State officials are attempting to address voters worries about the rising cost of living, including housing and everyday items such as groceries, utilities and child care.

As governors give their annual state of the state speeches, many of them are designing their messages to speak to constituents concerns about affordability.

Because the issue is so broad, there are a lot of things governors can try. But for the same reason, theres no one policy thats likely to bridge the gap between stagnated wages and expenses that are growing for many people.

Maines Democratic Gov. Janet Mills for example, wants to send $300 relief checks to 725,000 residents. Others are imposing caps on utility hikes or calling for easier ways to build more housing.

Affordability is a major concern across US

The idea of improving affordability was at the heart of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdanis campaign last year, and its resonating nationally.

About half of U.S. adults ' 54% ' said the cost of groceries was a 'major source' of stress in their lives, according to an AP-NORC poll from October. At least 4 in 10 said the cost of housing, their savings, their pay, and the cost of health care were 'major' sources of stress in that poll.

AP-NORC polling from December found about 9 in 10 U.S. adults said they had experienced higher prices than usual for groceries in recent months, and about 7 in 10 said that about electricity.

The governments main measure of inflation shows that average annual prices rose by less than 3% from 2012 until 2021, when prices rose sharply. Since the middle of 2023, annual increases have been hovering around 3% ' but price tags are higher than they were before the surge. And some costs ' including electricity and housing ' have risen faster than the average.

Democrats and Republicans disagree over approach

Republicans have long prioritized tax cuts as a way to give some people relief. Officials in states including Florida, Georgia and North Dakota are aiming to eliminate property taxes for homeowners over time. Kentucky and Mississippi are on long-term paths to get rid of income taxes. Critics of those approaches warn that such moves could increase states reliance on sales taxes, which disproportionately affect low-income people.

When President Donald Trump was seeking a return to the White House in 2024, he promised to 'make America affordable again' and has recently returned to the theme.

But hes been critical of the way his political opponents talk about affordability, repeatedly calling it a hoax or scam by Democrats, whom he blames for higher prices.

That made an opening for Democratic governors to criticize the president as out of touch with everyday Americans without uttering his name.

'There are some who have even called affordability a hoax or a con job,' Virginias new governor, Abigail Spanberger, said in her address. 'And I would invite them to come to Virginia and engage with the families and the business leaders I have met … because the facts tell a different story.'

Housing may be the biggest affordability factor

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, all Democrats, have called for multiprong approaches to affordability with a focus on housing.

In her state of the commonwealth speech last month, Healey called for converting empty offices into apartments and using government-owned property to build housing. Hobbs proposed charging a nightly fee on vacation rentals and using the money it generates to help families with housing and utility costs. Newsom told lawmakers they should pass a law to stop institutional investors from buying homes in bulk.

Francis Torres, director of housing and infrastructure projects at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said that some of the most sweeping actions dont immediately lead to new housing. 'Theres a difference between legalizing housing on paper and the housing actually being built,' he said. And thats a reason that officials are also trying to offer support with down payments and other methods intended to help in the meantime.

Trump has argued for policies to keep the value of housing high ' which protects current homeowners but hurts many renters and people looking to buy their first home.

Governors pay attention to rising utility costs

In New Jersey, utility rates were a big part of the conversation in last years governor race. When Democrat Mikie Sherrill was sworn in in January, she immediately signed two executive orders: one to freeze utility rates and another aimed at establishing more electricity production, including solar and nuclear power.

Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun is supporting a measure that wouldnt allow investor-owned utilities to increase their profit margins unless they provide customers with affordable energy.

Healey, who is running for reelection this year, announced in her January state of the state speech that all customers electric bills would be reduced by 25% and gas bills by 10% in February and March. Part of the electric reduction is to come from a fund that would otherwise pay for clean energy and efficiency projects. Utilities agreed to the rest of the reductions.

Other approaches include income taxes and higher wages

In Washington state, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson, is calling for an income tax on those who make over $1 million a year ' in a state that now has no income taxes.

Hes framing it as a way to help other Washington residents with their expenses ' by using some of the revenue to pay for an expanded tax credit for working families and to give small business owners a tax break.

