\n\nOn most weekends, Tyre Nichols would head to the city park, train his camera on the sky and wait for the sun to set.\n\n\"Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people,\" he wrote on his website. He preferred landscapes and loved the glow of sunsets most, his family has said.\n\n\"My vision is to bring my viewers deep into what I am seeing through my eye and out through my lens,\" Nichols wrote. \"People have a story to tell, why not capture it.\"\n\nNichols, a 29-year-old father, was on his way home from taking pictures of the sky on Jan. 7, 2023, when police pulled him over. He was just a few minutes from the home he shared with his mother and stepfather, when he was brutally attacked by five Memphis police officers.\n\nHe died three days later at a hospital, and the officers were charged with second-degree murder and other offenses and fired. Two of the officers previously pleaded guilty in both state and federal court. The three others were acquitted Wednesday of all state charges, including second-degree murder. The trio still face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges, though they were acquitted of the most serious charges there, too.\n\n\"Nobody's perfect, nobody. But he was damn near,\" his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said at a news conference in 2023, moments after she watched the video of her son being beaten. \"He was damn near perfect.\"\n\nHe was the baby of their family. He had a 4-year-old son and worked hard to better himself as a father, his family said. He was an avid skateboarder from Sacramento, California, and came to Memphis just before the coronavirus pandemic and got stuck. But he was fine with it because he was with his mother, and they were incredibly close, Wells said. He had her name tattooed on his arm.\n\nFriends at a memorial service in 2023 described him as joyful and lovable.\n\n\"This man walked into a room, and everyone loved him,\" said Angelina Paxton, a friend who traveled to Memphis from California for the service.\n\nGrowing up in Sacramento, Nichols spent much of his time at a skate park on the outskirts of the city. It could be a rough place sometimes for younger kids. But when Niko Chapman was 10 years old, his parents would let him walk to the park alone as long as they knew Nichols was there.\n\n\"You remember people that are really kind to you, and Tyre was just a really kind person,\" Chapman said. \"He just always made me feel really welcome.\"\n\nChapman's dad, Curtis Chapman, ran a youth group at a local church that would often meet at the skate park for pizza. Nichols quickly became a regular, bringing his energetic spirit and quick wit. But away from the group, Nichols would often show up at the Chapman house to talk about life — including coming to grips with being a young parent.\n\n\"What drew me to Tyre was just — he's real,\" Curtis Chapman said. \"He would talk about being a dad and wanting to be a good dad and seeking advice.\"\n\nThere was a Bible study on Thursdays that Nichols would attend with his friend Brian Jang. One day, the group watched a sermon about how the world is filled with distractions. Jang said Nichols was so moved by it that he pulled out his flip phone and dropped it in a cup of water.\n\n\"I thought it was awesome, just seeing his growth and his commitment,\" Jang said.\n\nThe last time Jang saw Nichols was in 2018 at the food court in a local mall. The two hadn't seen each other in awhile, but Jang said Nichols came up behind him and gave him a big hug as the two caught up.\n\n\"It's honestly pretty devastating to see such a good human go through such unnecessary brutality, such unnecessary death,\" Jang said.\n\nHis mother said she raised him to love everyone openly — until they give you a reason not to. So Nichols was quick to make friends.\n\nIn Memphis, Nichols went to Starbucks every morning, and Nate Spates Jr. would hang out with him there. They chatted about sports or life. Spates was with his wife once when they ran into Nichols there, and they all talked for a couple of hours. Afterwards, Spates said his wife commented, \"He's got such a good spirit and soul and calm presence.\"\n\nNichols worked second shift at FedEx with his stepfather. Every day, they'd come home together on their break at 7 p.m., and his mother would have a meal waiting for them.\n\nWells said she'd offered to buy her son Jordans, the popular athletic shoes, but he didn't want them.\n\n\"He was just his own person,\" she said. \"He didn't follow what anyone else was doing.\"\n\nWhen he wasn't working, he went to the park to skateboard and take pictures. His website, called This California Kid, starts with an invitation: \"Welcome to the world through my eyes.\"\n\nHe included a gallery of what he considered his masterpieces: bridges and railroad tracks rendered in black and white, the neon lights of Beale Street at night. He took pictures of pink flowers, sunsets over the Mississippi River, fields of grass, statues of Elvis. He highlights a quote from another photographer: \"A good photographer must love life,\" it begins.\n\nAfter she watched the video of her son's death, she stood with her family and their lawyers at a lectern, shaking, to convey what the world lost.\n\nA lawyer described the beating shown in the video — \"he was a human piñata\" — and Wells turned her head away, burying her face into her hands.\n\nIn the video footage, which was released to the public, Nichols is heard saying he just wants to go home, family lawyers said. He was less than 100 yards from his mother's house.\n\nLawyers described the last words Nichols is heard saying — calling for his mom, three times.\n\n\"Oh my God,\" she wailed as they spoke. \"Oh my God.\"\n\nShe still finds herself waiting for him to walk in the door every day at 7 p.m.\n\n\"It's not even real to me right now. I don't have any feelings right now,\" she said. \"I know my son Tyre is not here with me anymore. He will never walk through that door again.\"\n\n___\n\nAP reporter Adrian Sainz contributed from Memphis, and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner from New York. Loller reported from Nashville, Beam from Sacramento, California, and Galofaro from Louisville, Kentucky."
