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Tag: Associated Press

  • Anchorage Leaders Propose One-Time Tax Hike to Send Millions to Schools

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    Anchorage city leaders are proposing a one-time tax increase to raise millions of dollars for the Anchorage School District, which faces an $83 million budget shortfall.

    Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said she’s requesting the Assembly set aside a slate of revenue proposals, including her office’s proposed 3% sales tax, in order to focus on the $12 million education tax levy.

    “Over the last several months, we have been having a vital conversation around the municipality’s long-term fiscal health and the need to diversify our revenue, but the crisis facing our schools is too urgent to wait,” LaFrance said at a news conference Monday morning.

    If approved by the Assembly, the tax would go on the April city ballot. If voters pass the tax, city officials say Anchorage property owners should expect an increase of $27.40 per $100,000 of assessed property tax value.

    ASD Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said, over the past decade, inflation has made budgeting difficult for the district, which has seen declining enrollment and a large exodus of teachers. The state Legislature approved an increase to per-student funding last year, even overriding a veto from Gov. Mike Dunleavy to keep the funding intact, but Bryantt said it doesn’t fully fill the gap.

    “While the $700 increase did provide relief, it did not fully restore what schools have lost,” Bryantt said. “As a result, even though we’re in the process of making significant reductions outside of the classroom, deeper than we’ve cut in many, many years, ASD is still facing difficult choices for the ’26-’27 budget.”

    State law puts a cap on how much a city can tax for education, and Anchorage typically taxes to that limit. However, the per-student funding increase at the state level allows Anchorage officials to increase the amount the city taxes for education, Bryantt said.

    He said the money from the tax levy would go entirely to addressing high class sizes.

    “If voters approve this levy, I will commit to directing these dollars to teaching positions and essential student services,” Bryantt said. “Manageable class sizes are at the top of the list of what our parents desire for their children.”

    The proposed tax levy comes at the expense of LaFrance’s proposal for a 3% sales tax, which she initially wanted the Assembly to put on the spring ballot. Her administration has said the city faces a fiscal cliff, and funding from the sales tax would’ve gone toward child care, housing, public safety, capital projects and property tax relief.

    LaFrance said the tax levy is a more immediate solution to support another struggling city service: education.

    “We believe it is too much to have two revenue measures on the ballot,” LaFrance said. “A sales tax proposal won’t generate revenue for one and a half to two years or so, whereas the levy will be immediate.”

    Though LaFrance is setting aside her sales tax proposal, for now, she said the city still faces a tough financial future.

    “We are still approaching the fiscal cliff, and the municipality faces budget gaps in the next few years,” LaFrance said. “We will be presenting scenarios for potential service cuts.”

    Assembly members plan to introduce the tax levy proposal during their meeting Tuesday night, said Vice Chair Anna Brawley. Brawley is one of the co-sponsors of the tax levy, along with members Erin Baldwin Day and Felix Rivera. In order to put the tax on the April ballot, eight members would need to approve it by Jan. 27. Brawley also introduced a 2% increase to the city’s bed tax, but she said she’s willing to set her proposal and the mayor’s sales tax proposal aside to focus on education funding.

    “I know this conversation is not over, and so for my part, I am happy to set aside the revenue measure for the time being,” Brawley said. “But I will work with my colleagues, with the mayor, and with others in the community, to really continue that conversation and bring forward, you know, what kind of city do we want to be in the future.”

    Bryantt said the tax levy won’t fully address the district’s budget shortfall, but he’s hopeful it will hold the district over while state leaders work on a long-term budget solution.

    “We do anticipate that there will be a change in state leadership as we look ahead towards the governor’s race, and we are yearning for a long-range fiscal vision and fiscal plan for the state and specifically for education,” Bryantt said.

    Anchorage’s municipal election is scheduled for April 7.

    ___ This story was originally published by Alaska Public Media and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Big Banks Report Soaring Profits Amid Tensions With Trump Over Credit Card Interest Rates

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    The latest trio of big banks reported their results Wednesday — Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo — and while each of them do different flavors of banking the theme is the same: profits are up, dealmaking is healthy, and the consumer is doing just fine.

    “While any number of risks continue, we are bullish on the U.S. economy in 2026,” said Brian Moynihan, CEO and chairman of Bank of America, in a statement.

    Moynihan added that businesses and consumers are “proving resilient.” Mark Mason, Citigroup’s chief financial officer, used the same word to describe how consumers and businesses were doing.

    “The U.S. economy is doing just fine. There’s downside risks out there, geopolitical risks in particular. But when I step back and look at it holistically, we have an economy that has managed uncertainty and risks in a resilient type fashion,” Mason told reporters on Wednesday.

    Up until last weekend, the big banks had found an ally in the White House in President Donald Trump. Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law in July, which pushed another significant round of tax cuts. Trump’s bank regulators have also been pushing a deregulatory agenda that both banks and large corporations have embraced. Many companies have embraced dealmaking last year, which led to a steady stream of investment banking revenues and fees to the big banks.

    But now the banks and Trump are butting heads. Trump said Friday that he wants to cap interest rates on credit cards at 10%, and has been supportive of his Justice Department’s investigation into Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, which bankers see as a threat to the independence of the nation’s central bank. Trump does not appear to be backing down on his attacks as well, doubling down in comments to reporters Tuesday night.

    For these big banks, many of which have large and profitable credit card businesses, these banks argue that a credit card interest rate cap simply cannot happen.

    “Affordability is a big issue and we look forward to collaborating with the administration on ways we can address this,” Mason with Citi said. “But an interest rate is not something we could or would support. It would restrict credit to those who need it the most and have a delirious impact on the economy.”

    Bank executives told reporters they weren’t seeing much evidence of a “K-Shaped” economy, where the rich get richer and the bottom half do less well. Further, the consumer continues to spend and other metrics about consumer financial health like delinquencies and charge-offs remain stable.

    Bank of America posted a profit of $7.6 billion, or 98 cents per share, up from $6.8 billion, or 83 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue at the bank was $28.4 billion.

    Wells Fargo earned a profit of $5.36 billion, or $1.62 per share, compared to a profit of $5.08 billion, or $1.43 a share, in the same period a year earlier on revenues of $21.3 billion.