Indianas Braun said the key to affordability is attracting more and higher-wage jobs to the state, something he said has been happening already, pointing to hourly earnings that grew faster than the national average last year.

In Rhode Island, Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee this month unveiled what he calls an 'Affordability for All' agenda that leans heavily on tax policy and includes creating a refundable child tax credit, lowering taxes on gasoline and eliminating them on Social Security, as most states already have.

Associated Press journalists Michael Casey and Linley Sanders contributed to this article.

Novo Nordisk A/S said its suing Hims & Hers Health Inc. for making knock-offs of its obesity medicines, even as Hims scrapped plans to sell a copycat version of the Wegovy pill.

Hims is breaching the US patent on semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novos blockbuster obesity treatments, Novo argued Monday. The US lawsuit attacks not only Hims new strategy to launch a copycat pill but also goes after shots that mimic Wegovy and its sister drug Ozempic.

Also see: Food companies targeting weight-loss drug users with ‘GLP-1 Friendly labels

The move marks a more aggressive approach for Novo under Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar. Until now, the drugmakers legal strategy focused on the way that companies like Hims market their products. Novo said this is the first time it has sued over patent infringement for compounded semaglutide.

The Danish pharmaceutical company itself ran afoul of regulators when it comes to the obesity pill. The US Food and Drug Administration said a TV advertisement for the new weight-loss pill included 'false or misleading' claims about its ability to help users shed pounds, according to a letter to Novo dated Feb. 5.

'We take all regulatory feedback seriously and are in the process of responding to the FDA to address their concerns regarding the advertisements presentation,' Novo spokesperson Liz Skrbkova said in an email.

Increasing tensions

The lawsuit escalates Novos spat with Hims despite the telehealth companys retreat on Saturday, when it said it would stop offering cheaper versions of the new Wegovy pill meant to fuel the Danish drugmakers comeback.

It followed a turbulent week for Novo. First the drugmaker issued a dire sales forecast for the year, in contrast to rival Eli Lilly & Co.s ambitious expectations. Then it was hit by the news that Hims was selling a cheaper knock-off version of the crucial new Wegovy pill. This week started with another blow, after the release of the FDA letter alleging 'false or misleading' marketing.

Hims shares fell 24% at 12:06 pm in New York, the most in almost eight months. Novo surged as much as 9% on Monday after Hims scrapped the Wegovy pill copycats, then pared gains after news of the lawsuit and the FDA letter emerged.

The Hims decision to launch a knock-off Wegovy pill was 'a step too far,' John Kuckelman, general counsel at Novo, said in an interview. 'Last weeks announcement was egregious and it was definitely a tipping point.'

The two companies scrapped a partnership last year and their relationship has grown increasingly acrimonious. Novo said its medicines are produced in accordance with US Food and Drug Administration requirements, following strict safety controls, in contrast to the Hims ones.

The Novo lawsuit is 'a blatant attack by a Danish company on millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care,' Hims said in a statement. 'Once again, Big Pharma is weaponizing the US judicial system to limit consumer choice.' The company pledged to fight to provide 'choice, affordability, and access.'

Patient health

'Hims has engaged in promotional campaigns that highlight its compounded semaglutide products, duping consumers and health-care professionals as to the clinical benefits and safety of these unapproved drugs,' Novo said in a statement. The knock-offs, it argued, 'are putting patient health and wellbeing at risk.'

The lawsuit, which Novo said it filed in Delaware, alleges that Hims products including its weight-loss injections are compounded forms of semaglutide and therefore infringe on Novos patent.

Hims had knowledge of the patent, which has been infringed since 2024, Novo argues. The company is seeking damages for what Kuckelman described as 'reasonable royalties' and lost profit. The drugmaker said it had sent a letter to Hims on Feb. 8 raising the infringement and demanding the telehealth company cease producing these products.

Supply shortage

Hims abandoned the plan over the weekend following US government threats. The decision didnt stop Novo from launching the case, whose scope extends beyond the pill to all uses of semaglutide, which is also injected.

Novo has seen its market capitalization fall from more than $600 billion in 2024, when it was briefly the most valuable company in Europe, to about $227 billion.

