WASHINGTON — Giving a new meaning to the phrase mad scientists, angry researchers, doctors, their patients and supporters ventured out of labs, hospitals and offices Friday to fight against what they call a blitz on life-saving science by the Trump administration.

In the nation’s capital, a couple thousand gathered at the Stand Up for Science rally. Organizers said similar rallies were planned in more than 30 U.S. cities.

Politicians, scientists, musicians, doctors and their patients made the case that firings, budget and grant cuts in health, climate, science and other research government agencies in the Trump administration’s first 47 days in office are endangering not just the future but the present.

“This is the most challenging moment I can recall,” University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann told the crowd full of signs belittling the intelligence of President Donald Trump, his cost-cutting aide Elon Musk and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Science is under siege.”

Astronomer Phil Plait told a booing crowd, “We’re looking at the most aggressively anti-science government the United States has ever had.”

Rally co-organizer Colette Delawalla, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, said, “We’re not just going to stand here and take it.”

Science communicator, entertainer and one-time engineer Bill Nye the Science Guy challenged the forces in government that want to cut and censor science. “What are you afraid of?” he said.

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen challenged the crowd, some in white lab coats if only for show, to live up to the mad scientist moniker: “Everybody in America should be mad about what we are witnessing.”

The crowd was. Signs read “Edit Elon out of USA’s DNA,” “Delete DOGE not data,” “the only good evidence against evolution is the existence of Trump” and “ticked off epidemiologist.”

Health and science advances are happening faster than ever, making this a key moment in making people’s lives better, said former National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, who helped map the human genome. The funding cuts put at risk progress on Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cancer, he said.

“It’s a very bad time with all the promise and momentum,” said Collins.

“I’m very worried about my country right now,” Collins said before breaking out into an original song on his guitar.

Emily Whitehead, the first patient to get a certain new type of treatment for a rare cancer, told the crowd that at age 5 she was sent hospice to die, but CAR T-cell therapy “taught my immune system to beat cancer” and she’s been disease free for nearly 13 years.

“I stand up for science because science saved my life,” Whitehead said.

Friday’s rally in Washington was at the Lincoln Memorial, in the shadow of a statue of the president who created the nearby National Academy of Sciences in 1863.

From 11 million kilometers away from Earth, NASA proved science could divert potentially planet-killing asteroids, former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. On his space shuttle flight nearly 40 years ago, he looked down to Earth and had a “sense of awe that you want to be a better steward of what we’ve been given,” he said.

The rallies were organized mostly by graduate students and early career scientists. Dozens of other protests were also planned around the world, including more than 30 in France, Delawalla said.

Protesters gathered around City Hall in Philadelphia, home to prestigious, internationally recognized health care institutions and where 1 in 6 doctors in the U.S. has received medical training.

“As a doctor, I’m standing up for all of my transgender, nonbinary patients who are also being targeted,” said Cedric Bien-Gund, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Pennsylvania. “There’s been a lot of fear and silencing, both among our patients and among all our staff. And it’s really disheartening to see.” 
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WHITE HOUSE — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to signal that he is ready to take military action on Iran, unless the country agrees to a new deal that would restrain its rapidly advancing nuclear program.

“There’ll be some interesting days ahead. That’s all I can tell you,” he told reporters in the Oval Office Friday.

Trump announced during a Fox Business News interview recorded Thursday night and aired Friday morning that he had sent a letter to Ali Khamenei, telling the Iranian supreme leader that it will be “a lot better for Iran” if they are willing to negotiate a nuclear deal.

“If we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them,” he said during the interview.

Trump said the U.S. is “down to final strokes with Iran,” and signaled he has his sights on the country’s “nice oil wells.”

“We have a situation with Iran that something’s going to happen very soon, very, very soon,” he said. “I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other, but the other will solve the problem.”

The deal Trump is referring to would replace the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran. The JCPOA is a signature foreign policy achievement of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. In 2018, during in his first term in office, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal.

Details of Trump’s new Iran deal are unclear. The White House has not responded to VOA’s request to provide the letter or further describe its contents.

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said there has been no confirmation from Khamenei’s office that any letter had been received.

“We have not received such a letter so far,” the mission said in a statement sent to VOA Friday.

Brinkmanship

Trump is engaging in a “classic case of brinkmanship,” said Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow with The Washington Institute. “He’s trying to raise the stakes with Iran, to compel its leadership to do deals with him.”

Early steps that Trump could take might include interdicting Iranian oil tankers to disrupt the country’s remaining lifeline amid crippling sanctions, but that could escalate the situation and trigger an Iranian tit-for-tat response, Nadimi told VOA.

“I don’t think at this moment the U.S. government is thinking it wants to bomb Iranian oil installations,” he added. “Initially, I think every focus will be on Iranian air defenses, long-range missile capabilities and the nuclear sites.”

On Thursday, Israel’s military said it performed a joint air force exercise with the U.S. this week involving Israeli F-15I and F-35I fighter jets flying alongside a U.S. B-52 bomber, in an apparent message to Iran. Israel said the exercise aims to practice “operational coordination between the two militaries to enhance their ability to address various regional threats.”

Trump campaigned on renewing “maximum pressure” on Iran, saying that his administration will not tolerate Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon or their support of terrorism in the Middle East and around the world. During his first term, Trump ordered the 2020 airstrike that killed Iran’s most powerful military commander, Qassem Soleimani.

However, it’s unclear why he is ramping up pressure on Tehran now, amid other rapid developments on Washington’s positions in various conflicts, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, said Seth Jones, president of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“This was bound to be a much more aggressive policy than what we’ve seen,” Jones told VOA. “But I don’t know if there’s a clear strategy going forward.”

No negotiations under sanctions

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the prospect of nuclear negotiations with the U.S. while Tehran remains under heavy sanctions from Washington.

“We will not enter any direct negotiations with the U.S. so long as they continue their maximum pressure policy and their threats,” Araghchi said in an interview with AFP on Friday. He added that Tehran is speaking with “three European countries,” along with “Russia and China, [and] other members of the JCPOA.”

Trump has spoken more broadly about his desire to eliminate their nuclear weapons, signaling he wants to negotiate denuclearization efforts with China and Russia as well.

“It would great if everybody would get rid of their nuclear weapons,” he told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday.

Michael Lipin contributed to this report.
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Sediqa Khalili was a captain in the Afghan military until the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. She was evacuated to the United States, and she says she is grateful for the opportunities but heartbroken by the worsening conditions for women in Afghanistan. VOA’s Noshaba Ashna has the story, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. Camera: Ajmal Songaryar
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In a win for Elon Musk’s X corporation, the U.S. state of California will no longer require social media companies to report about their content moderation practices. VOA’s Matt Dibble has more from Silicon Valley.
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TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday criticized the United States for imposing tariffs on Chinese imports and vowed to “resolutely retaliate” if Washington continues to increase pressure on Beijing.