    At Bank of America, the bank reported a 6% increase in credit and debit card spending and credit card balances rose a manageable 3% year-over-year to $103 billion. Retail deposits also grew to $945.4 billion.

    Wells Fargo’s credit metrics also told a similar story. The bank saw consumer loan growth and more activity on its credit cards, but delinquencies and charge-offs were relatively stable.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • Dolphins interview Kevin Stefanski for coaching vacancy

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has interviewed with the Miami Dolphins for their head coaching vacancy.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Dolphins began reaching out to candidates after hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager last week
    • Miami interviewed Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday

    • Stefanski, 43, is a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year and has interviewed with several teams looking for a new head coach, including Tennessee, Atlanta and Baltimore

    The Dolphins began reaching out to candidates after hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager last week, a day after firing coach Mike McDaniel following four seasons.

    Miami interviewed Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday.

    Stefanski, 43, is a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year and has interviewed with several teams looking for a new head coach, including Tennessee, Atlanta and Baltimore. He was fired last week by Cleveland with a 46-58 record in six seasons.

    The Dolphins are expected to complete more interviews in the coming days but had been linked to former Baltimore coach John Harbaugh, who was fired by the Ravens after 18 seasons. The team has not announced an interview with Harbaugh.

    Stefanski would be a different coaching hire from what Miami owner Stephen Ross typically has chosen.

    Ross has not hired someone with previous head coaching experience since becoming the Dolphins’ majority owner in 2009 — recently gambling on Joe Philbin (2012-2015), Adam Gase (2016-18), Brian Flores (2019-21) and McDaniel (2022-25).

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Anthony Davis Expected to Miss 6 Weeks in Latest Absence for Mavs but Won’t Need Hand Surgery

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    DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will be sidelined about six weeks in his latest injury absence, although the 10-time All-Star won’t need surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand.

    The determination to skip surgery came after a medical evaluation Tuesday, and Davis’ injury is expected to heal in about six weeks, the team said.

    Davis was injured defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive to the basket late in the Mavericks’ 116-114 loss to the Utah Jazz last week. The 32-year-old went to the bench in obvious pain before going to the locker room.

    It will be the second absence of at least a month this season for Davis, who missed 15 of the 16 games in November with a calf strain. He has also been sidelined by a groin injury and has now missed half of the Mavericks’ 40 games this season.

    Davis had an extensive injury history when since-fired general manager Nico Harrison traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers to get him almost a year ago.

    In his Dallas debut last February, Davis re-aggravated an abdominal injury he was nursing when the Lakers traded him. He missed the next 18 games. Davis has missed 40 of 71 Dallas games since that debut, including the two games in last season’s play-in tournament when Davis was on the court.

    Another lengthy absence is a significant development if the Mavericks want to consider trading Davis as a way to move on from the Doncic deal that has ended up being a significant setback for the franchise.

    It also could affect what Dallas decides to do about the return of Kyrie Irving. The nine-time All-Star guard tore the ACL in his left knee early last March, and a rough timeline for Irving’s return was sometime after the first of the year this season.

    While rookie No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has shown plenty of promise, Dallas is an also-ran in the Western Conference playoff race. The Mavericks are well on their way to missing the postseason for the second consecutive year since reaching the 2024 NBA Finals led by Doncic and Irving.

    The possibility of Davis returning in six weeks could improve the prospects for a trade to a contender. He could return in time to ramp up for the playoffs and try to establish a future with the next organization.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • In New York, Hochul Moves to Thread Needle Between Democratic Divides Ahead of a Contested Election

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    ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Ahead of a tough reelection fight, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled an agenda aimed at bridging the divides in the Democratic Party — moving to fight President Donald Trump and capture progressive excitement surrounding Mayor Zohran Mamdani, while also tending to anxiety among moderates about public safety and protests outside synagogues.

    In most states, governors use their annual State of the State addresses to detail their upcoming legislative plans for the year, boosting their own records while charting a path ahead.

    For Hochul, however, her speech this year carried additional significance, as the centrist from Buffalo faces challenges from both her political left and right in a heavily contested election cycle.

    Her own second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, has assailed her for months and launched an unusual primary challenge against his boss, casting Hochul as a reactive executive unable to meet the political moment during Trump’s second term. Republican Bruce Blakeman, a Trump-aligned county official in New York’s City’s suburbs, has also announced a run for governor, bashing Hochul over the state’s high taxes and cost of living.

    At the same time, the governor is under mounting pressure from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party to help steward Mamdani’s ambitious agenda at the state Capitol and raise taxes on the state’s richest residents.

    Hochul appeared aware of the rocky political terrain during her State of the State, announcing a slate of affordability proposals, pledging additional public safety programs as well as a raft of proposals meant to counter the Republican president’s agenda.

    “If there’s one thing I know, it’s that when New Yorkers move forward with strength and compassion side by side there is no challenge we cannot meet, no tyrant we cannot beat and no future we cannot build,” she told a packed crowd at The Egg, a striking domed theater near the state’s ornate Capitol building.

    Child care — a signature priority for Mamdani — was also at the top of Hochul’s list, with the governor reiterating plans to set up a child care program for 2-year-olds in New York City, along with a wider plan to establish a universal pre-K program throughout the state by 2028.

    Mamdani, who was seated near the stage, rose to applaud Hochul’s child care plan. The rest of the room followed, delivering her a standing ovation. Amid the clapping, she added: “Republicans have kids, too, you can stand.”

    Hochul then turned to crime, promising to continue enhanced police patrols on the city’s subways and expand the use of mental health teams throughout the transit system.

    She also proposed a ban on protests within 25 feet of a house of worship, referencing a recent protest outside a synagogue in Queens where people chanted pro-Hamas remarks, with Hochul saying “That’s not free expression. That’s harassment. And targeting a Jewish community in this way is antisemitism.”

    Hochul wove heavy criticism for the federal government and Trump into her speech, at one point saying that she would ensure New York’s immunization standards “are set by trusted medical experts, not conspiracy theorists.”