The makers of blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, Novo and Lilly, have long complained the US Food and Drug Administration hasnt done enough to stop the proliferation of cheap, compounded weight-loss drugs. Telehealth companies were first able to sell knock-off obesity medicines during a supply shortage a few years ago. The shortage has ended, but the practice has continued.

'We believe its a complete sham that they say so many patients need personalized compounding of semaglutide post shortage,' Kuckelman said.

Novo is trying to work with compounders to get them to sell the branded products, according to Kuckelman. 'But unfortunately, you have Hims, which is a very big player, who rather than doing the right thing, theyve just decided that theyre above the law and they can continue to sort of thumb their nose at the FDA and other regulators,' he said.

The FDA on Friday pledged to act against copycat weight-loss drugs. The Department of Health and Human Services also said it referred Hims to the Department of Justice for possible violations of federal law. The FDAs firmer stance comes after Novo and Lilly agreed to cut prices in deals with the US government.

Marketing complaints

While regulators appeared to side with Novo last week, the agency still took issue with the way the Danish drugmaker has been marketing its new weight-loss pill. In a letter dated Feb. 5 ' shared publicly on Monday ' the FDA said that a TV advertisement for Novos pill made 'false or misleading' claims about the drugs ability to help users shed pounds.

The FDA said the television spot 'misleadingly' suggests that Wegovy in its pill form offers an advantage over other weight-loss drugs. The agency took specific issue with the lines 'live lighter' and 'a way forward,' which appeared in the ad, according to the letter.

'Additionally, they misleadingly imply benefits beyond physical weight loss such as emotional relief, reduced psychological burden, hope, or direction for patients lives, positioning the drug as a solution to broader life challenges rather than a treatment for a specific condition,' the FDA said.

The agency issued a flurry of letters to drug companies last year as part of the Trump administrations push to crack down on pharmaceutical advertising.

Two major roads in Southern Californias mountains are especially prone to damage: Rim of the World Drive in the San Bernardino Mountains and the Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains.

The history of these state highways and the populations they serve provide insight into why they were built and the maintenance challenges they face.

Geological conditions are particularly volatile in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, where monsoonal downpours can cause the rocky slopes to crumble and wash away, leaving sections of roadway damaged or missing.

Wildfires also have had a dramatic impact on the highways. The Station fire in 2009 and the Bridge fire in 2024 have created large 'burn scars' that make slopes vulnerable to debris flows during storms.

Rim of the World Drive in the San Bernardino Mountains began as a patchwork of logging and wagon roads built as early as 1852 to serve the early lumber and tourist industries in the area. In the late 1800s, Big Bear Lake and Little Bear Lake, later renamed Lake Arrowhead, were built, and resort communities began to spring up.

As the resorts became more popular and automobiles became more practical, John N. Baylis, owner of the Pinecrest resort, championed a plan to build 'one good road' to connect the mountain destinations.

In 1915, the plan came together when several unpaved mountain roads were cobbled together to form the circular 101-mile Rim of the World Drive. The iconic name came from a contest sponsored by the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors. The winner was awarded $25.

The Rim of the Worlds original route primarily followed todays highways 18 and 38, and it climbed to elevations over 7,000 feet. Redesignated as the Rim of the World Scenic Byway in 1968, the 110-mile route is no longer circular and it now includes highways 138, 18, and 38.

Today, the population in the San Bernardino Mountains communities served by the Rim of the World route is about 63,000, with thousands of seasonal tourists adding to that number. The highway is now a critical artery for residents and tourists.

Monsoonal rains and heavy downpours plague the roadway, especially the Highway 38 section. One of the longest closures on record began when remnants of tropical storm Mario struck the area on Sept. 17, 2025, and Highway 38 was closed until Christmas Eve. Caltrans continues to do roadwork in the area, and the highway still sees some work closures.

First conceived around 1912, the Angeles Crest Highway was a scenic highway, created to carry tourists and outdoor enthusiasts across the San Gabriel Mountains from La Cañada to the Cajon Pass.