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"value": "# Tyre Nichols remembered as beautiful soul with creative eye\n\nBy Adam Beam, Travis Loller, and Claire Galofaro \nMay 7th, 2025 10:25 PM\n\n---\n\nOn most weekends, Tyre Nichols would head to the city park, train his camera on the sky and wait for the sun to set.\n\n\"Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people,\" he wrote on his website. He preferred landscapes and loved the glow of sunsets most, his family has said.\n\n\"My vision is to bring my viewers deep into what I am seeing through my eye and out through my lens,\" Nichols wrote. \"People have a story to tell, why not capture it.\"\n\nNichols, a 29-year-old father, was on his way home from taking pictures of the sky on Jan. 7, 2023, when police pulled him over. He was just a few minutes from the home he shared with his mother and stepfather, when he was brutally attacked by five Memphis police officers.\n\nHe died three days later at a hospital, and the officers were charged with second-degree murder and other offenses and fired. Two of the officers previously pleaded guilty in both state and federal court. The three others were acquitted Wednesday of all state charges, including second-degree murder. The trio still face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges, though they were acquitted of the most serious charges there, too.\n\n\"Nobody's perfect, nobody. But he was damn near,\" his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said at a news conference in 2023, moments after she watched the video of her son being beaten. \"He was damn near perfect.\"\n\nHe was the baby of their family. He had a 4-year-old son and worked hard to better himself as a father, his family said. He was an avid skateboarder from Sacramento, California, and came to Memphis just before the coronavirus pandemic and got stuck. But he was fine with it because he was with his mother, and they were incredibly close, Wells said. He had her name tattooed on his arm.\n\nFriends at a memorial service in 2023 described him as joyful and lovable.\n\n\"This man walked into a room, and everyone loved him,\" said Angelina Paxton, a friend who traveled to Memphis from California for the service.\n\nGrowing up in Sacramento, Nichols spent much of his time at a skate park on the outskirts of the city. It could be a rough place sometimes for younger kids. But when Niko Chapman was 10 years old, his parents would let him walk to the park alone as long as they knew Nichols was there.\n\n\"You remember people that are really kind to you, and Tyre was just a really kind person,\" Chapman said. \"He just always made me feel really welcome.\"\n\nChapman's dad, Curtis Chapman, ran a youth group at a local church that would often meet at the skate park for pizza. Nichols quickly became a regular, bringing his energetic spirit and quick wit. But away from the group, Nichols would often show up at the Chapman house to talk about life — including coming to grips with being a young parent.\n\n\"What drew me to Tyre was just — he's real,\" Curtis Chapman said. \"He would talk about being a dad and wanting to be a good dad and seeking advice.\"\n\nThere was a Bible study on Thursdays that Nichols would attend with his friend Brian Jang. One day, the group watched a sermon about how the world is filled with distractions. Jang said Nichols was so moved by it that he pulled out his flip phone and dropped it in a cup of water.\n\n\"I thought it was awesome, just seeing his growth and his commitment,\" Jang said.\n\nThe last time Jang saw Nichols was in 2018 at the food court in a local mall. The two hadn't seen each other in awhile, but Jang said Nichols came up behind him and gave him a big hug as the two caught up.\n\n\"It's honestly pretty devastating to see such a good human go through such unnecessary brutality, such unnecessary death,\" Jang said.