News - Friday, April 18, 2025

The sounds of base ball resonate across McDonald Farm in Sale Creek as the Lightfoot Club takes on the Mountain City Club under a cloudless sky.

There’s the crack of a bat slapping a ball over the left fielder’s head. The approving cheers of the crowd. The “YOWCH!” as the third baseman stops a line drive with his bare hands.

It’s not fair to ask a geologist their favorite thing. The world is vast and wonderful and interesting, and so many amazing features exist at a variety of scales that tell us the history of our home. However, if I were forced to pick my favorite geologic feature in Chattanooga, which I have been asked to do, it would be the Cumberland Plateau.

Five founders from across the U.S. and around the world have arrived in Chattanooga to participate in the latest cohort of the Sustainable Mobility Accelerator, a 12-week program organized by The Company Lab (CO.LAB) in collaboration with national startup accelerator gener8tor.

By Herald staff

The J.A. Henry Community YMCA is opening its doors – and its ovens – to the community through a brand-new Teaching Kitchen and a fresh series of cooking classes designed to educate and inspire.

Beginning Tuesday, May 6, the YMCA will kick off a lineup of hands-on cooking sessions aimed at teaching participants how to cook nutritious, affordable meals at home – no prior experience required.

By Herald staff

The Chattanooga Chapter of the American Inns of Court raised $23,851.50 in December to support the Children’s Advocacy Center, continuing an annual tradition of giving back to vulnerable children and families in the region.

The Salvation Army of Greater Chattanooga will host the annual service at Chattanooga National Cemetery beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday. Major Douglas McClure, Chattanooga area commander, will lead the ceremony. The event is open to the public.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23

Holocaust commemoration

Chattanooga’s Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration will begin at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Cultural Center at 5461 North Terrace Road. The event is free and open to everyone in the community. The ceremony will consist of candle lighting and prayers to honor those lost to violence. Alison Vick will speak on the use of AI technology in Holocaust history and the Jewish Federation of Chattanooga will premiere a short movie musical titled “Malka.”

After more than a decade of leadership, Sarah Morgan is stepping down as president of the Benwood Foundation, capping a career that has helped shape Chattanooga’s civic, cultural and educational landscape.

Morgan’s retirement marks the end of a 13-year tenure.

Throughout my Realtor career, I’ve had the privilege of helping people from all walks of life achieve their dream of homeownership. But that dream must be equally accessible to everyone – and that’s where fair housing comes in. During Fair Housing Month, we take time to reflect on the importance of equity in housing and our responsibility to ensure that no one is left out of the process.

 Going through a divorce is emotionally painful and can disrupt one’s life in many ways. But does it also have to be financially devastating?

Not necessarily. You can help yourself greatly by making a series of moves. Here are some to consider:

Orangefoot Pimpleback. Monkeyface. Fuzzy Pigtoe.

No, these aren’t insults hurled by kindergarteners on the playground; they’re freshwater mussel species. Despite their playful monikers, these rock-like animals play a serious role in improving water quality in rivers and streams.

We were getting ready to hear Roberto Clemente talk about his Hall of Fame baseball career when Kayne casually said, “Derek Jeter is behind you.”

Neither of those statements is, strictly speaking, true. The Derek Jeter behind me – crouching at bat in his Yankees pinstripes – was a Madame Tussaud-style likeness. And the Roberto Clemente was Brian West, a real, live human being portraying a formerly alive Pittsburgh Pirate great.

Nico Iamaleava’s University of Tennessee football career began with him making national headlines for name, image and likeness (NIL) money. It’s ending that way, as well.

In a surprising turn of events, Iamaleava has decided to transfer from UT after the Vols failed to meet the quarterback’s demands for an increase in NIL money. Iamaleava, who was reportedly making $2.4 million from his NIL deal, was seeking to be paid $4 million this season.

In case you haven’t heard, the Tennessee Titans are getting ready to try again to draft and develop a franchise quarterback.