Construction of the Angeles Crest Highway began in 1929, and the only resort in the path of the road was the fledgling community of Wrightwood, established in 1924.

The 66-mile highway features cliff-hugging curves, two tunnels blasted through granite ridges, and it climbs to 7,900 feet at Dawson Saddle.

The project was finished in October 1956. Angeles Crest Highway was designated as a National Forest Scenic Byway in 1990, and is known as Highway 2.

Today, the population in the San Gabriel Mountains served by Angeles Crest Highway is only about 5,000, primarily in Wrightwood. Tourists expand the population significantly on weekends and during the winter snow season.

While there are no communities between La Cañada and Wrightwood, the corridor features numerous campgrounds and recreation areas.

In addition to seasonal snow closures, Angeles Crest Highway is highly susceptible to damaging monsoonal flood damage. Long sections of the road are steep and remote, so closures can last for years.

In the winter of 2004-05, rockslides caused major damage to 17 sites along a 10-mile section of the road. Then in 2006, a massive slide took out a section of the road just west of Vincent Gap, completely closing the highway.

The steep terrain at the slide site was so unstable it could not be repaired, and instead it had to be bridged. The road was finally reopened in May 2009.

Angeles Crest Highway remained open with sporadic closures until severe storms in the 2022-23 season led to slides and washouts. After $7.9M in repair work, the road was reopened in August 2025.

The massive storm of December 2025 once again washed-out major sections of the highway, causing Caltrans to close the route between Newcombs Ranch and Big Pines.

'To prioritize the safety of motorists and crews, SR-2/Angeles Crest Highway is currently closed indefinitely,' according to Caltrans District 7 spokesperson Monica Ruvalcaba. 'Damage varies along the corridor, and crews are actively assessing the roadway and performing emergency repairs. While we dont anticipate reopening in the immediate future, work is underway, and we will provide updates to the public as soon as a clearer timeline is available.'

The scenic highways that began as recreational tourist routes have become the primary arteries into the region’s mountains, and they provide essential evacuation and firefighting routes during emergencies.

'Caltrans considers emergency access, including firefighting and evacuation needs, when prioritizing repairs and ongoing maintenance,' Ruvalcaba said. 'Traffic patterns, regional use, population served, environmental conditions, cost, and repair complexity are all considered when determining how work moves forward.'

Today, the Angeles Crest Highway serves as the primary access to a vast section of the interior of San Gabriel Mountain National Monument, created in 2014. Without this vital artery, the 4 million people who visit the monument each year will lose their most direct link to parts of this national treasure.

Mark Landis is a freelance writer. He can be reached at historyinca@yahoo.com

HAVANA (AP) ' Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there isnt enough fuel for airplanes to refuel on the island, the latest step in its moves to ration energy as the Trump administration cuts the Caribbean nation off from its fuel resources.

The government of Cuba published the notices to airlines and pilots on Sunday night, warning that jet fuel wont be available at nine airports across the island, including José Martí International Airport in Havana, starting Tuesday and continuing until March 11.

Political pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Latin America has effectively severed Cubas access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico.

In late January, Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple an island plagued by a deepening energy crisis.

While the rationing may not disrupt shorter regional flights, it presents a significant challenge for long-haul routes from countries like Russia and Canada ' a critical pillar of Cubas tourism economy.

On Monday, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to the island, while other airlines announced delays and layovers in the Dominican Republic before flights continued to Havana.

One pilot added that while refueling issues have occurred before, an official announcement of this scale is extraordinary even for an island accustomed to perpetual crisis. The last time such cuts occurred ' more than a decade ago ' aircraft bound for Europe refueled in Nassau, Bahamas, the pilot recalled. Now, regional airlines could avoid problems by bringing extra fuel, while others could refuel in Cancun, Mexico, or in the Dominican Republic.

It remains unclear how long the notice will remain in effect and Cuban officials have made no public comments on the matter.

The fuel shortage deals another blow to a country that relies heavily on tourism, an industry that once generated $3 billion in annual revenue and served as a vital economic lifeline.

Cuban officials also announced Monday that bank hours have been reduced and cultural events suspended. In Havana, the public bus system has effectively ground to a halt, leaving residents stranded as endemic power outages and grueling fuel lines reach a breaking point.