Speaking to local and foreign media outlets during the annual meeting of China’s parliament on Friday, Wang questioned the effectiveness of the U.S. government’s tariffs against China and called on Washington to avoid conflicts and confrontation.

“The U.S. should think about what they have gotten out of all the trade wars and tariff wars that they have initiated all these years,” Wang said, adding that the economic and trade relationship between the two countries should be “mutual and reciprocal.”

“No country can fantasize about developing good relations with China while suppressing and containing it,” he said, calling such behavior a “two-faced approach” that will be detrimental to the stability of bilateral relations and attempts to build trust.

Wang’s remarks come three days after the U.S. imposed an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, bringing the total amount of tariff on Chinese products to 20% and prompting Beijing to slap tariffs of between 10% to 15% on a wide range of American agricultural products.

“[U.S. Treasury] Secretary [Scott] Bessent expressed serious concerns about the PRC’s counternarcotics efforts, economic imbalances, and unfair policies, and stressed the Administration’s commitment to pursue trade and economic policies that protect the American economy, the American worker, and our national security,” the Treasury said in a statement following a Feb. 28 telephone conversation with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, using the acronym for China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

Despite his criticism of the U.S. tariffs against China, Wang said Beijing remains committed to maintain a “stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations” based on “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”

“I hope that the United States will listen to the voices of the two peoples, recognize the general trend of historical development, look at China’s development objectively and rationally, actively and pragmatically carry out exchanges with China,” he told a roomful of journalists.

In addition to bilateral relations with the U.S. Wang also criticized Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy, saying the plan, which includes deploying mid-range capability missiles to countries like the Philippines, has only “stirred up trouble and create differences” in the region.

“Instead of being the battleground of big power competition, Asia should be the place to showcase international cooperation,” he said, adding that China advocates for open regionalism and sharing development opportunities in Asia based on mutual respect and benefit.

Analysts say Wang’s remarks suggest China is seeking to handle relations with the U.S. in a “firm yet not overly excited way.”

“China is telling the Trump administration that what they are doing is wrong, but they don’t seem to be putting proposals on the table, which may be their attempt to avoid escalation in bilateral relations,” said Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore.

China as the pro ‘status-quo’ power

In addition to weighing in on bilateral relations with Washington, Wang also reiterated China’s support for multilateralism and opposition to “unilateralism” and “hegemony,” a vague criticism of the U.S. decision to freeze foreign aid and pull out of some international organizations.

“We will safeguard the multilateral free trade system, create an open, inclusive and nondiscriminatory environment for international cooperation, and promote inclusive economic globalization,” he said during the news conference.

When asked about the current role of the United Nations, Wang said China opposes the monopolization of international affairs by a few countries and hopes the voices of countries in the Global South, which include developing nations in Africa, Latin America and Asia, could be “heard more often.”

“As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China is aware of its international responsibility and will firmly uphold the centrality of the United Nations, serve as the mainstay of the multilateral system and be the voice of justice for the Global South,” he said.

Some experts say Wang’s comments are part of Beijing’s efforts to present itself as a “steady” and “pro-status quo” power as the United States is dramatically changing its foreign policy approach.

“Beijing wants to reassure other countries that China is the safer pair of hands and at a time when the Trump administration is pursuing a more zero sum-oriented trade war against friends and foes alike, Wang is trying to signal that China is open for business,” Wen-ti Sung, a Taipei-based political scientist for the Australian National University, told VOA by phone.

Despite Wang’s statements, Chong in Singapore said China has yet to present concrete plans to fulfill their commitment to uphold the multilateral world system and support for developing countries.

“China has been saying they want a multipolar world order for decades, but none of Beijing’s concrete proposals are on the table right now,” he told VOA by phone.

Beijing remains cautious of the U.S.-Russia interaction

As the U.S. tries to increase engagement with Russia and facilitate a potential peace deal over the war in Ukraine, Wang said a “mature, resilient and stable” relationship between Beijing and Moscow won’t be interfered by any third party.

“Regardless of changes in the international environment, the historical logic of Sino-Russian friendship remains unchanged, and its endogenous dynamics will not diminish,” he said, adding that Beijing and Moscow will continue to “uphold the international system with the U.N. at its core and promote the development of the international order in a more just and rational direction.”

Chong said Wang’s remarks show Beijing is “cautious” about the recent interaction between Russia and the U.S.

“China understands if there is some sort of arrangement between the Americans and Russians, the U.S. gets to focus a lot more on competing with China in the Pacific, and Beijing could face a lot more pressure,” he told VOA.

Apart from elaborating on China’s foreign policy, Wang also reiterated Beijing’s claim over Taiwan.

“Advocating Taiwan independence is tantamount to secession, supporting Taiwan independence is tantamount to interference in China’s internal affairs, and condoning Taiwan independence is tantamount to destabilizing the Taiwan Strait,” he said, adding that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will “eventually be reunified.” 
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pentagon — On a windy Thursday outside Washington at the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed his British counterpart to discuss how best to quickly end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“European leadership of NATO, led by the U.K., led by others, is, we believe, the future of defense on the continent,” Hegseth said.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the United Kingdom had increased its defense spending and would continue to do so.

“You challenged us to step up on Ukraine, on defense spending, on European security. And I say to you that we have, we are, and we will further,” Healey said.

On the possibility of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Healey said the U.K. believes Kyiv is ready to make the most of a “unique opportunity.”

But as to whether the U.S. has seen enough to resume intelligence sharing with Ukraine, that is up to President Donald Trump, the U.S. defense secretary said.

“We’re very encouraged by the signs we’re seeing. Ultimately, he will make the determination. But it is a pause for now,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth added that Trump is “laser focused” on ending the bloodshed.

In a joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening, Trump said he was working to end the war in Ukraine.

“It’s time to stop this madness,” he said.

Trump’s comments came the day after the United States paused military aid to Ukraine and a few days after an acrimonious Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28 concluded with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaving the White House without an agreement.

In his address, Trump said he received a letter Tuesday from Zelenskyy that said Kyiv was “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.”

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
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Many professional women work in different fields when they move to the United States. An Uzbek psychologist who has a green card now enjoys American life. “No matter what, females have to find a job and should have their destiny,” she said while working at a local restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.

Click here for the full story in Uzbek.
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STATE DEPARTMENT — The U.S. State Department held a flag-raising ceremony on Thursday for hostages and wrongful detainees, reaffirming the U.S. government’s commitment to securing the return of American citizens and lawful permanent residents detained abroad.

“Our policies are 100% focused on returning people home,” said Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for hostages. He added, “You’ll see some announcements in the coming days,” without providing further details.

“President Trump is committed to bringing home all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas.  This includes the Americans and all other hostages that Hamas is still holding hostage in Gaza,” a State Department spokesperson told VOA.

“Efforts to bring them home are ongoing and sensitive – we do not have any meetings to announce or readout at this time,” the spokesperson said.