It’s something the franchise has tried to do on a semi-regular basis ever since Steve McNair was dealt to Baltimore in 2006. It comes around every few years here like a Rolling Stones tour or a cicada invasion.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are perfect for people curious about going electric but who aren’t ready to give up the convenience of gasoline.

A plug-in hybrid is a hybrid with a larger battery that you can charge at home. It allows you to drive short distances on electricity, which can significantly reduce gasoline use. For longer trips, a plug-in hybrid runs on gasoline like a regular hybrid. That means you can drive one across the country without plugging it in. Just add gas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's claim that it can't do anything to free Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison and return him to the U.S. "should be shocking," a federal appeals court said Thursday in a scathing order.

A three-judge panel from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused to suspend a judge's decision to order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her instruction to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday kept on hold President Donald Trump's restrictions on birthright citizenship but agreed to hear arguments on the issue in May.

Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally has been halted nationwide by three district courts around the country. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has been branded an abusive monopolist by a federal judge for the second time in less than a year, this time for illegally exploiting some of its online marketing technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion.

For more than a century, the majority of colleges and universities have not paid most taxes. The Revenue Act of 1909 excused nonprofits operating "exclusively for religious, charitable, or educational purposes" in order to continue acting in the public interest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration has escalated its ongoing battle with Harvard, threatening to revoke the university's ability to host international students as the president called for withdrawing Harvard's tax-exempt status.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1,000 international students have had their visas or legal status revoked in recent weeks, and several have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, arguing the government denied them due process when it suddenly took away their permission to be in the U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks rose, but the worst drop for UnitedHealth Group in a quarter of a century kept Wall Street in check.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% Thursday even as three-quarters of the stocks within the index climbed.

Surging U.S. tariffs will weaken the global economy and push up inflation this year, according to projections to be released next week by the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF's Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, said Thursday that the Trump administration's sharp increases in duties have caused global uncertainty to spike. The import taxes will slow global growth, but not cause a worldwide recession, she added. The details of the IMF's outlook will be issued Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump attacked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday for not cutting interest rates and said he could fire him if he wanted to, renewing a threat from his first term that could cause a major legal showdown over the issue of the central bank's long-standing political independence.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced sweeping job cuts at his department last month, he said that safety inspectors who oversee U.S. foods and drugs wouldn't be impacted.

Those employees remain at the Food and Drug Administration, but dozens of others who supported their work are gone. The departed staffers include people who booked complex international trips to remote Indian pharmaceutical plants, lab scientists who tested food samples for contamination, and communication specialists who alerted the public to urgent safety recalls.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is drastically shrinking the workforce and mission of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, eviscerating an agency created after the Great Recession with the goal of protecting Americans from fraud, abuse and deceptive practices.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will withdraw about 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 to work with Kurdish allies to counter the Islamic State group, a U.S. official said Thursday.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced publicly.

NEW YORK (AP) — Among the threats tariffs pose to the U.S. economy, none may be as strange as the sell-off in the dollar.

Currencies rise and fall all the time because of inflation fears, central bank moves and other factors. But economists worry that the recent drop in the dollar is so dramatic that it reflects something more ominous as President Donald Trump tries to reshape global trade: a loss of confidence in the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the same time that the Supreme Court is considering a case that could make it easier for the president to fire him.

TOKYO (AP) — The new U.S. ambassador to Japan arrived in Tokyo on Friday and said he is optimistic that his country and its key Asian ally will reach a deal in their ongoing tariff negotiations.

George Glass, a prominent businessperson known for his background in finance, investment banking and technology, arrives as Washington and Tokyo are negotiating President Donald Trump's tariff measures, which have triggered worldwide concern about their impact on the economy and global trade.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — America's only rare earths mine heard from anxious companies soon after China responded to President Donald Trump's tariffs this month by limiting exports of those minerals used for military applications and in many high-tech devices.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Approximately 10,000 pages of records related to the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy were released Friday, continuing the disclosure of national secrets ordered by President Donald Trump.