The energy emergency has forced the suspension of major events like the Havana International Book Fair this weekend and a restructuring of the national baseball season for greater efficiency. Some banks have cut operating hours and fuel distribution companies said they would no longer sell gas in Cuban pesos ' and that sales will be made in dollars and limited to 5.28 gallons per user.

The latest measures add to others announced Friday, including cuts to bus transportation and limited train departures.

On Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel delivered a two-hour televised address, acknowledging the impact and warning that measures would be taken in the coming days.

U.S. sanctions against Cuba have been in place for more than six decades and have long stunted Cubas economy. But they reached new extremes after a U.S. military operation deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Trump began to take an even more confrontational tone toward Latin America.

For many Cubans, the crisis has translated into power outages lasting up to 10 hours, fuel shortages for vehicles, and a lack of food or medicine that many compare to the severe economic depression in the 1990s known as the Special Period that followed cuts in aid from what was then the Soviet Union.

Associated Press journalists Joshua Funk in Omaha, Nebraska and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ' Venezuelas top prosecutor said on Monday that his office had requested the arrest of one of the closest allies of opposition leader María Corina Machado, less than 12 hours after his release from a detention facility as part of a government move to free those facing politically motivated accusations.

The attorney generals statement did not say whether Juan Pablo Guanipa was rearrested, or give indication of his whereabouts. The government had released him along with several other prominent opposition members on Sunday following lengthy politically motivated detentions.

Attorney General Tarek William Saabs office posted on social media that it had 'requested the competent court to revoke the precautionary measure granted to Juan Pablo Guanipa, due to his non-compliance with the conditions imposed by the aforementioned court.'

It did not elaborate on what conditions Guanipa, a former governor for the opposition, violated during the hours he was free, but said authorities were seeking house arrest.

Guanipas son, Ramón, told reporters Monday that authorities have not yet notified him of his fathers whereabouts and their decision to place him on house arrest. He said his father did not violate the two conditions of his release ' monthly check-ins with a court and no travel outside Venezuela ' and showed reporters the court document listing them.

Abducted by ‘heavily armed men

Earlier on Monday, Machado announced Juan Pablo Guanipa had been 'kidnapped' by 'heavily armed men, dressed in civilian clothes' who 'arrived in four vehicles and violently took him away' in a neighborhood in the capital, Caracas.

The development marked the latest twist in the political turmoil in Venezuela in the wake of the U.S. militarys seizure on Jan. 3 of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a military base compound in Caracas in a stunning operation that landed them in New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.

The government of Venezuelas acting President Delcy Rodríguez has faced mounting pressure to free hundreds of people whose detentions months or years ago have been linked to their political activities. The releases also followed a visit to Venezuela of representatives of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuelas acting president after Maduros Jan. 3 capture and her government began releasing prisoners days later.

Some of those freed Sunday joined families waiting outside detention facilities for their loved ones. They chanted 'We are not afraid! We are not afraid!' and marched a short distance.

'I am convinced that our country has completely changed,' Guanipa told reporters after his release. 'I am convinced that it is now up to all of us to focus on building a free and democratic country.'

Guanipa had spent more than eight months in custody at a facility in Caracas.

'My father cannot be a criminal … simply for making statements,' Ramón Guanipa said. “How much longer will speaking out be a crime in this country?'

Venezuelan-based prisoners rights group Foro Penal confirmed the release of at least 30 people Sunday.

Several members of Machados political organization were among the released Sunday, including attorney Perkins Rocha and local organizer María Oropeza, who had in 2024 livestreamed her arrest by military intelligence officers as they broke into her home with a crowbar.

Alfredo Romero, president of Foro Penal, expressed serious concern over Juan Pablo Guanipas disappearance.

'So far, we have no clear information about who took him,' he said on X. 'We hope he will be released immediately.'

Long detentions for political activities

Guanipa was detained in late May and accused by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello of participating in an alleged 'terrorist group' that was plotting to boycott that months legislative election. Guanipas brother Tomás rejected the accusation, and said the arrest was meant to crack down on dissent.