    The governor debuted two proposals centered on the president’s immigration crackdown — one that would allow people to sue federal officers “when they act outside the scope of their duties,” and another to ensure sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and houses of worship can be “protected from civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant.”

    “Public safety will always come first, but it must be pursued lawfully and with humanity,” Hochul said.

    Her plans will be subject to negotiations with the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, over the coming months.

    While Hochul was in Albany, Delgado, who the governor picked to be her No.2 in 2022, was running some counter programming, making stops along what he has called the “State of the People Tour.”

    “This moment demands urgency, honesty, and the courage to act. New Yorkers can’t afford Governor Hochul’s half-measures,” he said in a statement.

    After Hochul’s address, Blakeman fired off his own criticism, saying: “If speeches fixed problems, New York would be thriving. Instead, families are struggling and businesses are leaving.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • UA Looks Beyond Stalled Funding to Reopen Arizona State Museum

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    The Arizona State Museum has remained closed for more than a year after the Arizona Board of Regents declined to act on a $50 million funding request in 2024. Now University of Arizona leaders say they are pursuing a different path forward.

    In September of 2024, the school requested $50 million in system revenue bonds for the museum’s upkeep — including repairs to the electric and plumbing. The board declined to fund the museum at the time, with Regent Gregg Brewster saying “I would rather see us polish the young people of Arizona with $50 to $90 million in state-funded education than I would like to see the UA have to stand up and deliver because the state has ignored this project for years and years.”

    The Arizona State Museum is operated by the University of Arizona, but state statute puts the onus of managing the museum on the Arizona Board of Regents.

    Located in historic buildings near Old Main, the museum has been part of the University of Arizona since its establishment in 1893. It is home to more than 13,000 years of cultural treasures but in urgent need of repairs.

    Now, the university administration is working to reopen the museum in a different building with a plan that does not depend on the original $50 million request.


    Board of Regents approves a fee increase while UA administration explores options

    In September, the board approved plans to raise rates and fees by as much as 265%. The fee increases affect anyone conducting projects on Arizona state lands that require cultural resource compliance, including utility companies, public agencies, conservation programs and tribal partners.

    “The updated fees help ensure that these highly specialized services are appropriately supported without relying on tuition revenues,” Mitch Zak, a spokesperson for the university, said in a statement to Arizona Luminaria.

    The change includes increases for administrative, professional and specialist service rates as well as curation fees — or fees to store archival materials. The increase will not impact museum visitors and the museum has been closed since August 2024.

    In 2024, members of the museum council said they hoped the state would pick up some responsibility for remediating the building, but that plan has not moved forward.

    “There have been no further developments regarding the Arizona State Museum,” Nick Opich, a spokesperson for the board, told Arizona Luminaria in a statement.

    Now, the UA said they’re making plans without relying on any eventual approval of the $50 million request.

    “Over the past several months, the university’s facilities management team has been assessing building conditions and developing options. They expect to present a recommendation to leadership by early summer that makes the best use of constrained resources,” Zak said.

    Museum council chair, Maura Raffensperger, said the new administration under UA President Suresh Garimella has been very helpful and committed to seeing the museum advance.

    “They’re working on it all the time. Is it a very complex issue you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of artifacts and it’s monumental. It’s a monumental task,” Raffensperger said. “The direction that the current administration is taking is very positive.”


    A three-building solution

    Improvements to the former museum building —known as the North Building or Raymond H. Thompson Building — have been halted because of a lack of funding from the board of regents. But, she said, the administration is working on a three-building solution.

    Raffensperger said the plan is to open the South Building to the public. But right now, they are looking for a new 40,000 square foot off-campus curation and research facility to house the archeological research collections that are sitting in the former public space.

    “The South Building is filled with archaeological repositories which were mandated by law to keep and so we need a storage space for all that’s in that building so that we can open it up as a public space,” she said.

    These collections continue to grow, expanding by an average of about 1,000 cubic feet per year.

    This relocation will free up the museum’s two existing historic on-campus buildings. These two on-campus buildings will then be rededicated to education and public outreach, providing more space for teaching, exhibits, research laboratories, and multi-purpose rooms for various public programs.

    But the North Building still has severe maintenance issues, including original 100-year-old electrical wiring encased in wood and outdated fire alarms and suppression systems.

    “While the university has made it a priority to try to get the South Building able to be open to the public again and they have approved certain updates to the South Building, the North Building is still not a priority at this point of the university,” Raffensberger said.

    The school has not outlined a timeline and the museum has changed the note on its museum page that a year ago said “we are closed for an extended-temporary period of time (probably 2 years)” to “there is currently no plan to reopen the (North) building.”

    Despite conditions in the North Building, Raffensberger said some vaults have protected environments and can be visited through private tours by contacting Darlene Lizarraga, the museum’s director of marketing.

    Beth Murfee Deconcini, the museum’s council’s vice chair, said her primary concern is reopening a public space so people can visit all the collections have to offer.

    “I run into people all the time who talk about when they were in school, they came to the Arizona State Museum on school field trips, or with their parents, or both and it was an amazing part of their childhood and growing up and their understanding of where they live and and the history and the innovation and the resilience of the people of this state,” Murfee Deconcini said. “The longer we don’t have a public space, the more people will not have that experience.

    This story was originally published by Arizona Luminaria and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • EPA Says It Will Stop Calculating the Economic Savings to Health in Key Air Pollution Rules

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency says it will stop calculating how much money is saved in health care costs and preventable deaths avoided from air pollution rules that curb two deadly pollutants.

    The change means the EPA will focus rules for fine particulate matter and ozone only on the cost to industry, part of a broader realignment under President Donald Trump toward a business-friendly approach that has included the rollback of multiple policies meant to safeguard human health and the environment and slow climate change.

    The agency said in a statement late Monday that it “absolutely remains committed to our core mission of protecting human health and the environment” but “will not be monetizing the impacts at this time.” The EPA will continue to estimate costs to businesses to comply with the rules and will continue “ongoing work to refine its economic methodologies” of pollution rules, spokeswoman Brigit Hirsch said.

    Environmental and public health advocates called the agency’s action a dangerous abdication of one of its core missions.