Kennedy was fatally shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after giving his victory speech for winning California's Democratic presidential primary. His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison.

WASHINGTON (AP) — First the nation's top law firms. Then its premier universities. Now, President Donald Trump is leaning on the advocacy groups that underpin U.S. civil society.

Trump said Thursday that the administration is looking at the tax-exempt status not just of Harvard, but environmental groups and specifically the ethics watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. It could be a devastating financial blow to the nonprofit organizations — and his perceived political foes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new U.S. intelligence assessment found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, contradicting statements that Trump administration officials have made to justify their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan migrants, according to U.S. officials.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. airstrikes targeting an oil port held by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, the group said Friday, marking the single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump's new campaign targeting the rebels.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For Democrats, the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case is about fundamental American ideals — due process, following court orders, preventing government overreach. For the Trump administration and Republicans, it's about foreigners and gang threats and danger in American towns and cities.

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. may "move on" from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.

JENA, La. (AP) — Amid rural Louisiana's crawfish farms, towering pine trees and cafes serving po'boys, nearly 7,000 people are waiting at immigration detention centers to learn whether they will be expelled from the United States.

If President Donald Trump's administration has its way, the capacity to hold tens of thousands more migrants will soon be added around the country as the U.S. seeks an explosive expansion of what is already the world's largest immigration detention system.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to stop blocking The Associated Press' from presidential events refused Friday to take immediate steps to get White House officials to comply — an incremental development in a two-month dispute between the global news agency and administration officials over access.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judiciary is warning that Congress is not providing enough money for judges' security, at a time of escalating threats and chilling efforts at intimidation.

More than five dozen judges handling lawsuits against the Trump administration are receiving "enhanced online security screening" that typically includes scrubbing their personal information from the internet, two federal judges appointed by Republican presidents wrote on behalf of the judiciary in a letter to congressional appropriators.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump's administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ruled Friday that the bureau can't go forward immediately with plans to mass fire hundreds of employees.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — President Donald Trump's executive order to boost the U.S. commercial fishing industry drew praise from commercial fishing groups and condemnation from environmental organizations who said they fear cutting regulations will harm fish populations that have already dwindled in some areas of the oceans.

NEW YORK (AP) — The pending merger between Capital One and Discover Financial services received approval from several regulators Friday, bringing the $35 billion tie-up closer to completion.

The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency signed off on the deal, which was first announced in February 2024.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just days after being promoted to acting IRS commissioner, the whistleblower who testified publicly about investigations into Hunter Biden's taxes is out again, according to three people familiar with the decision.

Gary Shapley, who previously testified to Congress as Republicans reviewed the business dealings of Joe Biden's son, will be replaced by Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender, according to the three people, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the move and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.S. airstrike on an important oil port held by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed more than 70 people and wounded many others, marking a major escalation in the military campaign President Donald Trump launched last month against the Iranian-backed group.

PARIS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are "coming to a head" and insisted that neither side is "playing" him in his push to end the grinding war.

Trump spoke after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned earlier in the day that the U.S. may "move on" from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nico Iamaleava says he's heading to UCLA, a week after Tennessee announced the quarterback who helped the Volunteers reach last season's College Football Playoff was no longer with the program.

Iamaleava issued an Instagram post of himself in a UCLA uniform Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Minnesota asking to revive the state's ban on gun-carry permits for young adults.