Rodríguezs government announced Jan. 8 that it would free a significant number of those arrested ' a central demand of the countrys opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States ' but families and rights watchdogs have criticized authorities for the slow pace of the releases.

The ruling party-controlled National Assembly last week began debating an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds. The opposition and nongovernmental organizations have reacted with cautious optimism as well as with suggestions and demands for more information on the contents of the proposal.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez on Friday posted a video on Instagram showing him outside a detention center in Caracas and saying that 'everyone' would be released no later than next week, once the amnesty bill is approved.

Rodríguez, the acting president, and Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke by phone in late January. His spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, in a statement said he sent a team to the country and 'offered our support to help Venezuela work on a roadmap for dialogue and reconciliation' in which human rights should be centered.

This story is part of an ongoing collaboration between The Associated Press and FRONTLINE (PBS) that includes an upcoming documentary.

Canadas largest airline said it took the decision after the Cuban government announced aviation fuel would not be available at Cuban airports as of Tuesday.

Cuba has been facing a worsening energy crisis amid a U.S. blockade of oil to the Caribbean nation.

Canadian tourism is vital to Cubas economy. Global Affairs Canada, a governmental office, has said Canada is Cubas second-largest source of direct investment to the island, particularly in the mining and tourism sectors, which have never fully recovered from the pandemic slump.

Air Canada said that in the coming days it will send empty flights southbound to pick up approximately 3,000 customers to bring them home.

Air Transat and West Jet/Sunwing both say they intend to continue flights as planned despite the fuel announcement.

Air Canada says its flight suspension begins Monday.

ATLANTA (AP) ' Federal judges around the country are scrambling to address a deluge of lawsuits from immigrants locked up under the Trump administrations mass deportation campaign.

Under past administrations, people with no criminal record could generally request a bond hearing before an immigration judge while their cases wound through immigration court unless they were stopped at the border. President Donald Trump ‘s White House reversed that policy in favor of mandatory detention.

Immigrants by the thousands have been turning to federal courts by using another legal tool: habeas corpus petitions. While the administration scored a major legal victory Friday, heres a look at how thats affecting federal courts and what some judges have done in response:

Judges are raising the alarm

In one federal court district in Georgia, the enormous volume of habeas petitions has created 'an administrative judicial emergency,' a judge wrote in a court order on Jan. 29. U.S. District Judge Clay Land in Columbus said the Trump administration was refusing to provide bond hearings to immigrants at Georgias Stewart Detention Center despite his 'clear and definitive rulings' against mandatory detention. Instead, the court had to order the hearing in each individual case, wrote Land, a nominee of Republican President George W. Bush.

In Minnesota, where the administrations immigration enforcement surge continues, U.S. District Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz said in a Jan. 26 order Trump officials had made 'no provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result.' The court had received more than 400 habeas petitions in January alone, according to a filing by the government in a separate case.

Schiltz, who was also nominated by Bush, said in a separate order two days later that the government since January had failed to comply with scores of court decisions ordering it to release or provide other relief to people arrested during Operation Metro Surge.

And in the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said in an opinion in December that the district had been 'flooded' with petitions for relief from immigrants who posed no flight risk or danger but were nonetheless imprisoned indefinitely. Subramanian, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and presides in New York City, granted a 52-year-old Guinean womans habeas petition and ordered her release.

'No one disputes that the government may, consistent with the laws requirements, pursue the removal of people who are in this country unlawfully,' he wrote. 'But the way we treat others matters.'

The administration defends its actions

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Friday that the administration was 'more than prepared to handle the legal caseload necessary to deliver President Trumps deportation agenda for the American people.'

DHS and the Justice Department, which also emailed a statement, slammed the judiciary.

'If rogue judges followed the law in adjudicating cases and respected the Governments obligation to properly prepare cases, there wouldnt be an ‘overwhelming habeas caseload or concern over DHS following orders,' the Justice Department statement said.

On Friday, a federal appeals court backed the administrations policy of detaining immigrants without bond. The 2-1 ruling by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked a major legal victory for the government and countered a slew of recent lower court decisions that argued the practice was illegal.