    “The EPA’s mandate is to protect public health, not to ignore the science in order to eliminate clean air safeguards that save lives,” said John Walke, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

    He called the change in how public health benefits are calculated “reckless, dangerous, and illegal,” adding: “By pretending real health benefits do not count, EPA wants to open the door for industry to foul the air, while communities and families pay the price in asthma attacks, heart disease and premature deaths.”

    The change in how the EPA calculates health benefits was first reported by The New York Times.


    The move is part of the EPA’s broader change in approach

    The move comes as the Trump administration is seeking to abandon a rule that sets tough standards for deadly soot pollution, arguing that the Biden administration did not have authority to set the tighter standard on pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks and other industrial sources.

    In a court filing in November, the EPA said the Biden-era rule was done “without the rigorous, stepwise process that Congress required” and was therefore unlawful.

    The EPA said it continues to recognize the “clear and well-documented benefits” of reducing fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, and ozone.

    “Not monetizing DOES NOT equal not considering or not valuing the human health impact,” Hirsch said in an emailed statement, saying the agency remains committee to human health.

    Since the EPA’s creation more than 50 years ago, Republican and Democratic administrations have used different estimates to assign monetary value to a human life in cost-benefit analyses.

    Under former President Joe Biden, the EPA estimated that its proposed rule on PM2.5 would prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost workdays by 2032. For every $1 spent on reducing PM2.5, the agency said, there could be as much as $77 in health benefits.

    But the Trump administration contends that these estimates are misleading. By failing to include ranges or other qualifying statements, EPA’s use of specific estimate “leads the public to believe the Agency has a better understanding of the monetized impacts of exposure to PM2.5 and ozone than in reality,” the agency said in an economic impact analysis for the new NOx rule.

    “Therefore, to rectify this error, the EPA is no longer monetizing benefits from PM2.5 and ozone but will continue to quantify the emissions until the Agency is confident enough in the modeling to properly monetize those impacts.”

    The United States has made substantial progress in reducing PM2.5 and ozone concentrations since 2000, the agency said.


    Critics warn the change poses risks to human health

    But critics said a new EPA rule that revises emission limits for dangerous nitrogen oxide pollution from new gas-burning turbines used in power plants demonstrates the risks of the new approach.

    Emissions of nitrogen oxide, also known as NOx, form smog and soot that is harmful to human health and linked to serious heart and lung diseases. EPA’s final NOx rule, issued Monday, is substantially less restrictive than a proposal under the Biden administration. For some gas plants, the rule weakens protections in place for two decades.

    The new rule does not estimate the economic value of health benefits from reducing NOx and other types of air pollution under the Clean Air Act. Critics said the change means EPA will ignore the economic value of lives saved, hospital visits avoided and lost work and school days prevented.

    Under Trump, the EPA “recklessly refuses to place any value on protecting the health of millions of Americans from nitrogen oxides pollution in the face of mountains of medical science finding that this pollution contributes to asthma attacks, heart disease and other serious health problems.” said Noha Haggag, a lawyer for the Environmental Defense Fund, another environmental group.

    “EPA is leaving millions of people in harm’s way when common sense solutions are at hand for modern national limits on nitrogen oxides pollution,” Haggag said.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • AP women’s basketball player of the week is No. 14 Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Associated Press national player of the week in women’s basketball for Week 10 of the season is Jaloni Cambridge. 

    Cambridge is a sphomore guard at The Ohio State University.

    Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State

    The sophomore guard began the week with a career-high 41 points in the win at Illinois, becoming the first Buckeyes player to score 40 points in a game against a Big Ten opponent since Kelsey Mitchell had 43 against Rutgers in 2016. She also had six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Cambridge followed that up with a 28-point effort in a win over then-No. 8 Maryland. She had a career-best nine rebounds and eight assists for No. 14 Ohio State.

    Runner-up

    Mikaylah Williams, LSU. The junior guard had 20 points, seven rebounds and five steals in LSU’s victory over No. 2 Texas, which was the Longhorns first loss of the season. The five steals were a career best. She hit two big 3-pointers, including one with a second left on the shot clock and 1:20 left in the game that gave the Tigers a 66-59 lead. It was No. 6 LSU’s first win over a top-two team since 2008.

    Honorable mention

    Mikayla Blakes, No. 5 Vanderbilt; Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame; Sarah Strong, No. 1 UConn.

    Keep an eye on

    UNLV sophomore forward Meadow Roland averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Lady Rebels beat Utah State and Wyoming. She had 18 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in the win over the Aggies and followed that up with a 18-point, 12-rebound effort against Wyoming.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • How police tracked down the suspect in an Ohio double-murder case

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — The man accused of killing Ohio couple Spencer and Monique Tepe made his first court appearance in Illinois and will be extradited to Ohio to face charges.

    The man charged with the murders is Michael McKee, 39. He was arrested in Rockford, Illinois, without incident.

    What You Need To Know

    • Police arrested Michael McKee, 39, in Rockford, Illinois, in connection with the Dec. 30 murders of Ohio couple Spencer and Monique Tepe

    • McKee has made his first court appearance and will be extradited to Ohio to face charges

    • Here’s the process through which detectives determined him to be the suspect

    Detectives identified a suspect using surveillance video, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the Franklin County Municipal Court.

    Investigators managed to track the suspect to a vehicle, which they said got there just before the murders and left just after. Investigators linked this vehicle to McKee.

    They tracked the vehicle to Rockford, Illinois, and had evidence that McKee had possession of it before and after the murders, the affidavit lays out.

    The affidavit was signed by Detective Russell Weiner.

    Police in Columbus found Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, with gunshot wounds on the second floor of their home on the 1400 block of North 4th Street at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 after officers were asked to conduct a wellness check, authorities said. Medical personnel later pronounced them dead.

    The couple’s two young children were also in the home but were unharmed, police said.

    In a statement, family members described the couple as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”

    Spencer Tepe graduated from Ohio State University, became a member of the American Dental Association and was involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. He was also a “huge Bengals and Buckeyes fan,” the family said.

    Monique Tepe was a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker, and a “thoughtful planner,” it said.