March 9 marks 18 years since former FBI agent Robert Levinson was abducted in Iran.

In recognition of this, Congress, with bipartisan support, designated the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.

On Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel said Washington is determined to “zero out” hostage cases and wrongful detentions, as well as repatriating the remains of those who could not be brought home, through diplomatic and intelligence efforts.

The ceremony came a day after Trump welcomed eight former hostages who had been held by U.S.-designated terror group Hamas to the White House.

On Wednesday, the White House also confirmed that U.S. officials have engaged in ongoing discussions with Hamas. The talks, held in Doha, Qatar, mark the first known direct engagement between the United States and Hamas since the State Department designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.

Boehler led the direct talks with Hamas, which were reportedly focused on securing the release of U.S. hostages and exploring a potential end of the war without Hamas in power in Gaza.

Among the hostages still held by Hamas, five are U.S. citizens, including 21-year-old Edan Alexander, who is believed to be the last American-Israeli hostage still alive in Gaza.

His mother, Yael Alexander, recently spoke at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. “This is the simple truth: The situation with the hostages becomes more urgent every day,” she said.

“They are working on Phase 2 now. We don’t see it as a phase — we see it as the way to bring our son home. It doesn’t matter what you call it; what matters is that there is an agreement to bring the remaining hostages home as soon as possible,” she said.

This week, Israeli officials said that Israel is ready to move forward with the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal, provided Hamas agrees to release more of the 59 hostages it is still holding.

Some information was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
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With tariffs taking center stage in the Trump administration, experts warn that industries dependent on cross-border trade will feel the biggest impact. Stephanie Martinez explains.
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WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care and other services for millions of veterans, according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top-level officials at the agency Tuesday that it had an objective to cut enough employees to return to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000. That would require terminating tens of thousands of employees after the VA expanded during the Biden administration, as well as to cover veterans impacted by burn pits under the 2022 PACT Act.

The memo instructs top-level staff to prepare for an agency-wide reorganization in August to “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.” It also calls for agency officials to work with the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency to “move out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach” to the Trump administration’s goals. Government Executive first reported on the internal memo.

“Things need to change,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said in a video posted on social media Wednesday afternoon, adding that the layoffs would not mean cuts to veterans’ health care or benefits.

“This administration is finally going to give the veterans what they want,” Collins said. “President Trump has a mandate for generational change in Washington and that’s exactly what we’re going to deliver at the VA.”

Veterans have already been speaking out against the cuts at the VA that so far had included a few thousand employees and hundreds of contracts. More than 25% of the VA’s workforce is comprised of veterans.

The plans underway at the VA showed how the Trump administration’s DOGE initiative, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is not holding back on an all-out effort to slash federal agencies, even for those that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that the president “refuses to accept the VA bureaucracy and bloat that has hindered veterans’ ability to receive timely and quality care.” She added that the changes would “ensure greater efficiency and transparency” at the VA.

The VA last year experienced its highest-ever service levels, reaching over 9 million enrollees and delivering more than 127.5 million health care appointments, according to the agency’s figures.

However, Michael Missal, who was the VA’s inspector general for nine years until he was fired last month as part of Trump’s sweeping dismissal of independent oversight officials at government agencies, told the AP that the VA is already suffering from a lack of “expertise” as top-level officials either leave or are shuffled around under the president’s plans.

“What’s going to happen is VA’s not going to perform as well for veterans, and veterans are going to get harmed,” said Missal, who was a guest of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. at Trump’s Tuesday address to Congress.

In Congress, Democrats have decried the cuts at the VA and other agencies, while Republicans have so far watched with caution the Trump administration’s changes.

Rep. Mike Bost, the Republican chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that he would “continue to ask questions and keep a close eye on how, or if, this plan evolves.”

“I have questions about the impact these reductions and discussions could have on the delivery of services, especially following the implementation of the PACT Act,” Bost added.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the Republican chair of the Senate Budget Committee, was displeased the VA had not given lawmakers an advance notification of the changes, saying it was “political malpractice not to consult Congress.”

“Maybe you’ve got a good reason to do it,” he said. “But we don’t need to be reading memos in the paper about a 20% cut at the VA.”

The changes underway at the VA are already prompting worry among veterans groups as they face layoffs and confusion about whether their services will be affected.

Brent Reiffer, a Marine veteran who receives medical care through the VA and advocates with the Wounded Warrior Project, said that among his community “confusion that leads to frustration” is setting in.

“If you draw that to a conclusion sometimes, it’s the veteran just throws the hands up and sort of doesn’t go to the VA,” Reiffer said. “What you end up with is a lot of veterans that are not getting the care that they deserve.”

Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees veteran’s affairs, said in a statement that the Trump administration “has launched an all-out assault” against progress the VA has made in expanding its services as the number of covered veterans grows and includes those impacted by toxic burn pits.

“Their plan prioritizes private sector profits over veterans’ care, balancing the budget on the backs of those who served. It’s a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence, and immorality,” Blumenthal said in a statement.

Democratic leaders in the House also spotlighted the impact of Trump’s cuts on veterans Wednesday.

Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 ranked in House Democratic leadership, said at a news conference, “Democrats are here to say in unison we will not allow our veterans to be defined as government waste.”
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The U.S. Justice Department announced indictments Wednesday against 12 Chinese nationals accused in a global hacking campaign targeting U.S.-based dissidents, news organizations, government agencies and a large religious organization. 

According to court documents, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of State Security used a network of private companies and hackers-for-hire to steal information and help locate dissidents and critics throughout the world.  

“Today’s announcements reveal that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has been paying hackers-for-hire to inflict digital harm on Americans who criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division in a statement. 

The suspects include two officers in China’s Ministry of Public Security, eight employees of a company known as i-Soon, and two members of a group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 27 (APT27). 

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, told The Associated Press Wednesday that the allegations were a “smear” and said, “We hope that relevant parties will adopt a professional and responsible attitude and base their characterization of cyber incidents on sufficient evidence rather than groundless speculation and accusations.” 

All of those indicted are at large, and the Justice Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about the MPS officers and i-Soon, the Chinese company that employed most of the hackers.  

The company is accused of selling stolen information “to China’s intelligence and security services to suppress free speech and democratic processes worldwide, and target groups deemed a threat to the Chinese government,” according to a news release from the FBI. 

i-Soon also conducted computer intrusions on its own initiative, charging “the MSS and MPS equivalent to between approximately $10,000 and $75,000 for each email inbox it successfully hacked,” the indictment said.  

The company also provided training in hacking skills to the government agencies. 

Among the group’s targets were a large religious organization critical of the Chinese government that previously sent missionaries to China, and a group that promoted human rights and religious freedom in China. 

The New York Assembly and multiple news organizations in the United States were targeted, including those that have opposed the Communist Party of China or delivered uncensored news to China. 

Foreign targets included a religious leader, a Hong Kong newspaper and the foreign ministries of Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia, according to the Justice Department release. 

