Ukrainian forces have liberated approximately 16 square kilometers of territory near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast in recent weeks, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 17. There has been a notable slowdown in Russia's offensive operations after months of steady territorial gains across eastern Ukraine. According to battlefield monitoring group DeepState, Russian troops have captured just 133 square kilometers in March, the lowest monthly total since June 2024. The recently recaptured territory by Ukrainian troops includes areas near the settlements of Udachne, Kotlyne, and Shevchenko, according to Syrskyi. According to Syrskyi, Ukrainian forces are halting around 30 Russian assaults daily in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, inflicting significant losses on Russian troops. During his visit, Syrskyi met with commanders at front-line command posts and reviewed operational plans with Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the operational-tactical group. He said that on-site problems related to logistics, ammunition supply, and combat organization were being addressed. Despite continued Russian efforts to push Ukrainian troops out of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and reach the administrative borders of these regions, Syrskyi said those objectives remain unfulfilled. "We continue our defensive operation, carry out counteroffensive actions, and are achieving certain successes," Syrskyi said. Moscow does not fully control any of the four Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – that it illegally claimed to annex in 2022.

Officials became ‘suspicious' of pair after learning they had not booked accommodation for entire stay Two German teenagers were allegedly strip searched and deported over a badly-planned trip to Hawaii. Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepère, 18, arrived in Honolulu with plans to explore the island for five weeks after graduating high school. Instead, the pair say they were interrogated for hours upon their arrival before border agents denied them entry and turned them around, according to German newspaper Ostsee Zeitung. “We had already noticed a little bit of what was going on in the US. But at the time, we didn't think it was happening to Germans. Officials are said to have become suspicious of the teenagers after learning they had not booked accommodation for their entire five-week stay in Hawaii. “They found it suspicious that we hadn't fully booked our accommodation for the entire five weeks in Hawaii,” Ms Pohl said. Just like we had done in Thailand and New Zealand.” Since taking office, Donald Trump has announced a string of immigration-related executive orders that focus on stricter border policy, tighter visa vetting procedures and a crackdown on undocumented migrants in the United States.

White House tradition bankrolled by tech bosses for first time, with sponsorship packages ranging from $75,000 to $200,000 Donald and Melania Trump hosted the first White House Easter egg roll funded by corporate sponsors on Monday. The event, a White House tradition, was bankrolled by tech bosses including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. The event was attended by Mr Trump's family and top team. Karoline Leavitt, 27, Mr Trump's press secretary, made a rare appearance off the clock – alongside her husband Nicholas Riccio, 60, and their baby son Nicco. Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence, was also there, just hours after the New York Times reported he had again shared sensitive information into a Signal group chat, this time with his wife, former Fox News producer, and his brother. He criticised the “fake news media” over its reporting of the second Signal leak and responded: “ask the Houthis”, when asked if Mr Hegseth was doing a good job in his role, amid rumours he could be forced to quit. “Why do you even ask a question like that?” Mr Trump asked, then added: “The spirit in the armed forces is fantastic. I thought they gave that up two weeks ago. Mike Waltz, the National Security adviser, posted a photo on X alongside his wife Julia Nesheiwat, a former homeland security adviser, his son Armie, Mr Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles and another woman. He wrote: “White House Easter Egg Roll with the Chief!” Taking to the White House's Blue Room balcony with Mrs Trump and a large Easter bunny, Mr Trump told the crowds: “Happy Easter and enjoy your lives.” Promising children in attendance they would have “a lot of fun,” Mr Trump added: “We're going to have a great four years.” Mr Trump thanked the National Park Service for “making everything so beautiful and spiffy,” and the first lady for organising the egg roll. “Easter is special and it's one of our favourite days,” he said. The president also took the opportunity to praise the US military and said he had signed an executive order to fly federal and state flags at half mast, in honour of Pope Francis's death on Monday. When asked by a reporter if he agreed with the late pope's message of tolerance on migrants, he responded: “Yeah I do.” Describing Pope Francis as “a very good man who loved the world,” he said: “He especially loved people that were having a hard time, and that's good with me.” Footage showed Mr Trump, who has 10 grandchildren, chatting enthusiastically with the children and idly colouring in a worksheet with red and yellow crayons. Mrs Trump accompanied some of the children to hopscotch, and later read aloud from the book Bunny with a Big Heart. What a beautiful crowd!” Mrs Trump told the crowd, later quizzing some of the children on what they had learnt. “Yes, we need to make friends and take care of them as well,” she told one of the audience members, adding: “Kindness, yes.” “I hope to see you next year,” she said.