    “They were the proud parents of two beautiful children, and every day they showed up with unwavering love and devotion to their family,” wrote a cousin, Audrey Mackie.

    A statement from the family following the announcement said, in part, “Today’s arrest represents an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer. Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken far too soon, but we are grateful to the City of Columbus Police Department, its investigators, and assisting law enforcement community whose tireless efforts helped to capture the person involved.”

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    Emani Payne, Cody Thompson, Associated Press

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  • Scott Adams, creator of comic strip ‘Dilbert,’ dies at 68

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    Scott Adams, whose popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-collar cubicle workers and satirized the ridiculousness of modern office culture until he was abruptly dropped from syndication in 2023 for racist remarks, has died. He was 68.

    His first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced the death Tuesday on a livestream posted on Adams’ social media accounts. “He’s not with us right anymore,” she said. Adams revealed in 2025 that he had prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Miles had said he was in hospice care in his Northern California home on Monday.

    “I had an amazing life,” the statement said in part. “I gave it everything I had.”

    At its height, “Dilbert,” with its mouthless, bespectacled hero in a white short-sleeved shirt and a perpetually curled red tie, appeared in 2,000 newspapers worldwide in at least 70 countries and 25 languages.

    Adams was the 1997 recipient of the National Cartoonist Society’s Reuben Award, considered one of the most prestigious awards for cartoonists. That same year, “Dilbert” became the first fictional character to make Time magazine’s list of the most influential Americans.

    “We are rooting for him because he is our mouthpiece for the lessons we have accumulated — but are too afraid to express — in our effort to avoid cubicular homicide,” the magazine said.

    “Dilbert” strips were routinely photocopied, pinned up, emailed and posted online, a popularity that would spawn bestselling books, merchandise, commercials for Office Depot and an animated TV series, with Daniel Stern voicing Dilbert.

    The collapse of ‘Dilbert’ empire

    It all collapsed quickly in 2023 when Adams, who was white, repeatedly referred to Black people as members of a “hate group” and said he would no longer “help Black Americans.” He later said he was being hyperbolic, yet continued to defend his stance.

    Almost immediately, newspapers dropped “Dilbert” and his distributor, Andrews McMeel Universal, severed ties with the cartoonist. The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, Massachusetts, decided to keep the “Dilbert” space blank for a while “as a reminder of the racism that pervades our society.” A planned book was scrapped.

    “He’s not being canceled. He’s experiencing the consequences of expressing his views,” Bill Holbrook, the creator of the strip “On the Fastrack,” told The Associated Press at the time. “I am in full support with him saying anything he wants to, but then he has to own the consequences of saying them.”

    Adams relaunched the same daily comic strip under the name Dilbert Reborn via the video platform Rumble, popular with conservatives and far-right groups. He also hosted a podcast, “Real Coffee,” where talked about various political and social issues.

    After Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC was suspended in September in the wake of the host’s comments on the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Adams stood for free speech.

    “Would I like some revenge?” Adams said. “Yes. Yes, I would enjoy that. But that doesn’t mean I get it. That doesn’t mean I should pursue it. Doesn’t mean the world’s a better place if it happens.”

    How ‘Dilbert’ got its start

    Adams, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Hartwick College and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, was working a corporate job at the Pacific Bell telephone company in the 1980s, sharing his cartoons to amuse co-workers. He drew Dilbert as a computer programmer and engineer for a high-tech company and mailed a batch to cartoon syndicators.

    “The take on office life was new and on target and insightful,” Sarah Gillespie, who helped discover “Dilbert” in the 1980s at United Media, told The Washington Post. “I looked first for humor and only secondarily for art, which with ‘Dilbert’ was a good thing, as the art is universally acknowledged to be… not great.”

    The first “Dilbert” comic strip officially appeared April 16, 1989, long before such workplace comedies as “Office Space” and “The Office.” It portrayed corporate culture as a “Severance”-like, Kafkaesque world of heavy bureaucracy and pointless benchmarks, where employee effort and skill were underappreciated.

    The strip would introduce the “Dilbert Principle”: The most ineffective workers will be systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage — management.

    “Throughout history, there have always been times when it’s very clear that the managers have all the power and the workers have none,” Adams told Time. “Through ‘Dilbert,’ I would think the balance of power has slightly changed.”

    Other strip characters included Dilbert’s pointy-haired boss; Asok, a young, naive intern; Wally, a middle-aged slacker; and Alice, a worker so frustrated that she was prone to frequent outbursts of rage. Then there was Dilbert’s pet, Dogbert, a megalomaniac.

    “There’s a certain amount of anger you need to draw ‘Dilbert’ comics,” Adams told the Contra Costa Times in 2009.

    In 1993, Adams became the first syndicated cartoonist to include his email address in his strip. That triggered a dialogue between the artist and his fans, giving Adams a fountain of ideas for the strip.

    “Dilbert” was also known for generating aphorisms, like “All rumors are true — especially if your boss denies them” and “OK, let’s get this preliminary pre-meeting going.”

    “If you can come to peace with the fact that you’re surrounded by idiots, you’ll realize that resistance is futile, your tension will dissipate, and you can sit back and have a good laugh at the expense of others,” Adams wrote in his 1996 book “The Dilbert Principle.”

    In one real-life case, an Iowa worker was fired from the Catfish Bend Casino in 2007 for posting a “Dilbert” comic strip on the office bulletin board. In the strip, Adams wrote: “Why does it seem as if most of the decisions in my workplace are made by drunken lemurs?” A judge later sided with the worker; Adams helped find him a new job.

    A gradual darkening

    While Adams’ career fall seemed swift, careful readers of “Dilbert” saw a gradual darkening of the strip’s tone and its creator’s descent into misogyny, anti-immigration and racism.

    He attracted attention for controversial comments, including saying in 2011 that women are treated differently by society for the same reason as children and the mentally disabled — “it’s just easier this way for everyone.” In a blog post from 2006, he questioned the death toll of the Holocaust.

    In June 2020, Adams tweeted that when the “Dilbert” TV show ended in 2000 after just two seasons, it was “the third job I lost for being white.” But, at the time, he blamed it on lower viewership and time slot changes.