Separate indictments were issued against the two men connected to APT27, Zhou Shuai and Yin Kecheng, “for their involvement in the multi-year, for-profit computer intrusion campaigns dating back, in the case of Yin, to 2013,” the Justice Department release stated. 

The State Department announced a reward of up to $2 million for information leading to the arrest of Zhou and Yin. They are accused of hacking numerous “U.S.-based technology companies, think tanks, law firms, defense contractors, local governments, health care systems, and universities, leaving behind them a wake of millions of dollars in damages,” the release stated. 

Yin is accused in a U.S. Treasury Department hack between September and December 2024. 

The two face several charges that include computer network conspiracy, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.  

“As evidenced by today’s and previous announcements, China offers safe harbor for private sector companies that conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States and its partners,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. 

The indictments were the result of a joint investigation by the Justice Department, FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Departments of State and the Treasury. 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. 
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As European Union leaders prepare for emergency talks to ramp up military spending after the Trump administration suspended aid to Ukraine, several Russia experts say Moscow is trying to capitalize on fragmenting Western cohesion.

Following last week’s televised Oval Office clash between U.S. and Ukrainian leaders, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov on Monday accused Europe of seeking to prolong the war, adding that changes in U.S. “foreign policy configurations” largely coincide with Moscow’s vision.

The comments came before an EU financial summit planned for Thursday that aims to grapple with stabilizing continental security and helping Ukraine after decades of dependence on the U.S. defense umbrella.

In a recent interview with the military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called President Donald Trump a “pragmatist” whose motto is “common sense.” He also said, “All tragedies in the world” over the past 500 years “originated in Europe or occurred owing to European policies,” while “the Americans played no seditious, let alone ‘inflammatory,’ role.”

Calling Europe Enemy No. 1 is “becoming the main trend in the Kremlin’s policy,” said exiled independent Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin. “Therefore, having changed his tune … [Lavrov] explained to the audience that the U.S. is, if not a friend, then a reliable partner, and that means Britain and France are always to blame for everything.”

Oreshkin also said the relatively positive U.S. depiction shows the Kremlin is hoping for an “aggravation of contradictions” between Europe and America.

But Novaya Gazeta columnist Andrei Kolesnikov said it was premature for Russian authorities to assume Trump is taking Russia’s side in the war.

Trump’s “interest, which he equates with the interests of the United States, is to end the conflict,” Kolesnikov told VOA. “But there are two sides to the conflict. And if during future negotiations … [Trump] remains dissatisfied with the intransigence of the Russian side, no one will stand on ceremony. New [U.S.] sanctions and measures to reduce oil prices will follow with the same decisiveness and speed as [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s ‘punishment.’”

Kolesnikov was referring to the contentious Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, in which top U.S. officials accused him of being insufficiently grateful for U.S. military support.

The meeting concluded without the signing of an expected defense deal involving Ukrainian rare-earth minerals.

With long-held certainties about U.S. reliability as a security partner suddenly in doubt, EU and NATO leaders gathered Sunday in London to map out a path forward.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for uniting “around a new plan for a just and enduring peace,” while French President Emmanuel Macron said his country and Britain had agreed on an alternative peace plan envisaging a one-month partial ceasefire to end mutual attacks on energy infrastructure, followed by a second stage involving sending peacekeepers to Ukraine.

The White House on Monday announced temporary suspension of all U.S. military aid to Kyiv, although Trump during an address to Congress on Tuesday said Zelenskyy had signaled renewed interest in inking the U.S.-proposed defense deal.

According to U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Trump on Wednesday halted intelligence cooperation with Ukraine.

Against this unclear backdrop, Russian officials have refrained from criticizing the U.S. administration and Trump personally while shifting their line of attack from the United States toward Europe.

Thursday’s summit in Brussels comes as the EU is arguably at its weakest point, fragmented by the steady rise of a hard right that is often pro-Russian.

EU leaders are also expected to discuss whether to place more arms contracts with Ukraine’s defense industry, and to help integrate it into the European industrial network.

The Trump administration has demanded that Europeans spend as much as 5% of GDP on defense, well beyond the NATO benchmark of at least 2%. Seven European allies still fall short of even that target. The U.S. spends around 3.4%, according to NATO figures, and a Pentagon audit that could reduce that is pending.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
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Mayors of four of the largest cities in the U.S. appeared before lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday to defend their so-called “sanctuary city” laws, which restrict local officials in helping enforce federal immigration regulations.

The Republicans who lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have long criticized such laws, as has U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican who returned to the White House in January promising to deport more unauthorized immigrants, including asylum-seekers, than his predecessors.

In opening remarks, Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, told the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City, all Democrats, that Congress should vote against sending even “a single penny” of federal funding to sanctuary cities.

“These reckless sanctuary policies also force federal immigration officers to go into local communities to apprehend criminal illegal aliens,” Comer said. “If sanctuary cities were to simply communicate and work with federal immigration authorities, then federal agents could arrest criminal illegal aliens in a secure environment like a state or local jail.”

The mayors defended the laws as making all their residents safer, even as lawmakers on the committee, which is known for its sometimes combative hearings, interrupted some answers that went beyond a “yes” or “no.” State and municipal officials have said the U.S. Constitution’s Tenth Amendment prevents the U.S. government from commandeering local officials to enforce federal law.

All the mayors said they have always and will always honor criminal arrest warrants issued by courts.

The specifics of sanctuary laws vary from city to city, and some have been on the books for decades, but they are generally intended to afford migrants similar due-process rights as those of citizens.

Ranking Member Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, said sanctuary city laws are “in full compliance of federal law.”

“They do not obstruct ICE from carrying out its duties,” Connolly said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, adding that local police, not federal agents, were in the best position to ensure public safety.

New York Mayor Eric Adams has said he is willing to help with Trump’s deportation efforts as he tries to get Trump to dismiss a federal criminal indictment charging him with corruption. Some Republicans questioned Adams, a Democrat, more gently than they did the other mayors, while at least three Democrats asked Adams if, as some federal prosecutors have alleged, the mayor had struck an improper agreement with the Trump administration to escape prosecution.

“There’s no deal, there’s no quid pro quo, and I did nothing wrong,” Adams replied to Representative Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California, who also called on Adams to resign.

Adams, who is running for reelection, has said he wants the city’s laws weakened to allow cooperation with the federal government’s deportation efforts where a migrant has been only accused, but not convicted, of a serious crime. He also wants to allow federal immigration agents back on Rikers Island, the city’s main jail complex. New York City Council members have said they will not weaken the law.

In his remarks to the House, Adams said New York City always complies with local, state and federal law. He said he had no tolerance for criminals, but also that he “must create an atmosphere that allows every law-abiding resident, documented or not, to access vital services without fear of being turned over to federal authorities.”

“If an undocumented person refuses to seek medical care until they have a medical emergency, our city’s health care system will be strained, and if an undocumented individual witnesses a crime but is afraid to call 911 for fear of being turned over to federal authorities, criminals will roam free,” Adams said.