Humans have gathered to feast and enjoy a tipple together for thousands of years, but research suggests chimpanzees may also bond over a boozy treat. Wild chimpanzees in west Africa have been observed sharing fruit containing alcohol – not in quantities to get roaring drunk but, possibly, enough for a fuzzy beer buzz feeling. “We also know that sharing alcohol, including through traditions such as feasting, helps to form and strengthen social bonds. “Now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits, the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?” “Chimps don't share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important,” said Kimberley Hockings, also from the University of Exeter. Though the alcohol level is relatively low, the chimpanzees ate a lot of fruit every day so might ingest a fair quantity of alcohol, she said. “They can feed on kilograms of the stuff every day. Some of them appeared to become troublesome, causing mischief such as not letting others build their night nests. The sharing seemed to take place between all ages and sexes. Two adult males, Mandjambé and Gary, were observed approaching ripe breadfruit with aggressive stances. Mandjambé claimed a piece and began to feed, while another adult male, Bobby, kept Gary at bay. Hockings said: “We need to find out more about whether the chimpanzees deliberately seek out ethanolic fruits and how they metabolise it, but this behaviour could be the early evolutionary stages of feasting. If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history.”

Kenya's Sharon Lokedi won a thrilling battle over compatriot and two-time defending champion Hellen Obiri at the Boston Marathon, smashing the course record in the process. Lokedi surged away from her rival in the closing stages and crossed the line in 2:17:22 – more than two and a half minutes faster than Buzunesh Deba's previous record from 2014. It was Lokedi's second major marathon victory having triumphed in New York in 2022, while also avenging her runner-up finish to Obiri at last year's race. “I just have to put it out there and fight till the end and see how it goes. We all fought and wanted this so bad.” Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw was third in 2:18:06, still well inside the old course record. “We went through halfway in 68 minutes and I thought: That's so fast! We hadn't got to the hills yet,” said Lokedi. In the men's race, Kenyan John Korir pulled clear from the lead pack around mile 20 to take a commanding victory in a time of 2:04:45. Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu outsprinted Kenya's Cyprian Kotut to finish second, crossing the line 19 seconds behind Korir, while American Conner Mantz narrowly missed out on a podium place in fourth. “I expected him there (at the finish line). He had a title for Boston in the family but now I've got it.” The reigning Chicago Marathon champion had to overcome a difficult start in Boston when he fell in the first 50 meters and lost his race number from the front of his singlet. The stumble didn't seem to faze Korir during the race as he built a big lead over the field in the last six miles, not long after defending champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia had pulled out. In the wheelchair races, Switzerland's seven-time Paralympic champion Marcel Hug won his eighth title in Boston, while USA's Susannah Scaroni claimed her second having also triumphed in 2023. This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Shooter Patrick Crusius was sentenced to life in prison without parole for 2019 massacre near US-Mexico border The people who were killed ranged in age from a 15-year-old high school athlete to elderly grandparents. Crusius has acknowledged he targeted Hispanics on 3 August 2019, when he opened fire in a Walmart in the Texas border city that was crowded with weekend shoppers from the US and Mexico. Montoya says that decision was driven by a majority of victims' relatives who want the case to be over. Crusius has already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms at the federal level after pleading guilty to hate crimes and weapons charges. About 100 people from victims' families were seated in the gallery behind a few rows reserved for media, prosecutors and Crusius's defense team. If the plea arrangement proceeds, families will be able to give victim impact statements. Dozens of people made emotional statements during a similar hearing in federal court in 2023 that lasted for three days. Crusius, a white community-college dropout, was 21 years old when police say he drove more than 700 miles (1,100km ) to El Paso from his home near Dallas. Not long after posting a racist rant online that warned of a Hispanic “invasion”, he opened fire with an AK-style rifle inside and outside the store. Joe Spencer, a defense attorney in the state and federal cases, said Crusius had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder that can be marked by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings, and has suffered from debilitating mental illness for most of his life.