The justices also left in place a ban on guns at the University of Michigan, declining to hear an appeal from a man who argued he has a right to be armed on campus. No justice noted a dissent in either case.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court acted "literally in the middle of the night" and without sufficient explanation in blocking the Trump administration from deporting any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th-century wartime law, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a sharp dissent that castigated the seven-member majority.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Some takeaways about the life of Pope Francis, who died Monday:

Background

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrants in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the eldest of five children. He was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969 and led the religious order in Argentina during the country's murderous dictatorship from 1976-83. He became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and elevated to cardinal in 2001 by St. John Paul II. He was elected the 266th pope on March 13, 2013, on the fifth ballot.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church's teaching in areas such as the death penalty and nuclear weapons, upheld it in others such as abortion, and made inroads with Muslims and believers who long felt marginalized.

Where Francis, who died on Monday, stood on key issues:

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Key events in the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis and died on Monday:

Dec. 17, 1936: Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the eldest of five children to Mario Jose Bergoglio, an accountant from Italy, and Regina María Sívori, the daughter of Italian immigrants.

LYON, France (AP) — Tributes to Pope Francis instantly poured in from around the world from presidents to people of all walks of like on Monday after the Vatican announced the pontiff's death at age 88.

President Emmanuel Macron of France, a country that is largely Roman Catholic, focused on the pope's impact on the church, writing on X that "From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. For it to unite humans among themselves, and with nature. May this hope forever outlast him."

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals well before the conclave to elect his successor begins. They involve the certification of death and public display of his body for the faithful to pay their respects, followed by the funeral and burial.

Moments after Daniris Espinal walked into her new apartment in Brooklyn, she prayed. In ensuing nights, she would awaken and touch the walls for reassurance — finding in them a relief that turned to tears over her morning coffee.

Those walls were possible through a federal program that pays rent for some 60,000 families and individuals fleeing homelessness or domestic violence. Espinal was fleeing both.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A commercial airliner was on final approach to San Francisco's international airport in November when the crew spotted a drone outside the cockpit window. By then it was too late "to take evasive action," the pilots reported, and the quadcopter passed by their windshield, not 300 feet away.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Monday warned other countries against making trade deals with the United States to China's detriment.

Governments including those of Taiwan, Japan and South Korea have begun negotiations with Washington after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs against almost all of America's trading partners on April 2. The import taxes were quickly paused against most countries after markets panicked, but he increased his already steep tariffs against China.

HONG KONG (AP) — China will sanction United States officials, lawmakers and leaders of non-governmental organizations who it says have "performed poorly" on Hong Kong issues, the foreign ministry announced.

The U.S. in March sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials who it alleged were involved in "transnational repression" and acts threatening to further erode the city's autonomy. The officials included Justice Secretary Paul Lam, security office director Dong Jingwei and former police commissioner Raymond Siu.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — As Big Tech kicks off its quarterly earnings season this week, the industry's bellwether companies have been thrust into a cauldron of uncertainty and turmoil that they didn't anticipate when Donald Trump re-entered the White House nearly 100 days ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of a March military airstrike against Yemen's Houthi militants that were sent in another chain with top Trump administration leaders, The New York Times reported.

TORONTO (AP) — Mark Carney's political career is only months old, and it's already been a roller-coaster ride. The former central banker appeared destined to become one of Canada's shortest-serving prime ministers until U.S. President Donald Trump picked a fight with the neighboring country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four House Democratic lawmakers have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to a Salvadoran prison and has refused to help return — even after the Supreme Court ruled that it was the government's duty to do so.

The NCAA passed rules Monday that would upend decades of precedent by allowing colleges to pay their athletes per terms of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit settlement expected to go into effect this summer.

The nine proposals passed by the NCAA board were largely expected but still mark a defining day in the history of college sports. An athlete's ability to be paid directly by his or her university is on track to be enshrined in a rulebook that has forbidden that kind of relationship for decades.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a key preventive-care provision of the Affordable Care Act in a case heard Monday.

Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, along with the court's three liberals, appeared skeptical of arguments that Obamacare's process for deciding which services must be fully covered by private insurance is unconstitutional.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Google is confronting an existential threat as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for turning its revolutionary search engine into an illegal monopoly.