His fellow mayors relayed similar concerns about migrant children and parents being afraid of going to schools, police stations, churches or clinics, including migrants who had acquired legal permanent residency or U.S. citizenship but feared being profiled because of their accent or skin color.

“A land ruled by fear is not the land of the free,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu told the lawmakers, at times translating her remarks into Spanish and other languages.

In most cases, sanctuary laws forbid local officials from arresting or detaining a person the federal government suspects of violating its immigration laws unless a judge has issued an arrest warrant.

Even in sanctuary cities, ICE officials are free to arrest people they have cause to believe are living in the U.S. without authorization, typically a civil, not criminal, violation.

ICE has a major field office in Manhattan, and its officers arrest hundreds of migrants across New York City each year under both Republican and Democratic presidents.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security can deport non-citizens once an immigration judge issues a final order of removal.

The main point of contention has been over how cities handle what ICE calls detainer requests for the minority of migrants who end up in local custody. ICE officials routinely ask local prison, jail or police officials to continue to detain a migrant who was free to leave custody for up to 48 additional hours: the migrant has posted bail, a judge has ordered their release, or they have completed a prison sentence.

The majority of these requests come without a judge’s warrant, which some federal judges have ruled violates the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures.

In New York City and elsewhere, local officials must ignore the requests unless they come with a judge’s warrant and the migrant has been convicted of a violent felony. ICE officials must instead arrest the migrant independently, typically at their home or place of work, which they say makes their job more difficult and dangerous.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told the panel his city had honored more than 1,200 criminal arrest warrants from ICE in recent years.
…

ISLAMABAD  — The U.S. Justice Department plans Wednesday to present in a federal court in Virginia the alleged mastermind of the August 2021 bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

The justice department said Islamic State Khorasan operative Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” was charged on March 2 with “providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death.”

Sharifullah is expected to appear in the justice system’s Eastern District of Virginia, the department said in a statement on its website.

President Donald Trump broke the news of Sharifullah’s capture Tuesday night in a speech to Congress on Capitol Hill.

“Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity,” Trump said. “And he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice.”

The Abbey Gate bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on August 26, 2021 also killed roughly 170 Afghans.

Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization linked with the Islamic State terror group, claimed responsibility.

The suicide attack came amid the chaotic troop withdrawal at the end of the 20-year U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.

In this speech, Trump hailed Pakistan for helping with the mission to arrest Sharifullah.

“And I want to thank, especially, the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster,” the U.S. president said.

Sharifullah’s capture

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif identified Sharifullah as a “top tier commander” and an Afghan national in a post on X.

“The wanted terrorist was apprehended in a successful operation conducted in Pakistan-Afghan border region,” Sharif said, without sharing details.

The justice department said the mission was a multi-agency effort that also involved the CIA and the FBI.

“Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack, including scouting a route near the airport for an attacker,” the department said.

Sharifullah admitted to recognizing Abdul Rahman al-Logari who detonated the suicide bomb and admitted to playing a role in other attacks in Afghanistan and Russia, the statement added.

Islamabad-based security affairs analyst Iftekhar Firdaus told VOA that Sharifullah, a resident of Kabul, joined ISIS-K in 2016.

“He was arrested in 2019 and then released during the jailbreak of the Afghan Taliban during their takeover of August 15, 2021,” said Firdaus, founder of The Khorasan Diary, an online platform that monitors militancy.

If convicted, Sharifullah could get a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the justice department said.

Cooperation with Pakistan

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for acknowledging his country’s contribution in a post on the X social media platform.

“We thank U.S. President Donald Trump for acknowledging and appreciating Pakistan’s role and support in counter terrorism efforts across the region,” Sharif posted.

“We will continue to partner closely with the United States in securing regional peace and stability,” the prime minister added.

The arrest signals Islamabad and Washington are working closely on some security issues despite relations reaching a low since the end of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power.

“The arrest shows that counter-terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the US remains robust even though relations are largely confined to a narrow bandwidth focused on counterterrorism,” former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Maleeha Lodhi, told VOA.

“This is the first major development between both countries since the Trump administration took office,” Firdaus said. “It also exemplifies the dependence of both countries on each other when it comes to counterterrorism cooperation.”

Thaw in ties?

Still, experts warned the joint effort and the public expression of gratitude from the highest offices should not be seen as a thaw in relations.

“One has to be careful not to over read the significance of a single event for Pakistan-US relations, that have been at a crossroads since the US exit from Afghanistan in 2021 and need high-level engagement for a reset,” Lodhi said.

Most military aid to Pakistan remains blocked since Trump put a freeze on it during his first term in office.

Many in Washington also blame Pakistan for the losses the United States incurred in the Afghan war.

In congressional hearings soon after the troop withdrawal, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said Pakistan’s role in providing sanctuary to the Afghan Taliban needed to be “fully examined.”

Antony Blinken, then-Secretary of State, told Congress in a September 2021 hearing that the Biden administration would look into the role Pakistan played during the war.

Nearly two dozen Republican senators also proposed a bill that called for “an assessment of support by state and non-state actors, including the government of Pakistan, for the Taliban between 2001 and 2020.”

Pakistan, a major non-NATO ally has consistently denied allegations of covertly providing support to Taliban while supporting the U.S. in the Afghan war.

“We remain steadfast in our resolve and unwavering commitment to combating terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations,” Sharif said in his X post Wednesday.

In a post on X, Washington-based South Asia expert Micheal Kugelman said Pakistan is interested in a new security partnership with the U.S.

“Pakistan wants to leverage U.S. concerns about terrorism in Afghanistan and pitch a renewed security partnership with the U.S.,” said Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, adding “it will be a hard sell to the administration.”

The joint counter-terrorism operation comes just days after the Trump administration released $397 million for a program that supports Pakistan’s use of F-16 fighter jets acquired from Washington. Islamabad is stipulated to use the fighter jets for only for counterterrorism purposes, and not against archrival India.
…

NEW ORLEANS — Powerful storms killed two people in Mississippi, tore the roofs off an apartment building and a nursing home in a small town in Oklahoma and threatened more communities across the nation Tuesday with wide-ranging weather.

The large storm system also brought blinding dust storms to the Southwest, blizzards with whiteout conditions to the Midwest and fears of wildfires elsewhere.

In Irving, Texas, a tornado with winds up to 177 kph struck, while another touched down in the 16,000-resident city of Ada, Oklahoma, according to preliminary information from the National Weather Service. There were also two tornadoes in Louisiana’s northern Caddo Parish and at least five in eastern Oklahoma.

High winds forced some changes to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, which moved up and shortened the two biggest parades, to wrap them up before the bad weather moved in.

The weather didn’t stop Shalaska Jones and her 2-year-old daughter from waving at passing Mardi Gras floats and hoping to catch one of the coveted coconuts thrown to the crowd.