Disability rights advocates are filing lawsuits as students, teachers and parents organize to protect education. Disability rights advocates are filing lawsuits as students, teachers and parents organize to protect education. Among other things, this money goes toward training teachers, service providers, and other staff in best practices for both special and general education classrooms. Moreover, the 12 regional sites of DOE's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) are also being threatened with closure (seven have already been shuttered). These offices have worked to investigate allegations of discrimination or abuse made by students and their families, including the still-common practice of isolating or restraining students in special ed programs. In fiscal year 2024, OCR received 22,687 complaints, all of which were meant to be investigated. This oversight function apparently rankles the right wing, and groups like the Heritage Foundation claim OCR's work is an unnecessary expansion of “special rights.” In fact, 17 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia) are currently suing the U.S. government, asking that it declare Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 unconstitutional. Then there's IDEA, which is also squarely in the right's crosshairs, since it guarantees every child access to public schooling. More than 7.5 million K-12th graders — 15 percent of all U.S. students — receive services through IDEA. Each has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that guides their schooling and stipulates the services they are legally entitled to receive, among them one-on-one or small group tutoring; speech, occupational, or physical therapy; and/or mental health counseling. For example, students with diabetes may be given permission to eat in class despite a general rule against doing so. Education advocates and disability justice activists see this as common sense — right-wingers do not. “The DOE and the laws it is supposed to execute have one major purpose: to level the playing field and fill opportunity gaps to help every child in America succeed,” she told Truthout by email. “Trying to abolish it and its Office for Civil Rights sends a message that the president doesn't care about opportunity for all kids.” She calls granting authority to the states “a grave mistake” and pledges that the AFT will “fight them tooth and nail.” Marshall told Truthout that COPAA and the National Center for Youth Law have filed a federal lawsuit to restore OCR's investigative functions. “This administration does not hide its hostility to people of color, people with gender identities that it doesn't like, and the disabled. OCR had been investigating cases and holding districts accountable.” Marshall also talked about another potential loss should DOGE and Trump succeed in their efforts. “Congress has spent years working to align disability, education and civil rights laws to support the educational success of all students, but particularly students with disabilities,” she said. “Putting educational functions into HHS perpetuates a medical model and may contribute to increasing the segregation and isolation of people with disabilities. “We know that Black and Brown students in special education experience disproportionate punishments. Stephanie Flynt McEben, public policy analyst at the National Disability Rights Network, agrees and told Truthout that, in addition, she is afraid that moving DOE to HHS will perpetuate low expectations for children with disabilities. “Already half of the OCR staff have been laid off, so we're already seeing a backlog of complaints build up,” Flynt McEben said. This potential lack of oversight terrifies parent William Fertman, whose 7-year-old son attends the California School for the Deaf (CSD), a state-funded program in Fremont. “Once the DOE is gone, there may be no one to oversee the disbursement of funds for a school like CSD,” he told Truthout. I see what's being done as incredibly disruptive and dangerous. I fear that it will allow states to pass legislation that violates or undermines IDEA, and there will be no one at the federal level to stop it from happening.” As for his son, Fertman says that because the school uses American Sign Language for classroom instruction and also teaches students to read and write in English, his son “has full access to everything. He's not the Deaf kid with an interpreter, or the kid who gets pulled out of class a few times a week for services.” Kids with all kinds of disabilities deserve equal access to schooling, but they could be thrown into the darkness