Immigration attorneys accuse the administration of flouting a key court decision

In November, a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administrations mandatory detention policy was illegal. U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes in Riverside, who was also nominated by Biden, later expanded the scope of the decision to apply to detained immigrants nationwide.

But plaintiffs attorneys said the administration continued to deny bond hearings.

'This was a clear cut example of blatant defiance, blatant disregard of a courts order,' Matt Adams, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press in January.

According to Sykes, the government argued her decision was 'advisory' and told immigration judges, who work for the Justice Department and are not part of the judicial branch, to ignore it. The judge said she found the latter instruction 'troubling.'

In its statement, DHS said 'activist judges have attempted to thwart President Trump from fulfilling the American peoples mandate for mass deportations.'

Judges are trying to find ways to ease the burden

Land, the federal judge in Georgia, directed other judges in his district to immediately order the government to provide bond hearings to immigrants who meet criteria established by two previous habeas cases.

Maryland District Court Chief Judge George L. Russell III has ordered the administration not to immediately remove any immigrants who file habeas petitions with his court, under certain conditions. Russell, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat, said in an amended order in December that the court had received an influx of habeas petitions after hours that 'resulted in hurried and frustrating hearings.'

In Tacoma, Washington, U.S. District Judge Tiffany Cartwright ordered the administration last month to give immigrants detained at a processing center in Tacoma notice of her ruling that the mandatory detention policy was illegal. Cartwright, who was also nominated by Biden, said the high volume of habeas filings had put a 'tremendous strain' on immigration attorneys and the court.

'I think in moments like these, it is really important for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another for all thats going on,' said Kim, the two-time Olympic gold medalist whose parents are South Korean immigrants and who has faced racism throughout her career for her Asian heritage.

Gu, the American-born freeskier who competes for China, said after her silver-medal win in slopestyle that she had been in touch with Hess, who told her she was one of the few people who could relate to what hes going through.

'As someone whos been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes,' said Gu, who was born in San Francisco and whose decision to compete for China turned her into a lightning rod.

Hess drew Trumps ire when he was asked by reporters to give his views on the immigration crackdown that has claimed the lives of two protestors in Minnesota and disrupted thousands of lives of immigrants and U.S. citizens. Hess answered: 'Just because Im wearing the flag doesnt mean I represent everything thats going on in the U.S.'

The next day, Trump lashed out at Hess on his Truth Social account, calling him 'a real Loser' and saying he would be hard pressed to root for him at the Games. Hesss friends ' snowboarders and freeskiers competing this week in Livigno ' were asked for their reaction.

'My parents being immigrants from Korea, this one definitely hits pretty close to home,' said Kim, who begins defense of her title Wednesday.

'Im really proud to represent the United States,' she said. 'The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity, but I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions of whats going that we need to lead with love and compassion.'

Other American snowboarders spoke out for diversity and the right of expression.

'I think there are a lot of different opinions in the U.S. right now. Obviously were very divided,' snowboarder Bea Kim said. 'I personally am very proud to represent the United States. That being said, I think diversity is what makes us a very strong country and what makes that so special.'

Teammate Maddie Mastro added: 'Im also saddened with whats happening at home.'

'Its really tough and I feel like we cant turn a blind eye to that. But at the same time, I represent a country that has the same values as mine of kindness and compassion. And we come together in times of injustice,' Mastro said.

Gu called it 'an unwinnable press war' for Hess and lamented the fact that the controversy could be a distraction for the athletes, and overshadow the beauty of the biggest event in winter sports.

'Im sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so … unrelated to the spirit of the Games,' she said. 'It really runs contrary to everything that the Olympics should be.'

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

WASHINGTON (AP) ' U.S. military forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the ship from the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon said Monday.

The Pentagon’s statement on social media did not say whether the ship was connected to Venezuela, which faces U.S. sanctions on its oil and relies on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.

However, the Aquila II was one of at least 16 tankers that departed the Venezuelan coast last month after U.S. forces captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, said Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com. He said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship’s movements.