“We was coming out, rain, sleet or snow,” Jones said.

The alarming weather could be one of the first big tests for the National Weather Service after hundreds of forecasters were fired last week as part of President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the size of the federal government. Former employees said the firing of meteorologists who make crucial local forecasts nationwide could put lives at risk, though it was too soon to know the impact on forecasts and warnings for this storm.

Deaths from storms in Mississippi

Two people died due to the severe weather, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves posted on the social platform X, without going into detail.

WAPT-TV reported that one person died from a falling power line in Madison County, while a driver in the same county was killed by a tree falling on his car.

Hundreds of thousands left without power

Storms that swept through Texas and Oklahoma brought high winds and rain, overturning tractor-trailers and damaging roofs. More than 178,000 customers were without power in Texas, about 23,000 in Louisiana, another 18,000 in Mississippi, about 88,000 in Alabama, more than 16,000 in Oklahoma and more than 23,000 in Tennessee, according to PowerOutage.us.

More outages were expected as a line of storms raced across Mississippi and Louisiana and headed for Alabama, producing gusts of 113 kph, the weather service said.

Central Plains and Midwest brace for blizzard conditions

Blizzard conditions were forecast that could make travel treacherous.

Schools will be closed Wednesday in several southern Minnesota districts with about 13 to 28 centimeters of snow expected. More concerning were winds forecasted to gust over 80 kph and stay high.

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities said on X Tuesday night that travel was not advised over a large portion of southern Minnesota.

“It’s tough to find a @MnDOT road camera that isn’t covered in ice or blocked completely by blowing snow,” the post said.

South Dakota was expected to receive up to 12.7 centimeters of snow in some areas, and by Tuesday evening, high winds had already deteriorated road conditions.

Jay Jones, who works at Love’s Truck Stop in Sioux Falls, said he saw garbage cans flying around as winds gusted around 80.5 kph. Parts of Interstate 29 heading north to North Dakota were shut down.

“It looks really bad out there,” Jones said, adding that he walked to work and would have to “have to tough it out” on his way home.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA — A U.S. judge on Tuesday denied Elon Musk’s request to prevent OpenAI from becoming a for-profit business in a loss for the Tesla tycoon amid his feud with Sam Altman. 

U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Musk and his xAI startup failed to prove an injunction against OpenAI was necessary as the case heads to trial. 

Musk sued in California federal court to stop OpenAI from transitioning from a nonprofit to a for-profit business, arguing the startup violated antitrust law and betrayed his trust in their mission as a co-founder of OpenAI. 

The judge wrote that, while Musk did not prove the need for an injunction, she is prepared to expedite a trial on that claim later this year. 

The ruling leaves OpenAI free to continue its transition from nonprofit to for-profit enterprise. 

Musk’s injunction bid argued that OpenAI’s co-founders, including chief executive Altman, “took advantage of Musk’s altruism in order to lure him into funding the venture,” according to court documents. 

Musk contended in filings that it was clear his backing of OpenAI was contingent on it remaining a nonprofit, offering a few email exchanges to support the claim. 

“Whether Musk’s emails and social media posts constitute a writing sufficient to constitute an actual contract or charitable trust between the parties is debatable,” the judge said in her ruling. 

OpenAI’s board chairman in February rejected a Musk-led offer to buy the valuable artificial intelligence company for $97.4 billion. 

“OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition,” OpenAI Board Chair Bret Taylor said in a statement posted by the company on Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter. 

OpenAI currently operates in a hybrid structure, as a nonprofit with a money-making subsidiary. 

The change to a for-profit model, one that Altman says is crucial for the company’s development, has exacerbated ongoing tensions with Musk. 

Musk and Altman were among the 11-person team that founded OpenAI in 2015, with the former providing initial funding of $45 million.  

Three years later, Musk left the company, with OpenAI citing “a potential future conflict for Elon … as Tesla continues to become more focused on AI.” 

Musk established his own artificial intelligence company, dubbed xAI, in early 2023 after OpenAI ignited global fervor over the technology. 

The massive cost of designing, training, and deploying AI models has compelled OpenAI to seek a new corporate structure that would give investors equity and provide more stable governance. 
…

UNITED NATIONS — The United States made clear Tuesday that it will no longer automatically support core United Nations platforms, including sustainable development and global goals that include eliminating poverty during a vote at the U.N. General Assembly. 

“Therefore, the United States rejects and denounces the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the sustainable development goals, and will no longer reaffirm them as a matter of course,” U.S. representative Edward Heartney told the assembly. 

The U.S. voted against a resolution titled “International Day of Peaceful Coexistence” that reaffirmed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “acknowledging that this includes a commitment to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” 

Heartney said Americans voted in November’s election for their government to refocus on U.S. interests. 

“Simply put, the globalist endeavors like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box,” he said. 

The measure passed the assembly with 162 countries in favor and three against — the United States, Israel and Argentina. 

The General Assembly creates “International Days” to raise awareness of important global issues and promote peace and tolerance. There are more than 150 of them currently, including International Women’s Day, which is coming up on March 8, World Environment Day, International Mother Language Day and World Diabetes Day. 

On Tuesday, delegates voted to create an “International Day of Hope,” as well as an “International Day for Judicial Well-Being.” Washington stood alone, the sole no vote on both. 

Heartney said Washington “strongly supports efforts to sustain peace and pursue diplomatic solutions to crises around the world and that individual rights are fundamental to U.S. security and the promotion of international peace. 

“This resolution, however, contributes to the unnecessary proliferation of multiple international days, many of which have a similar intent,” he said of the International Day of Hope proposal, noting that there is already an International Day of Peace and another on Happiness. 

“The current draft resolution also contains references to diversity, equity and inclusion that conflict with U.S. policies that seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination and create equal opportunities for all,” Heartney added. 

The Trump administration has made the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI programs, a core pillar, saying it illegally promotes discrimination. 

Washington was also the sole vote against a resolution titled “Education for Democracy,” which reaffirms “the right of everyone to education” and recognizes “the importance of equal opportunities for young people, including women.” 

The text recognizes “that education for democracy nurtures responsible and active learners, capable of contributing effectively to peace and prosperity in their societies and beyond,” and notes the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on global education.  

It calls on governments to invest more in quality education, to bridge the digital divide and “to advance the prospects of future generations and foster the building of peaceful, just, democratic and sustainable societies.” 

On Feb. 24, Washington stunned the international community when it voted against a Ukrainian and European Union-drafted General Assembly resolution supporting a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine and submitted its own text that did not name Russia as the aggressor in the war.   

The assembly voted to amend the U.S. text to include language on Russia’s “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

When the amended American text was put to a vote, Washington abstained. It was adopted with 93 states in favor, eight against and 73 abstentions. 

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do carry the moral weight of the international community. 
…

NEW YORK — The Pritzker Prize, dubbed the “Nobel” for architecture, was awarded Tuesday to China’s Liu Jiakun, who was recognized for designs that celebrate “everyday lives.”