and left there because there will be no money for the state to disburse.” “There have always been funding difficulties for special education,” she told Truthout. “If the funding stream changes, federal cuts will mean less money coming in, and more competition for scarce resources. I worry that the idea that children with disabilities can't learn and are a waste of resources will again get traction and will impact how people look at the disabled. “We live in a country with high income inequality,” parent Jessica Hardin added. These are services my husband and I could not pay for out of pocket. Government support makes it possible for my daughter to have some semblance of an independent child's life, but I'm living with the devastating fear that this could all go away. If it does, we don't know what we'll do.” Hardin said that her daughter, who does not speak or use the bathroom independently, has to be supervised at all times. “She can be a danger to herself,” she explains, “so we need extra support to maintain our careers and also take care of our 9-year-old son. “My son would be lost without his paraprofessional,” she told Truthout. In the long run, if my son gets what he needs to be independent and find a job, he'll be contributing to the community. Shouldn't everyone want this for every person with a disability who is able to work?” Now living in New Hampshire, she said that her son, who excelled in school despite clear signs that he was struggling socially, did not get diagnosed until late middle school, by which point he was experiencing severe anxiety and depression. “He went into such autistic burnout that my goal became keeping him alive,” she said. He is now attending Landmark College, a private program for students with learning disabilities, ADHD and autism. Tricia said that while he is now doing well, the late diagnosis complicated his progress. After getting her services at a specialized private school that the district paid for, she's done well socially and academically.” Still, like other parents interviewed, Tricia is enraged by what's happening in Washington. Maybe he thinks that this will lead to less pushback. We've borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump's presidency. Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.” Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we've reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity. We have 3 days left in our fundraiser: Please, if you find value in what we do, join our community of sustainers by making a monthly or one-time gift. Eleanor J. Bader is a Brooklyn, New York-based freelance writer who focuses on domestic social issues and resistance movements. In addition to Truthout, she writes for The Progressive, Ms. Magazine, Lilith, The Indypendent, New Pages and other progressive blogs and print publications. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. Join our collective fight by making a monthly donation to Truthout today.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on April 21 responded to a report that he shared plans for an attack in Yemen in a chat that included his wife and brother. “What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax,” Hegseth told reporters at the White House in Washington. Citing anonymous sources, The New York Times reported on Sunday that Hegseth in March shared details of forthcoming strikes in Yemen to a second Signal group. The attack plans were said to be similar to those shared in a chat that included Cabinet members and whose existence was disclosed by the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic after administration officials said he was mistakenly added to the chat. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to news outlets: “No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can't change the fact that no classified information was shared. Recently-fired ‘leakers' are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President's agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that President Donald Trump “stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon.” Three Department of Defense officials who had been placed on leave as part of an investigation into unauthorized disclosures indicated on Friday that they were no longer with the Pentagon. A Pentagon official told The Epoch Times in an email, “At this time, no final senior staffing changes have been decided, and the Secretary will make any future announcements on his own timetable.” Some Democrats on Sunday called for Hegseth's resignation or termination after the report that a second Signal chat was published.