    Adams’ beliefs began bleeding into his strips. In one in 2022, a boss says that traditional performance reviews would be replaced by a “wokeness” score. When an employee complains that could be subjective, the boss said, “That’ll cost you two points off your wokeness score, bigot.”

    Adams put a brave face on his fall from grace, tweeting in 2023: “Only the dying leftist Fake News industry canceled me (for out-of-context news of course). Social media and banking unaffected. Personal life improved. Never been more popular in my life. Zero pushback in person. Black and White conservatives solidly supporting me.”

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  • NYC Nurses Strike Enters Second Day as Hospitals Move to Fill Labor Gaps

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of New York City nurses were set to return to the picket lines Tuesday as their strike targeting some of the city’s leading hospital systems entered its second day.

    The walkout, which comes during a severe flu season, involved roughly 15,000 nurses spread out across multiple private hospitals, including NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, Montefiore Medical Center and Mount Sinai hospital.

    The affected hospitals have hired droves of temporary nurses to try to fill the labor gap. Both nurses and hospital administrators have urged patients not to avoid getting care during the strike.

    The labor action comes three years after a similar strike forced medical facilities to transfer some patients and divert ambulances.

    As with the 2023 labor action, nurses have pointed to staffing issues as a major flashpoint, accusing the big-budget medical centers of refusing to commit to provisions for manageable, safe workloads.

    The private, nonprofit hospitals involved in the current negotiations say they’ve made strides in staffing in recent years, and have cast the union’s demands as prohibitively expensive.

    On Monday, the city’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, stood beside nurses on a picket line outside NewYork-Presbyterian, praising the union’s members for seeking “dignity, respect and the fair pay and treatment that they deserve.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Russia launches another major attack on Ukraine’s power grid, killing 4

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    KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a second major drone and missile bombardment of Ukraine in four days, officials said Tuesday, aiming again at the power grid and apparently snubbing U.S.-led peace efforts as the war approaches the four-year mark.

    Russia fired almost 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles at eight regions overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.

    One strike in the northeastern Kharkiv region killed four people at a mail depot, and several hundred thousand households were without power in the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said. The daytime temperature in the capital was -12 C (around 10 F). The streets were covered with ice, and the city rumbled with the noise from generators.

    Four days earlier, Russia also sent hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale overnight attack and, for only the second time in the war, it used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in what appeared to be a clear warning to Kyiv’s NATO allies that it won’t back down.

    On Monday, the United States accused Russia of a “ dangerous and inexplicable escalation ” of the fighting, when the Trump administration is trying to advance peace negotiations.

    Tammy Bruce, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Washington deplores “the staggering number of casualties” in the conflict and condemns Russia’s intensifying attacks on energy and other infrastructure.

    Russia has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat and running water in the freezing winter months over the course of the war, hoping to wear down public resistance to Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukrainian officials describe the strategy as “weaponizing winter.”

    In Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, the Russian attack also wounded 10 people, local authorities said.

    In the southern city of Odesa, six people were wounded in the attack, said Oleh Kiper, the head of the regional military administration. The strikes damaged energy infrastructure, a hospital, a kindergarten, an educational facility and a number of residential buildings, he said.

    Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is counting on quicker deliveries of agreed upon air defense systems from the U.S. and Europe, as well as new pledges of aid, to counter Russia’s latest onslaught.

    Meanwhile, Russian air defenses shot down 11 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Tuesday. Seven were reportedly destroyed over Russia’s Rostov region, where Gov. Yuri Slyusar confirmed an attack on the coastal city of Taganrog.

    Ukrainian officials have previously said that they have targeted Atlant Aero, a company in Taganrog that produces components for combat drones. The city also hosts the Beriev aircraft company.

    ___

    Katie Marie Davies contributed to this report from Manchester, England.

    ___

    Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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  • Iranians Able to Make Some Calls Abroad While Internet Access Is Still Out After Protests

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    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.

    Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.

    Iranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.

    Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

    The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.

    “I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

    Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

    Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Zohran Mamdani and His Wife Move Into NYC Mayoral Mansion, Leaving Behind 1-Bedroom Apartment

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    NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji began moving into the official mayoral residence on Monday, leaving behind their leaky, one-bedroom apartment in Queens for a fully staffed mansion in Manhattan.

    As workers unloaded cardboard boxes stuffed with houseplants and rolled up carpets, Mamdani marked the latest inaugural rite of passage with a press conference on his new riverfront lawn.

    “Today, Rama and I feel lucky to participate in a ritual that so many New Yorkers have experienced at various meaningful moments in their lives: Beginning a new chapter, by moving to a different part of the city that we call home,” Mamdani said.

    Nearly all of the city’s mayors have slept — at least sometimes — in the stately, custard-colored 18th century home, known as Gracie Mansion, since its 1942 designation as the official mayoral residence.

    For Mamdani, the historic house stands in particularly sharp contrast to his previous living quarters: a $2,300 per month one bedroom apartment that lacked a washer and dryer, and was prone to flooding from a busted pipe.

    The couple’s new digs, meanwhile, boast 11,000 square feet (1,021 square meters) of space, a private chef, ornate ballroom and a veranda overlooking the East River. The home also features the original fireplace upon which Alexander Hamilton died following his duel with Aaron Burr and, according to the city’s last mayor, Eric Adams, at least one ghost.

    In his remarks Monday, Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, appeared aware that the relocation might seem at odds with his pledge to lead a “government that looks and lives like the people it represents.”

    The decision was made in part to account for new security requirements, he said.

    Once settled at Gracie Mansion, he said he plans on “opening it up to New Yorkers who are not often the ones who get to visit such a place as this.” As for any cosmetic changes, he described an “aspirational hope” of installing bidets in the bathrooms.

    Mamdani spent most of his childhood on the other side of Central Park, in a Manhattan apartment subsidized by Columbia University, where his father works as a professor.

    While serving in New York’s state Legislature, Mamdani lived in Astoria, a diverse and affordable section of Queens, sometimes referred to as “the People’s Republic of Astoria” for its recent record of electing left-wing representatives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

    Before leaving the neighborhood, Mamdani released a statement saying he would miss the “endless Adeni chai, the spirited conversations in Spanish, Arabic and every language in between, the aromas of seafood and shawarma drifting down the block.”