“In a global context where architecture is struggling to find adequate responses to fast evolving social and environmental challenges, Liu Jiakun has provided convincing answers that also celebrate the everyday lives of people as well as their communal and spiritual identities,” the award’s jury wrote in a statement.

Born in 1956, Liu has worked on more than 30 projects in China ranging from academic and cultural institutions to civic spaces and commercial buildings.

“Architecture should reveal something  it should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people,” Liu said in the statement, evoking his craft’s capacity to create “a sense of shared community.”

Liu lives and works in his birth city of Chengdu, where he prioritizes the use of local materials and traditional building techniques.

His projects include the Museum of Clocks in Chengdu, a large circular structure with a skylight that illuminates an interior strip of photographs.

Alejandro Aravena, who won the award in 2016 and is chair of the jury, said Liu’s works offer “clues on how to confront the challenges of urbanization” especially because they are sometimes “a building, infrastructure, landscape and public space at the same time.”

“Cities tend to segregate functions, but Liu Jiakun takes the opposite approach and sustains a delicate balance to integrate all dimensions of the urban life,” Aravena said.

Liu, who is the 54th recipient of the Pritzker Prize, will be honored at a celebration in Abu Dhabi in spring, award organizers said.

Last year’s prize went to Japan’s Riken Yamamoto, whose projects are credited with promoting human contact and who said at the time his objective was to “design architecture that can bring joy to people around it.”
…

NEW ORLEANS — Thousands of revelers adorned in beads and outlandish costumes will fill the streets of New Orleans as the city celebrates Mardi Gras Day despite anticipated severe storms.

The city’s two biggest parades — hosted by social clubs Krewe of Zulu and Krewe of Rex — are set to go on with earlier start times, shorter routes and no marching bands, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters Monday. The parades will be required to wrap up by 11:30 a.m. local time to avoid diminishing weather.

“Bottom line, they gonna still get the Zulu parade and all the excitement, it’s just a little earlier,” said Darren Mire, a Krewe of Zulu spokesperson. “We have to err on the side of caution, we have to protect the citizens of New Orleans and the visitors, and this was the best decision possible to get things done.”

Thunderstorms and winds up to 100 kph are expected throughout Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. In neighboring Jefferson Parish, officials canceled parades.

Kirkpatrick warned parade-goers to not bring umbrellas, tents or “anything that could fly in the wind and cause mayhem.” Worsening weather Tuesday morning could still be a condition for calling off the city’s parades at the last minute, she added.

“I will cancel the parades at that point, no matter what time that is,” Kirkpatrick said. “I hold that trump card in which I will not hesitate to cancel — I won’t do it lightly, but I will do it.”

Two other parades that had been scheduled to roll through the city later on Tuesday with nearly 200 truck floats have been postponed to Sunday, Kirkpatrick said.

Other cities along the Gulf Coast, such as Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, hold their own Mardi Gras Day parades.

The culmination of the weekslong carnival season, Fat Tuesday festivities of feasting and drinking precede Ash Wednesday, traditionally the start of Lent, a period of fasting in Christian tradition in preparation for Easter Sunday. As a result, this year’s Mardi Gras Day falls unusually late in the year.

But the outsized culture of street parties, extravagant balls and spirited parades has evolved into a decidedly secular spectacle in the Big Easy.

The day kicks off with the North Side Skull and Bone Gang, a drum-playing group which for more than 200 years has gathered before sunrise to awake neighbors in the city’s historic Treme neighborhood.

Across the city, renowned Black masking Indians, whose spectacular beaded and bejeweled costumes are topped with feathered head dresses, take to the streets to represent a central part of African American culture in the city dating back to the 1800s.

One of the most beloved parades, the Krewe of Zulu, typically features hundreds of marching members tossing trinkets to spectators such as beads and highly coveted decorated coconuts.

And the Krewe of Rex, a social club led by the honorary king of carnival season, bears the traditional colors of purple, green and gold.

The festivities are also marked by enhanced security presence across the city following a devastating Jan. 1 truck attack that killed 14 people. The Department of Homeland Security upgraded Mardi Gras to its highest risk rating, leading to an influx of law enforcement agents. A zigzagging layout of barriers parallels the main parade route to guard against fast-moving vehicles and armored trucks; SWAT teams and helicopters will be present.
…

The U.S. skating community came together Sunday for a fundraiser and tribute to the victims of a collision between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29 over the Potomac River in Washington.

Sixty-seven people, all the people on both aircraft, died in the crash, including 28 members of the U.S. figure skating community — 11 young figure skaters, four couches and 13 family members — who had been to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

One of the most emotional performances Sunday night was delivered by Maxim Naumov, who skated to a favorite song of his parents, Evgenia Shishkov and Vadim Naumov, who died in the crash.

The two-hour Legacy on Ice event was hosted by Olympic figure skating champions Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi. They and other veteran skaters, including Scott Hamilton and Nathan Chen, also performed.

The event began to take shape a week after the crash. Monumental Sports and Entertainment, organizers of the tribute, said they have so far raised $1.2 million for the victims’ families and the first responders.

“We continue to be in awe of and grateful to this community, whose compassion and support was out in full force for the ‘Legacy on Ice’ event,” Monumental chairman Ted Leonsis said in a statement.

He said the money raised is set to be divided among the families impacted by the collision, first responders and U.S. Figure Skating.

The Associated Press reported that almost 500 first responders and approximately 150 family members of the victims were in the audience.

NBC is scheduled to broadcast “Legacy on Ice” on March 30.
…

Lighter winds Monday helped crews in South Carolina and North Carolina battle wildfires that caused evacuations and threatened hundreds of homes over the weekend. 

Hundreds of firefighters from across the state managed to keep the massive blaze in Horry County near Myrtle Beach from destroying any homes despite social media videos of orange skies at night and flames engulfing pine trees just yards away. 

The fire burned 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles). It was the biggest fire in the area since a 2009 wildfire nearby did $42 million in damage and burned down about 75 homes.  

The danger wasn’t over Monday. Officials in all of South Carolina banned almost all outdoor fires, including burning yard debris and campfires. They told residents to call 911 if they see a neighbor setting a fire. 

“You can and will go to jail for starting a fire outdoors in South Carolina. Period,” Gov. Henry McMaster wrote on social media. 

Burn bans were also in place in western North Carolina. Some residents in Polk County remained evacuated from their homes as fire crews Monday morning set their own blazes to burn possible wildfire fuel to make it easier to contain a 480-acre (190-hectare) fire that was about 30% contained. 

Polk County is on the fringes of an area badly hit by Hurricane Helene last year. Fallen trees that have not been cleared are increasing the risk of fires across the region. 

In eastern North Carolina, nearly 80 mostly small wildfires were reported in Robeson County. Emergency officials said 15 structures were damaged, but they did not give specifics on the types of buildings. 