\n\nHis mother said she raised him to love everyone openly — until they give you a reason not to. So Nichols was quick to make friends.\n\nIn Memphis, Nichols went to Starbucks every morning, and Nate Spates Jr. would hang out with him there. They chatted about sports or life. Spates was with his wife once when they ran into Nichols there, and they all talked for a couple of hours. Afterwards, Spates said his wife commented, \"He's got such a good spirit and soul and calm presence.\"\n\nNichols worked second shift at FedEx with his stepfather. Every day, they'd come home together on their break at 7 p.m., and his mother would have a meal waiting for them.\n\nWells said she'd offered to buy her son Jordans, the popular athletic shoes, but he didn't want them.\n\n\"He was just his own person,\" she said. \"He didn't follow what anyone else was doing.\"\n\nWhen he wasn't working, he went to the park to skateboard and take pictures. His website, called This California Kid, starts with an invitation: \"Welcome to the world through my eyes.\"\n\nHe included a gallery of what he considered his masterpieces: bridges and railroad tracks rendered in black and white, the neon lights of Beale Street at night. He took pictures of pink flowers, sunsets over the Mississippi River, fields of grass, statues of Elvis. He highlights a quote from another photographer: \"A good photographer must love life,\" it begins.\n\nAfter she watched the video of her son's death, she stood with her family and their lawyers at a lectern, shaking, to convey what the world lost.\n\nA lawyer described the beating shown in the video — \"he was a human piñata\" — and Wells turned her head away, burying her face into her hands.\n\nIn the video footage, which was released to the public, Nichols is heard saying he just wants to go home, family lawyers said. He was less than 100 yards from his mother's house.\n\nLawyers described the last words Nichols is heard saying — calling for his mom, three times.\n\n\"Oh my God,\" she wailed as they spoke. \"Oh my God.\"\n\nShe still finds herself waiting for him to walk in the door every day at 7 p.m.\n\n\"It's not even real to me right now. I don't have any feelings right now,\" she said. \"I know my son Tyre is not here with me anymore. He will never walk through that door again.\""
}
] |
f688d564ab0d74d5de3f9bca43bec680806178a6bbe33963750d4acc2c775f70
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"value": "# Greek man accused of spying at NATO transit hub has been charged and jailed pending trial\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 11:10 AM\n\n---\n\nTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A man was charged in Greece Friday with espionage-related offences and jailed pending trial after allegedly photographing and videotaping military operations at the strategic port of Alexandroupolis in northeastern Greece.\n\nThe port serves as a key logistics hub for U.S. and NATO operations, facilitating the movement of military equipment and personnel in support of Ukraine and NATO member states in eastern Europe.\n\nThe suspect, who has not been named, was arrested earlier this week in a joint operation by the police and Greece's National Intelligence Service. Authorities said he was \"acting on behalf of another individual\" and had sent the recordings to that person using an encrypted messaging app, but provided no further details.\n\nAccording to state television, citing Greek law enforcement officials, the suspect is a 59-year-old Greek citizen born in Georgia and is under investigation for potential ties to Russian security services through a contact in Lithuania.\n\nEscorted by police officers on Friday, the suspect appeared before a magistrate in Alexandroupolis for a preliminary hearing as part of the ongoing judicial investigation. Judicial authorities said he denied all charges, adding that no trial date has been set."