More than 70 Chinese and international automotive brands will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models at the Shanghai auto show this week, intensifying already cutthroat competition in the world's premier market for electric vehicles and hybrids. Top-selling Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely are expected to take centre stage at the show from April 23 to May 2, while foreign automakers such as Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota and General Motors' Cadillac brand will also jostle for attention. But automakers' plans to tout next-generation driver-assistance systems in Shanghai have been upended by a government crackdown on marketing claims using terms such as “smart” or “autonomous” to describe their technology after a fatal crash of Xiaomi SU7 in March. The launch of the SU7 shortly before last year's Beijing auto show created a sensation, and it has since sold more than 215,000 copies, outpacing Tesla's TSLA-Q Model 3 on a monthly basis since December. The resulting government scrutiny has Chinese automakers such as BYD and Zeekr scrambling to revise their marketing presentations, veering away from boasts about automated-driving capabilities and instead emphasizing driver caution. Driver-assistance systems have become a critical tool for automakers to differentiate themselves in China's crowded EV market. “BYD is taking a similar strategy with God's Eye – making everyone else uncomfortable.” Tech giant Huawei, which supplies automotive software and has launched eight models in partnership with Chinese car makers, on Tuesday launched a campaign urging caution when using its assisted-driving systems. At a livestreamed event last week for Huawei and Chery's jointly developed Luxeed brand, popular Chinese American actress Liu Yifei, a celebrity endorser of the brand, said: “While the technology provides us with good assistance, we should also pay attention to driving safety.” At the Shanghai auto show, Geely's Zeekr EV brand plans to launch its first model equipped with so-called Level 3 driver-assistance technology, meaning it can enable hands-off driving on highways and city streets but still requires drivers to watch the road. But its press conferences will now focus instead on showcasing hybrid models and battery technology, Zeekr said. Chinese regulators are also tightening EV-battery standards, aiming to reduce the risks of fires and explosions. Regulatory challenges aside, China's “new energy vehicle” sector – including fully electric models and a wide variety of gasoline-electric hybrids – continues its historic sales surge. Electrified vehicles now account for more than half of all new-car sales in China, a far higher share than in the United States, Europe and almost all other global markets, and marking the achievement of a goal Beijing originally set for 2030. Those declines accelerated in Europe and the United States in the first quarter amid widespread public backlash over CEO Elon Musk's polarizing politics as a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. Tesla has skipped China auto shows since 2021 after a protest by an unhappy customer at the site. Many of the Model Y competitors to debut this week offer more advanced battery-charging, assisted driving and in-car entertainment for a lower sticker price, such as Xpeng's G6 and Zeekr's E6. Xiaomi had been expected by some analysts to unveil its hotly anticipated YU7 crossover, deemed the biggest potential threat to the Model Y but it will instead only show its current SU7 and SU7 Ultra models at the show and has no plans to hold a news conference. Independent automotive analyst Lei Xing, who has followed the rise of China's auto industry for two decades, called those and other formidable new Chinese electric crossovers “Model Y killers.” Study and track financial data on any traded entity: click to open the full quote page. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, pictured in March at the Federal Reserve in Washington, is the latest target of U.S. president Donald Trump's ire.Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press Then: Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, Dee Brown and Chauncey Billups. Now: JD Vance, Elon Musk, Tom Homan and Peter Navarro. The first group were members of coach Rick Pitino's 1997-1998 Boston Celtics, which opened the season with a full-court press that broke with NBA conventions and left opponents unsettled. The second are members of U.S. President Donald Trump's second administration, which opened with a full-court press that is leaving his opponents unsettled. Since he began his second term, Mr. Trump and his team have been employing a full-court press on Washington and the world in ways, and intensity, never seen before from an American president – with no established institution, durable alliance or long-term exception going unaffected. The new administration has placed maximum pressure on Congress, the courts, institutions, trading partners, universities, immigrants, museums, arts venues, news organizations, minorities and transgender people – all at the same time. On the hard court, Mr. Pitino's full-court press was exhausting with a high risk of failure. In the court of public opinion, Mr. Trump's full-court press is exhausting Americans and brings with it a high risk of failure. It's also the breadth and depth of the set of opening offensives that are setting them apart from any earlier period. Driven by a non-government employee, Mr. Musk, powered by a promiscuous use of executive orders, and having ripple effects far beyond Washington and the broader sphere of government, these moves have the potential of changing the nature of the American presidency and American politics and culture more broadly. As the U.S. rails against DEI, Jackie Robinson Day stands tall They've even challenged the nature and extent of tax exemptions for non-profit organizations, bringing many of the fiercest legal lions to heel. Mr. Trump's demands