    He will likely find less multicultural crosstalk in his new Upper East Side neighborhood, which is among the city’s richest and nearly three-quarters white. And while Mamdani won his former neighborhood of Astoria overwhelmingly, his opponent, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, won the Upper East Side by double digits.

    As she walked her cockapoo in a park abutting the mansion, Zoe Cuddy, a neuropsychologist and longtime Upper East Sider, said she hoped the new mayor would come to appreciate the quiet charms of the area, which she likened to “the suburbs of Manhattan.”

    And she predicted that her fellow Upper East Siders would, in turn, embrace their newest neighbor.

    “I think we’ll grow to be happy to have him here,” she said.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • FBI Says It Has Found No Video of Border Patrol Agent Shooting 2 People in Oregon

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    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The FBI said in a court document made public Monday that it had found no surveillance or other video of a Border Patrol agent shooting and wounding two people in a pickup truck during an immigration enforcement operation in Portland, Oregon, last week.

    Agents told investigators that one of their colleagues opened fire Thursday after the driver put the truck in reverse and repeatedly slammed into an unoccupied car the agents had rented, smashing its headlights and knocking off its front bumper. The agents said they feared for their own safety and that of the public, the document said.

    The FBI has interviewed four of the six agents on the scene, the document said. It did not identify the agent who fired the shots.

    None of the six agents was recording body camera footage, and investigators have uncovered no surveillance or other video footage of the shooting, FBI Special Agent Daniel Jeffreys wrote in an affidavit supporting aggravated assault and property damage charges against the driver, Luis David Nino-Moncada.

    The truck drove away after the shooting, which occurred in the parking lot of a medical office building. Nino-Moncada called 911 after arriving at an apartment complex several minutes away. He was placed in FBI custody after being treated for a gunshot wound to the arm and abdomen.

    During an initial appearance Monday afternoon in federal court in Portland, he wore a white sweatshirt and sweatpants and appeared to hold out his left arm gingerly at an angle. An interpreter translated the judge’s comments for him. The judge ordered that he remain in detention and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Wednesday.

    The agent’s affidavit said that after being read his rights, Nino-Moncada “admitted to intentionally ramming the Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to flee, and he stated that he knew they were immigration enforcement vehicles.”

    His passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, was hospitalized after being shot in the chest and on Monday was being held at a private immigration detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, according to an online detainee locator system maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras are Venezuela nationals and entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and 2023, respectively, the Department of Homeland Security said. It identified Nino-Moncada as an associate of Tren de Aragua and Zambrano-Contreras as involved in a prostitution ring run by the gang.

    “Anyone who crosses the red line of assaulting law enforcement will be met with the full force of this Justice Department,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday in a news release announcing charges against Nino-Moncada. “This man — an illegal alien with ties to a foreign terrorist organization — should NEVER have been in our country to begin with, and we will ensure he NEVER walks free in America again.”

    Oregon Federal Public Defender Fidel Cassino-DuCloux, whose office represents Nino-Moncada, did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. He told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the federal shooting of and the subsequent accusations against Nino-Moncada and his passenger follow “a well-worn playbook that the government has developed to justify the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of its agents.”

    Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed last week that the pair had “some nexus” to the gang. Day said the two came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.

    Zambrano-Contreras was previously arrested for prostitution, Day said, and Nino-Moncada was present when a search warrant was served in that case.

    Johnson reported from Seattle.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Fire That Killed 10 at an Assisted Living Facility Prompts Massachusetts to Enact Safety Reforms

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    BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is enacting a series of safety reforms at assisted living facilities including increased inspections and better access to records following a fire last year that killed 10 residents, the governor announced Monday.

    The recommendations, detailed in a report from the Assisted Living Residents or ARL commission tasked with reviewing the sector, call for annual inspection signed off by the local fire department, board of health and building inspector. It also calls for annual update and review of emergency plans and quarterly emergency exercises with all staff and annual evacuation drills.

    Other recommendations include a task force to study affordability of assisted living facilities, over concerns they are out of reach for many low-income residents. The report also calls for creating a statewide online database to provide families with better access to compliance records, ownership information, and corrective action plans. It also calls for standardizing information on services, costs, staffing, and resident rights so families can easier compare different facilities.

    “Every older adult deserves a safe home and peace of mind, and every family deserves transparency and accountability,” Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “The heartbreaking tragedy at Gabriel House showed us that we cannot wait to strengthen protections for assisted living residents. We are taking immediate action on these recommendations so we can better protect residents, support families and ensure our assisted living system continues to serve people well into the future.”

    Aging & Independence Secretary and ALR Commission Chair Robin Lipson said the the state has a responsibility to protect residents living at these facilities.

    “These changes will strengthen fire safety, clarify standards and practices that impact resident well-being, and make critical information more accessible so families can make informed decisions,” Lipson said. “We have already begun putting stronger protections in place and will work to ensure that residents across the Commonwealth are safer, better supported, and treated with the dignity they deserve.”

    Brian Doherty, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association, said his nonprofit association welcome the report, especially the recommendations to develop a standardized resident assessment, integrate Certified Medication Aides into assisted living, and establish an affordability task force.

    “Assisted living blends social activity with personal care, and we will continue to champion a model of diverse community options over restrictive, institutionalized settings to ensure residents maintain their independence and dignity,” Doherty said in a statement.

    The commission was already studying the sector when a fire broke out last summer at Gabriel House in Fall River. It was the state’s deadliest in more than 40 years and raised questions about a lack of regulations around the sector in Massachusetts.

    Investigators said that the Gabriel House fire began unintentionally by either someone smoking or an electrical issue with an oxygen machine. The blaze left some residents of the three-story building hanging out of windows and screaming for help.

    Documents from the state Executive Office of Aging & Independence showed Gabriel House had lost its certification nearly a decade ago due to resident mistreatment. The facility in Fall River was barred from accepting new residents until it took corrective action.

    The documents add to a list of issues raised with the Gabriel House facility over the years. A resident filed a lawsuit alleging the facility was not properly managed, staffed or maintained and that “emergency response procedures were not put in place.” The son of another resident said an elevator had been out for as long as nine months at one point.