},
{
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"value": "# Greek man accused of spying at NATO transit hub has been charged and jailed pending trial\n\nMay 2nd, 2025 11:10 AM\n\n---\n\nTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A man was charged in Greece Friday with espionage-related offences and jailed pending trial after allegedly photographing and videotaping military operations at the strategic port of Alexandroupolis in northeastern Greece.\n\nThe port serves as a key logistics hub for U.S. and NATO operations, facilitating the movement of military equipment and personnel in support of Ukraine and NATO member states in eastern Europe.\n\nThe suspect, who has not been named, was arrested earlier this week in a joint operation by the police and Greece's National Intelligence Service. Authorities said he was \"acting on behalf of another individual\" and had sent the recordings to that person using an encrypted messaging app, but provided no further details.\n\nAccording to state television, citing Greek law enforcement officials, the suspect is a 59-year-old Greek citizen born in Georgia and is under investigation for potential ties to Russian security services through a contact in Lithuania.\n\nEscorted by police officers on Friday, the suspect appeared before a magistrate in Alexandroupolis for a preliminary hearing as part of the ongoing judicial investigation. Judicial authorities said he denied all charges, adding that no trial date has been set."
}
] |
4997b56ea0f88c7fad92c1df9d8ae827fd1de53c35f8bcd1b929ebea0457b810
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[
{
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"value": "# Raleigh's pinch-hit single in 9th inning sends Mariners past Athletics 5-3\n\nMay 7th, 2025 05:49 AM\n\n---\n\nWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Cal Raleigh put Seattle ahead with a two-run single in the ninth inning, Julio Rodríguez went 3 for 4 with a solo home run and the Mariners beat the Athletics 5-3 on Tuesday night.\n\nWith the Mariners trailing by one, Jorge Polanco drew a one-out walk from reliever Tyler Ferguson (0-1) in the ninth. Rodríguez followed with a single and Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch to load the bases.\n\nRaleigh's single to right field gave Seattle a 4-3 lead, and Dylan Moore added a sacrifice fly.\n\nCarlos Vargas got three outs for his first major league save, retiring pinch-hitter Seth Brown with two on to end it.\n\nCollin Snider (1-0) gave up a go-ahead single to Miguel Andujar in the eighth but prevented further damage.\n\nSeattle is 17–6 since April 9, the best record in the big leagues during that span.\n\nJ.P. Crawford singled in the fifth to extend the longest active hitting streak in the majors to a career-best 14 games.\n\nRodríguez homered in the first inning and Miles Mastrobuoni had an RBI double for the Mariners in the second.\n\nBrent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom each had three hits for the Athletics. Andujar added two hits and two RBIs.\n\nRooker also scored twice — and stole two bases for the first time in his career.\n\n## Key moments\n\nMariners relievers Gabe Speier and Snider got bases-loaded strikeouts to end the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.\n\n## Key stat\n\nSeattle is 8-0-2 in its last 10 series with the Athletics and 47–16 over its last 63 games against the A's.\n\n## Up next\n\nMariners RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 1.58 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday against RHP Gunnar Hoglund (1-0, 1.50), who beat Miami in his MLB debut last Friday.\n\n___\n\nAP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "# Raleigh's pinch-hit single in 9th inning sends Mariners past Athletics 5-3\n\nMay 7th, 2025 05:49 AM\n\n---\n\nWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Cal Raleigh put Seattle ahead with a two-run single in the ninth inning, Julio Rodríguez went 3 for 4 with a solo home run and the Mariners beat the Athletics 5-3 on Tuesday night.\n\nWith the Mariners trailing by one, Jorge Polanco drew a one-out walk from reliever Tyler Ferguson (0-1) in the ninth. Rodríguez followed with a single and Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch to load the bases.\n\nRaleigh's single to right field gave Seattle a 4-3 lead, and Dylan Moore added a sacrifice fly.\n\nCarlos Vargas got three outs for his first major league save, retiring pinch-hitter Seth Brown with two on to end it.\n\nCollin Snider (1-0) gave up a go-ahead single to Miguel Andujar in the eighth but prevented further damage.\n\nSeattle is 17–6 since April 9, the best record in the big leagues during that span.\n\nJ.P. Crawford singled in the fifth to extend the longest active hitting streak in the majors to a career-best 14 games.\n\nRodríguez homered in the first inning and Miles Mastrobuoni had an RBI double for the Mariners in the second.\n\nBrent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom each had three hits for the Athletics. Andujar added two hits and two RBIs.\n\nRooker also scored twice — and stole two bases for the first time in his career.\n\n## Key moments\n\nMariners relievers Gabe Speier and Snider got bases-loaded strikeouts to end the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.\n\n## Key stat\n\nSeattle is 8-0-2 in its last 10 series with the Athletics and 47–16 over its last 63 games against the A's.\n\n## Up next\n\nMariners RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 1.58 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday against RHP Gunnar Hoglund (1-0, 1.50), who beat Miami in his MLB debut last Friday."