A Navy official would not comment on what forces were used in the operation but confirmed that the destroyers USS Pinckney and USS Ralph Johnson, along with the mobile base ship USS Miguel Keith were operating in the Indian Ocean. In videos posted to social media by the Pentagon, uniformed forces can be seen boarding a Navy helicopter that then takes off from a ship that matches the profile of the Miguel Keith.

Video and photos of the tanker shot from inside a helicopter also show a Navy destroyer sailing alongside the ship. It is not clear from the video to which agency the forces conducted the seizure of the vessel belonged.

According to data transmitted from the ship on Monday, it is not currently laden with a cargo of crude oil.

The Aquila II is a Panamanian-flagged tanker under U.S. sanctions related to the shipment of illicit Russian oil. Owned by a company with a listed address in Hong Kong, ship tracking data shows it has spent much of the last year with its radio transponder turned off, a practice known as 'running dark' commonly employed by smugglers to hide their location.

U.S. Southern Command, which oversees Latin America, said in an email that it had nothing to add to the Pentagon’s post on X. The post said the military 'conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction' on the ship.

'The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trumps established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,' the Pentagon said. 'It ran, and we followed.'

The U.S. did not say it had seized the ship, which the U.S. has done previously with at least seven other sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela.

Since the U.S. ouster of Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid on Jan. 3, the Trump administration has set out to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuelas oil products. Officials in President Donald Trumps Republican administration have made it clear they see seizing the tankers as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuelas battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Trump also has been trying to restrict the flow of oil to Cuba, which faces strict economic sanctions by the U.S. and relies heavily on oil shipments from allies like Mexico, Russia and Venezuela.

Since the Venezuela operation, Trump has said no more Venezuelan oil will go to Cuba and that the Cuban government is ready to fall. Trump also recently signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, primarily pressuring Mexico because it has acted as an oil lifeline for Cuba.

The ministry announced Mona Juuls resignation on Sunday evening, days after she was suspended as Norways ambassador to Jordan. That followed reports that Epstein left the children of Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, $10 million in a will drawn up shortly before his death by suicide in a New York prison in 2019.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Juuls decision was 'correct and necessary.' Her contact with the convicted sex offender showed a 'serious lapse in judgment,' he said, adding that 'the case makes it difficult to restore the trust that the role requires.'

A ministry investigation into Juuls knowledge of and contact with Epstein will continue, and Juul will continue discussions with the ministry 'so that the matter can be clarified,' Eide said.

The ministry said it also launched a review of its funding of and contact with the International Peace Institute, a New York-based think tank, during the period when it was headed by Rød-Larsen. Eide said Rød-Larsen also had shown poor judgment regarding Epstein.

Revelations from the Epstein files have reverberated across several countries ' most prominently the U.K., where the former Prince Andrew has long been under pressure. Prime Minister Keir Starmer now faces calls to resign as he contends with fallout from the relationship between Epstein and former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson. Starmer appointed Mandelson in 2024 despite knowing he had ties to Epstein.

Rød-Larsen and Juul were among those involved in facilitating the landmark Oslo Accords aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1990s.

Norways National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, or Økokrim, said Monday that it decided last week to open an investigation of Juul and Rød-Larsen.

It said in a statement that Juul is suspected of gross corruption based on her position at the Foreign Ministry, and Rød-Larsen of aiding and abetting gross corruption. Investigators will look among other things into whether Juul received benefits in connection with her position. On Monday, they searched an apartment in Oslos Frogner district and the home of a witness.

Juul acknowledged in a statement to Norwegian news agency NTB last week that it had been 'imprecise' to describe her contact with Epstein as minimal, but said that the contact originated in her husbands relationship with Epstein and she had no independent social or professional relationship with him.

She wrote that her contact with Epstein had been sporadic and private, not part of her official duties, but acknowledged that she should have been much more careful.

The latest batch of Epstein files has cast an unflattering spotlight on other prominent figures in Norway. Crown Princess Mette-Marit on Friday issued an apology 'to all of you whom I have disappointed' after documents offered more details of her relationship with Epstein.

Økokrim already opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland ' who also once headed the committee that hands out the Nobel Peace Prize ' over his ties with Epstein. His lawyer said Jagland would cooperate.