The North Carolina Forest Service reported more than 200 wildfires across the state Monday, although almost all of them were small and not threatening any structures. 

Officials across the Carolinas warned of poor air quality because of smoke. 

A drier-than-normal winter across the Carolinas combined over the weekend with high winds as a cold front without the usual rain that accompanies the weather systems in the South moved through the area to increase the fire danger. 

The area near Myrtle Beach is one of the most dangerous for wildfires in South Carolina as hundreds of years of decomposing vegetation creates peat, which when it dries out can burn for a long time. 

Pine trees and other waxy vegetation provide fuel for fires to rapidly spread in dry, windy conditions. 

Horry County’s population has doubled to 400,000 people over the past 25 years. Many of those newcomers have moved into neighborhoods being rapidly built right next to the oval Carolina Bays where the peat and flammable vegetation all grow together. Fires have been part of the natural landscape of the bays for centuries. 

Officials have not said what caused any of the fires. 
…

WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS — An Illinois man pleaded guilty Monday to killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb, a stunning development moments before opening arguments in his trial on charges of murder and attempted murder. 

Appearing in a Lake County circuit courtroom, Robert E. Crimo III, 23, withdrew his earlier not-guilty plea in the Highland Park shooting. 

Prosecutors initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors dropped the less serious 48 counts of aggravated battery before the start of the trial with jury selection last week. 

On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti read the charges to Crimo and asked questions to be sure he understood before any open plea was read to the court. He was sitting next to his lawyers wearing a dark suit. 

“Is that what you went over with your attorneys?” Rossetti asked. 

“Yes,” Crimo replied to the judge. 

He gave one-word answers, indicating he understood the charges. His mother, Denise Pesina, had a brief outburst at the news and was called up to the judge for a warning. 

“We’re going to move forward. You are not a party to this proceeding. If you would like to stay in the courtroom please have a seat and be quiet,” the judge said to her. 

She was allowed to stay. 

The judge said with the plea change, there would be no trial or further motions on the case. 

“He has knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights and pleaded guilty,” Rossetti said. 

Lake County prosecutors read the names of all those killed in the shooting and of those injured in the shooting, with the judge stopping to ask questions to make sure Crimo understood. 

They went over the substantial evidence, including his prints on the gun used in the crime, and statements to police admitting to the mass shooting. 

Sentencing will come April 23, but Crimo is certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each count of first-degree murder carries a natural life prison sentence. 

Crimo did not further address the court or ask questions before leaving the courtroom. 

His defense attorneys declined comment ahead of the trial. 

Security was very tight for the proceedings at the courthouse in Lake County, with multiple bag checks and observers required to lock up their phones. The crowd at what was supposed to be opening statements included survivors and their family members. 

Jurors, who were chosen last week, had not even been let into the courtroom yet when the plea change happened. 

The trial that began Feb. 24 was expected to last about a month with testimony from survivors and police. Prosecutors had submitted thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of a videotaped interrogation during which police say Crimo confessed to the shooting. But the 24-year-old had then pleaded not guilty. 

Dozens of people were wounded in the shooting in the suburb about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Chicago. The wounded ranged in age from their 80s down to an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed. 

Witnesses described confusion as the shots began, followed by panic as families fled the downtown parade route, leaving behind lawn chairs and strollers to find safety inside nearby businesses or homes. 

Authorities said Crimo perched on a roof and fired into crowds assembled for the annual Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park. 

The criminal case proceeded slowly for months, partly due to Crimo’s unpredictable behavior. In June 2024, when he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, Crimo showed up to court in a wheelchair and rejected the deal, surprising even his lawyers. 

He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then he abruptly reversed himself. 

As potential jurors were questioned last week, he sporadically appeared in court, at times refusing to leave his jail cell. 

Father charged, tried earlier

The trial came almost two years after his father’s case focusing on how Crimo obtained a gun license. 

In 2019, at age 19, Crimo was only allowed to apply for a gun license with the sponsorship of a parent or guardian. His father agreed, even though a relative had reported to police that his son had a collection of knives and had threatened to “kill everyone.” 

His father, Robert Crimo Jr., a onetime mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a gun license. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and served less than two months in jail. 

He has attended his son’s hearings, sometimes making eye contact with him during court. He declined to discuss the case in detail ahead of the trial. 

“As a parent, I love my son very much,” he said. “And Bobby loves this country more than anyone would ever know.” 

Residents in the wealthy Highland Park community of roughly 30,000 set along Lake Michigan have mourned the losses deeply. Some potential jurors were excused because of their connections to the case. 

The victims killed in the shooting included Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. 

Survivors and their families have filed multiple lawsuits, including against the maker of the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting and against authorities they accuse of negligence.
…

A French company that makes a key component in night vision systems used by some NATO countries announced Monday it is building a new factory in the United States amid a push for NATO members to increase their defense spending.

Exosens said the new factory in the northeastern state of Massachusetts is expected to begin operations in 2027, and is part of a $21 million overall investment that also includes expanded operations in Europe.

“The return of high-density combat has underscored the critical importance of night operation abilities as a key tactical advantage,” the company said in a statement.

Last week, Exosens announced a contract with a maker of night vision goggles in NATO member Finland.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters
…

Crews battled wildfires in North and South Carolina on Sunday amid dry conditions and gusty winds and evacuations were ordered in some areas.

The National Weather Service warned of increased fire danger in the region due to a combination of critically dry fuels and very low relative humidity.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Sunday to support the wildfire response effort, and a statewide burning ban remained in effect.

Crews worked to contain a fire in the Carolina Forest area west of the coastal resort city of Myrtle Beach, where residents were ordered to evacuate several neighborhoods, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission estimated Sunday afternoon that the blaze was burning about 4.9 square kilometers (1.9 square miles) with 0% containment. No structures had succumbed to the blaze and no injuries had been reported as of Sunday morning, officials said.

The 410 personnel involved in the effort were expected to remain until the fire was contained, county fire officials said. Evacuations were expected to remain in place Sunday and officials warned residents in the Carolina Forest area to be prepared with go-bags and emergency plans if more evacuations were called in their neighborhoods.

In North Carolina, the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were working to contain multiple wildfires burning on more than 161.87 hectares (400 acres) in four forests across the state Sunday. The largest, about 121.41 hectares (300 acres), was at Uwharrie National Forest, about 80.47 kilometers (50 miles) east of Charlotte.

The small southwestern town of Tryon in Polk County, North Carolina, urged some residents to evacuate Saturday as a fire spread rapidly there. On Sunday, officials said those evacuations remained in effect.

That fire was burning about 161.87 hectares (400 acres) Sunday afternoon, with 0% containment, according to the Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal’s office. The North Carolina Forest Service was conducting water drops and back-burning operations on the ground, and area residents should expect a lot of smoke during those operations, officials said.

Officials have not said what caused any of the fires.
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