}
] |
597160d191e6fb590e50d9315041caef449fc36c129b39c36b60395cdde072e2
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[
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"value": "# Road to Garcia-Haney rematch runs through Times Square, where both box Friday in famed New York spot\n\nBy Brian Mahoney \nMay 1st, 2025 05:24 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The road to a Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney rematch runs right through the heart of Times Square.\n\nWhen they fought last year, Garcia initially opposed bringing the match to New York, believing a bout between two California boxers belonged in the West. But Oscar De La Hoya, a superstar during his own career and now Garcia's promoter, argued that to be really big, a fighter had to conquer the Big Apple.\n\nLook at Garcia now.\n\nIt's hard to miss him in the city, his face plastered on billboards towering high above Times Square — right below where the ball drops on New Year's Eve and where he and Haney return Friday night in separate bouts in a ring set up in the center of the city's famed tourist spot.\n\n\"I'm just excited to be back here in New York after such a historic event last time,\" Garcia said. \"It felt so sweet, so we're going to have to do it again sooner or later, right?\"\n\nThat's the plan. If Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) beats Rolando \"Rolly\" Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) in the main event, after Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow former 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs), a rematch of Garcia's victory last year that was later overturned to a no-contest when he failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs is expected.\n\nGarcia would be the fan favorite if it happened in New York, where locals booed Haney on Wednesday during the final news conference.\n\n\"When I dust Jose Ramirez off on Friday, I'm going to get to your boy Ryan after,\" Haney shouted back.\n\nTeofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) defends his junior welterweight title against Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs) in the opener of the tripleheader that will be streamed on DAZN pay-per-view. Six excellent fighters, but the talk of this card is the venue.\n\n\"It'll be all about staying focused. The fighters have to be laser focused,\" De La Hoya said while standing in the ring that was still being constructed Thursday as traffic passed by. \"Don't pay attention to all the noise outside of this ring. It's going to be very difficult for every single fighter, because as you can imagine there will be people everywhere, thousands of people watching.\"\n\nOrganizers still haven't revealed all the details, and De La Hoya wasn't sure how many people will have access to watch live from seats near the ring.\n\n\"They're talking about having us be presented to the ring in a cab or something,\" Lopez said.\n\nGetting around in a taxi in Midtown Manhattan on a Friday night? Good luck with that.\n\n\"Tell me about it. I feel like they don't understand,\" said Lopez, who is from Brooklyn. \"Especially in Times Square.\"\n\nBut Ring Magazine wanted something unique for its first event in the U.S., bypassing the possibility of having the event at Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center.\n\nIt was at the latter venue in Brooklyn last April 20 when Garcia and Haney met in a event that turned into somewhat of a fiasco, largely due to Garcia's erratic behavior in the buildup. He was more than 3 pounds over the limit the day before the fight, showing no care in the world as he chugged what appeared to be a bottle of beer while on the scale during the ceremonial weigh-in event after the official one had already been conducted behind closed doors.\n\nThat left him ineligible to take Haney's title after he scored three knockdowns and won a majority decision. Eventually he didn't even get the win, with the result changed and Garcia suspended for a year after his positive test.\n\nGarcia said he was going through some personal problems at that time that included drinking and smoking but is in a much better state of mind these days.\n\n\"I'm just here living life,\" he said, wearing a suit and tie. \"Everybody goes through their ups and downs, everybody goes through their things, but it's how you come back, it's how you bounce back and I'm just here to show people that you can bounce back from anything.\"\n\nMore than 100 screens are expected to be set up around Times Square. There were no details about contingencies for the weather, with the forecast calling for a chance of thunderstorms in the New York area Friday.\n\nThe elements are one reason why Lopez, who is normally in the main event, is content to fight a few hours earlier this time.\n\n\"It's cool, man. It's perfect. I don't mind it,\" he said. \"Look, the weather is only going to get more chillier outdoors. I'll be up first, I'm happy with it. I'll get in and out.