    State records include about two dozen complaints about the facility during the last decade, including several related to “abuse, neglect or financial exploitation” but details are redacted. Other complaints involved a resident getting stuck for hours in an elevator that was then out of service for months, and staff members who threatened residents and withheld medication.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Buddhist monks captivating U.S. on ‘Walk for Peace’ to arrive in North Carolina

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    A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route. On Thursday, Jan. 15, the group is expected to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    What You Need To Know

    • A group of Buddhist monks is getting viral attention with their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C.

    • The monks say their aim is to promote mindfulness and healing and finding inner peace

    • When they reach the nation’s capital, they plan to request official recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a federal U.S. holiday

    • Their journey has already attracted large crowds across five southern states and they are expected to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday


    In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It’s a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it’s resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

    Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

    “My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

    Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city’s mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

    The physical toll of the monks long walk

    At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

    “There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

    Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

    Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

    This is Pannakara’s first trek in the U.S., but he’s walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

    Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

    “I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

    The monk’s feet are now heavily bandaged because he’s stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

    Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

    “In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

    Churches, families and towns host the monks along their path

    In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

    He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

    “Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

    After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

    “There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

    Monks say peace walks are not a conversion tool

    Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

    “Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

    But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

    The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

    Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don’t aim to convert people to Buddhism.

    Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

    “These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

    On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

    “I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

    Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

    “Today is my peaceful day.”

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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  • New US Ambassador to India Pushes for Deeper Trade Ties Despite Tension Over Russian Oil

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    NEW DELHI (AP) — The U.S. and India are actively engaged on a bilateral trade agreement to deepen economic and strategic partnership, the U.S. ambassador-designate to New Delhi said Monday.

    Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India has emerged as the second biggest buyer of Russian crude after China, upsetting the Trump administration, which criticized the purchases as helping fuel Moscow’s war machine.

    A close aide of Trump, the new ambassador-designate, Sergio Gor, said the next call between the two sides on trade-related matters was scheduled Tuesday.

    “Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end,” Gor said in an address on his first day in office at the U.S. Embassy. “Remember India is the world’s largest nation so it’s not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there.”

    Gor, who is also the U.S. special envoy to South and Central Asia, announced that India will be formally invited next month to join a U.S.-led strategic initiative called Pax Silica as part of a broader partnership.

    The initiative aims to build a secure silicon supply chain, from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Nations that joined it last month include Japan, South Korea, U.K. and Israel.

    Gor’s comments on bolstering trade and economic ties with India highlights a renewed push to anchor the partnership at a time the relationship has strained following Washington’s mounting pressure on New Delhi to stop buying discounted Russian crude oil.

    India and the U.S. have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since early last year. They hoped to conclude the first tranche by the fall of 2025, but it hasn’t come through mainly due to differences over sourcing of Russian oil, and Indian negotiators facing pressure to protect small farmers and domestic industries.

    Gor said trade was an important aspect of the relationship, but the countries will also continue to work closely in areas such as security, counter terrorism, energy, technology, education and health.

    In the face of steep U.S. tariffs, India has in recent months accelerated a push to finalize several free trade agreements. It signed one with Oman last month and concluded talks with New Zealand.

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  • UN Court to Begin Hearings on Whether Myanmar Committed Genocide Against the Rohingya

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    THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Myanmar will face accusations Monday it is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority at the top court of the United Nations, as long-awaited hearings are set to begin.

    The West African country of Gambia first filed the case at the International Court of Justice in 2019, arguing a so-called “clearance operation” by Myanmar’s military in 2017 violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.

    Myanmar, which has since been taken over by the military, has denied the allegations.

    Without the ICJ, the military “will be accountable to no one and there will be no constraints on their persecution and ultimate destruction of the Rohingya,” lawyer Paul S. Reichler argued on behalf of Gambia during a preliminary hearing in 2022.

    The Southeast Asian country launched the campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 after an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. Security forces were accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of homes as more than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh.

    “Myanmar’s case before the ICJ is a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of people like myself that our plight for justice will not go unheard,” Lucky Karim of Refugee Women for Peace and Justice, an organization that advocates for justice for the Rohingya, said in a statement.

    Myanmar was initially represented at the court by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who denied her country’s armed forces committed genocide, telling the ICJ in 2019 that the mass exodus of Rohingya people from the country she led was the unfortunate result of a battle with insurgents.

    The pro-democracy icon is now in prison after being convicted of what her supporters call trumped-up charges after a military takeover of power.

    Myanmar contested the court’s jurisdiction, saying Gambia was not directly involved in the conflict and therefore could not initiate a case. Both countries are signatories to the genocide convention, signed in the wake of World War II, and in 2022, judges rejected the argument, allowing the case to move forward.

    Whatever the court ultimately decides in the Myanmar case will impact the South African case, Juliette McIntyre, an expert on international law at the University of South Australia, told The Associated Press. “The legal test for genocide is very strict but it is possible the judges broaden the definition,” she said.

    Despite the length of the proceedings, McIntyre said they are still important for the victims. “It validates their experiences and can provide support for other legal actions.”

    A finding of genocide would bolster the ongoing investigation and another court based in The Hague, the International Criminal Court. In 2024, the court’s chief prosecutor asked judges to issue an arrest warrant for the head of Myanmar’s military regime Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against the Rohingya. That request is still pending.

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  • Trump’s Motorcade in Florida Rerouted Due to ‘Suspicious Object’

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s motorcade took a different route than usual to the airport as he was departing Florida on Sunday due to a “suspicious object,” according to the White House.

    The object, which the White House did not describe, was discovered during security sweeps in advance of Trump’s arrival at Palm Beach International Airport.

    “A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Sunday.

    Trump left his Palm Beach, Florida, club, Mar-a-Lago, around 6:20 p.m. for the roughly 10-minute drive to the airport.

    During the drive, police officers on motorcycles created a moving blockade for the motorcade, at one point almost colliding with the vans that accompanied Trump.

    Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for U.S. Secret Service, said the secondary route was taken just as a precaution and that “that is standard protocol.”

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