have prompted a US$1-billion in deals with law firms whose compositions and inclinations he opposes. Established in 1913, the Fed's independence was assured because it was established by Congress, its funding decisions aren't subject to the appropriations process, its decisions can't be adjusted by the president or by lawmakers, and its chairs have assumed they cannot be removed before their terms, which don't coincide with the president, are completed. But Mr. Trump, who appointed Mr. Powell, has grown impatient with the Fed chair, in part because he isn't cutting interest rates. Presidential frustration with Fed members is not unprecedented: president Richard Nixon, whose conferences with Fed chair Arthur Burns raised eyebrows, once urged him to discipline his colleagues. (“Just kick ‘em in the rump a little,” Mr. Nixon said in a 1971 conversation recorded on the White House tapes.) But no president has issued a statement like Mr. Trump's description last week of Mr. Powell (a chair “who is always TOO LATE AND WRONG” and who “issued a report which was another, and typical, complete ‘mess!”). At the same time, there is increased focus on Mr. Trump's apparent belief in the “unitary executive” theory, which provides for expanded presidential power and is the philosophical and legal basis of his resistance to court decisions. Three in five Americans believe the President must conform to judicial rulings, according to a Wall Street Journal poll. “We are all afraid,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, a second-generation Republican from Alaska, said at an Anchorage conference last week. Full-court presses often wear out the team employing them. Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Tom Homan's surname. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following. © Copyright 2025 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved.

- According to the ministry, Ukrainian formations carried out attacks using artillery and drones on Russian military positions and civilian infrastructure in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions, as well as in Crimea. - Nineteen artillery assaults by Ukrainian forces were observed in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk border regions during the truce. The Russian Defense Ministry said that 51 municipalities were impacted. - The ministry emphasized that overall, enemy fire and combat activity was notably lower along the entire frontline. - Russian troops strictly adhered to the ceasefire and maintained previously secured positions, the defense agency stated. - In the last 24 hours, Russian units have conducted strikes on a Ukrainian military airfield, ammunition stockpiles, and drones across 74 locations. - Russian air defense has intercepted and destroyed 104 Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs in the past day. - The Kiev regime lost up to 80 personnel, a Kozak armored vehicle, and a pickup truck in the operational zone of Russia's Battlegroup Center in the past 24 hours. - In the Belgorod area, Ukrainian forces have lost around 20 troops and an artillery piece due to Russia's Battlegroup North, within the same timeframe. - Ukrainian formations have suffered up to 45 casualties and lost a Kozak vehicle, and two field guns in Russia's Battlegroup South's zone of responsibility. - Russia's Battlegroup West engaged Ukrainian mechanized units near Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region, with the enemy losing up to 30 troops. - Ukrainian forces have lost more than 25 personnel, an armored personnel carrier, and a motor vehicle in the area operated by Russia's Battlegroup East. - Due to actions by Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr, the Kiev regime also lost up to 10 troops, a radio-electronic warfare unit, and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar system over the past day.

WASHINGTON—An issue in Congress is once again bringing together progressive House Democrats and Freedom Caucus-aligned House Republicans in support of new legislation. In recent years, several senators and representatives have been the subject of critical reports regarding stock trades they've personally undertaken, yielding handsome profits shortly before market-sensitive news. Insider trading by members of Congress and their staff is already prohibited, and they are required to report any stock purchase to congressional authorities within 45 days of the transaction, per the Ethics in Government Act. Still, members routinely have access to sensitive and even classified information that could indirectly influence markets, which some lawmakers say gives them the ability to unfairly profit from their government service. Several dozen members of the House have co-sponsored the “Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act,” which would ban members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from stock trading in its entirety. The TRUST in Congress Act would require members of Congress to place their stock holdings into a blind trust for the duration of their elected service. The bill does not specify any penalties for non-compliance. Efforts to ban stock trading by members have been repeatedly attempted in multiple Congresses, though none have ever received a final vote in either the Senate or House of Representatives. Even as polling shows that many voters favor such bans, there is opposition in Congress. Hawley's legislation, when considered at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in July 2024, received ‘Nay' votes from Sens. None have released a public statement about their vote against the bill. Supreme Court justices and other federal judges are permitted to hold individual stocks but are required to recuse themselves from cases involving those companies. In the executive branch, officers may also hold stock but cannot work on issues involving those companies, with criminal penalties for non-compliance. The offices of Hawley and Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Be among the first to get it. Editor's note: The article was expanded with responses from world leaders. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, in his residence in Vatican City, the Vatican news service reported. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church," said Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo. "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized." The pope has struggled with numerous health problems in recent years, being hospitalized with bronchitis and pneumonia in February 2025. On Easter, he made his first prolonged public appearance after being released from the hospital in March. Pope Francis was elected to lead the Catholic Church in 2013, following Pope Benedict XVI's abdication. "Millions of people around the world are mourning the tragic news of Pope Francis's passing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media. "He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity. We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support." Under his leadership, the Holy See provided important humanitarian support to Ukraine and contributed to peace efforts," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in response to the news. Also extending his condolences, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Pope Francis "an advocate for the weak, a reconciling and a warm-hearted person." May this hope be reborn endlessly beyond him," French President Emmanuel Macron said on X. "To all Catholics, to a grieving world, my wife and I send our thoughts." He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, joining other world leaders in extending her sympathies. Pope Francis has often weighed in on the Russia-Ukraine war, condemning violence and urging a peaceful settlement. Some of his comments were a matter of controversy in Ukraine, as they were perceived as relativizing Russia's responsibility in the war. During Sunday prayer on Dec. 15, 2024, Pope Francis referred to Russia and Ukraine as "brothers," while reiterating calls for peace. Let them come to an understanding. In turn, he has also attracted criticism from progressives, who saw his reform efforts as insufficient. Pope Francis passed away only a day after a brief meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," Vance said.

This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies. Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy. But he emerged on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St. Peter's Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause. From his first greeting as pope — a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy, stressing humility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference. After that rainy night on March 13, 2013, the Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the troubled tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis' election. But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew on his watch. He implored the world to use COVID-19 as an opportunity to rethink the economic and political framework that he said had turned rich against poor. “We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented,” Francis told an empty St. Peter's Square in March 2020. Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat.

This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies. Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday that he had not expected U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations held in Washington last week. “I've never seen a [U.S.] president show up right from the start [of negotiations like that]. It was way beyond my expectations,” Ishiba said at a meeting of the House of Councillors Budget Committee on Monday morning. Ishiba and economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, who traveled to the United States for the negotiations, were among those attending intensive deliberations at Monday's Budget Committee meeting. “I think these are the two meanings behind it.” “This means the situation is conducive to building a win-win relationship for both. In contrast, Ishiba also said he had “serious concerns” about the tariffs' compatibility with the Japan-U.S. Trade Agreement, and expressed his intention to continue pointing this out to Washington. Akazawa described Wednesday's talks at the White House as “a good first step toward building trust.” He then requested a review of a series of U.S. measures, including the tariffs introduced on automobiles, steel and aluminum. As to high prices, particularly for food and energy, Ishiba said, “They are having a serious impact on people's lives,” indicating his intention to implement measures to address energy issues. Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat.

NEW YORK, April 21. /TASS/. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth sent detailed information on US strikes on Yemen to a private Signal messenger chat group that included his wife, brother and lawyer, The New York Times (NYT) reported citing sources. According to the publication, on March 15, Hegseth posted the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornet fighters, which struck positions of Yemeni Houthis from the Ansar Allah rebel movement, in a chat that included his wife Jennifer, who is not a Pentagon employee, as well as his brother Phil and personal lawyer Tim Parlatore, who work in the defense department. As the publication points out, unlike the chat with the participation of US administration officials in the Signal messenger, this second chat was created by the Pentagon chief personally and included, in addition to his wife, about a dozen people from Hegseth's inner circle, including two officials suspended due to data leaks. Moreover, the head of the US defense department used his personal phone, not his work phone, to communicate in the chat. According to the newspaper, the chat usually discussed information related to organizational and administrative issues.