\"\n\n___\n\nAP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "# Road to Garcia-Haney rematch runs through Times Square, where both box Friday in famed New York spot\n\nBy Brian Mahoney \nMay 1st, 2025 05:24 PM\n\n---\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The road to a Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney rematch runs right through the heart of Times Square.\n\nWhen they fought last year, Garcia initially opposed bringing the match to New York, believing a bout between two California boxers belonged in the West. But Oscar De La Hoya, a superstar during his own career and now Garcia's promoter, argued that to be really big, a fighter had to conquer the Big Apple.\n\nLook at Garcia now.\n\nIt's hard to miss him in the city, his face plastered on billboards towering high above Times Square — right below where the ball drops on New Year's Eve and where he and Haney return Friday night in separate bouts in a ring set up in the center of the city's famed tourist spot.\n\n\"I'm just excited to be back here in New York after such a historic event last time,\" Garcia said. \"It felt so sweet, so we're going to have to do it again sooner or later, right?\"\n\nThat's the plan. If Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) beats Rolando \"Rolly\" Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) in the main event, after Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow former 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs), a rematch of Garcia's victory last year that was later overturned to a no-contest when he failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs is expected.\n\nGarcia would be the fan favorite if it happened in New York, where locals booed Haney on Wednesday during the final news conference.\n\n\"When I dust Jose Ramirez off on Friday, I'm going to get to your boy Ryan after,\" Haney shouted back.\n\nTeofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) defends his junior welterweight title against Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs) in the opener of the tripleheader that will be streamed on DAZN pay-per-view. Six excellent fighters, but the talk of this card is the venue.\n\n\"It'll be all about staying focused. The fighters have to be laser focused,\" De La Hoya said while standing in the ring that was still being constructed Thursday as traffic passed by. \"Don't pay attention to all the noise outside of this ring. It's going to be very difficult for every single fighter, because as you can imagine there will be people everywhere, thousands of people watching.\"\n\nOrganizers still haven't revealed all the details, and De La Hoya wasn't sure how many people will have access to watch live from seats near the ring.\n\n\"They're talking about having us be presented to the ring in a cab or something,\" Lopez said.\n\nGetting around in a taxi in Midtown Manhattan on a Friday night? Good luck with that.\n\n\"Tell me about it. I feel like they don't understand,\" said Lopez, who is from Brooklyn. \"Especially in Times Square.\"\n\nBut Ring Magazine wanted something unique for its first event in the U.S., bypassing the possibility of having the event at Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center.\n\nIt was at the latter venue in Brooklyn last April 20 when Garcia and Haney met in a event that turned into somewhat of a fiasco, largely due to Garcia's erratic behavior in the buildup. He was more than 3 pounds over the limit the day before the fight, showing no care in the world as he chugged what appeared to be a bottle of beer while on the scale during the ceremonial weigh-in event after the official one had already been conducted behind closed doors.\n\nThat left him ineligible to take Haney's title after he scored three knockdowns and won a majority decision. Eventually he didn't even get the win, with the result changed and Garcia suspended for a year after his positive test.\n\nGarcia said he was going through some personal problems at that time that included drinking and smoking but is in a much better state of mind these days.\n\n\"I'm just here living life,\" he said, wearing a suit and tie. \"Everybody goes through their ups and downs, everybody goes through their things, but it's how you come back, it's how you bounce back and I'm just here to show people that you can bounce back from anything.\"\n\nMore than 100 screens are expected to be set up around Times Square. There were no details about contingencies for the weather, with the forecast calling for a chance of thunderstorms in the New York area Friday.\n\nThe elements are one reason why Lopez, who is normally in the main event, is content to fight a few hours earlier this time.\n\n\"It's cool, man. It's perfect. I don't mind it,\" he said. \"Look, the weather is only going to get more chillier outdoors. I'll be up first, I'm happy with it. I'll get in and out.\""
}
] |
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