The drama began to unfold Monday in a Washington courtroom as three weeks of hearings kicked off to determine how the company should be penalized for operating a monopoly in search. In its opening arguments, federal antitrust enforcers also urged the court to impose forward-looking remedies to prevent Google from using artificial intelligence to further its dominance.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In just two months as the federal health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made sweeping changes to the Department of Health and Human Services — and its priorities.

He's dismissed 10,000 public health workers, met with state governors who want to restrict unhealthy foods in taxpayer-funded programs and delivered an inconsistent message on vaccines as measles outbreaks across the country have sickened hundreds. Last week, he promised to find some of the causes of rising U.S. autism rates in under six months' time.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church's teaching in areas such as the death penalty and nuclear weapons, upheld it in others such as abortion, and made inroads with Muslims and believers who long felt marginalized.

Where Francis, who died on Monday, stood on key issues:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday.

Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers linked to Russia's government launched a cyberattack last spring against municipal water plants in rural Texas. At one plant in Muleshoe, population 5,000, water began to overflow. Officials had to unplug the system and run the plant manually.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump repeated his attacks Monday against the chair of the Federal Reserve, demanding that the central bank lower its key interest rate to boost the economy.

Trump called Powell "a major loser" and said that energy and grocery prices are "substantially lower" and "there is virtually No Inflation." Yet Trump said the economy could slow without rate cuts.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street weakened Monday as investors worldwide get more skeptical about U.S. investments because of President Donald Trump's trade war and his criticism of the Federal Reserve, which are shaking the traditional order.

The S&P 500 sank 2.4% in another wipeout. That yanked the index that's at the center of many 401(k) accounts 16% below its record set two months ago.

NEW YORK (AP) — Global financial markets have been turned upside down this year by President Donald Trump's burgeoning trade war. Markets are not in full panic, but the double-digit declines in major U.S. stock indexes are testing nerves.

U.S. markets had been on a two-year tear coming into 2025, though many believed that stock prices had become overinflated. Trump's trade war pushed that sentiment into hyperdrive. The S&P 500 has tumbled 13%, and U.S. markets are being outpaced in Europe, Asia, and just about everywhere else.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — As Big Tech kicks off its quarterly earnings season this week, the industry's bellwether companies have been thrust into a cauldron of uncertainty and turmoil that they didn't anticipate when Donald Trump re-entered the White House nearly 100 days ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen at a Washington, D.C. restaurant Sunday night, according to department officials.

The department in an email said Noem had money in her purse to buy gifts for her children and grandchildren and to pay for Easter dinner and other activities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House expressed support Monday for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following media reports that he shared sensitive military details in another Signal messaging chat, this time with his wife and brother.

Neither the White House nor Hegseth denied that he had shared such information in a second chat, instead focusing their responses on what they called the disgruntled workers whom they blamed for leaking to the media and insisting that no classified information had been disclosed.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee coach Rick Barnes announced the signing of Nate Ament to the 2025 class, making the small forward the third top five prep recruit to sign with the Volunteers.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff are facing a federal criminal trial this week, where some old colleagues will be less friendly on the witness stand than others.

The trial of former Republican Rep. Glen Casada and his former aide, Cade Cothren, promises to include testimony from current and former lawmakers and staffers, some for the government, others for the defense. Jury selection begins Tuesday and the trial could take weeks.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have paused a bill meant to challenge the constitutional right for children to attend public schools regardless of their immigration status. Instead, with time waning in the legislative session, they are asking U.S. officials for guidance on whether the bill would jeopardize federal education funding.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday over the religious rights of parents in Maryland to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters.

The case is the latest dispute involving religion to come before the conservative-led court. The justices have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two lawsuits filed in Los Angeles allege major home insurance companies have colluded to limit coverage in California communities at high risk for wildfires and force homeowners onto the state's last-resort insurance plan that offers basic coverage and high premiums.

NEW YORK (AP) — Starting next month, the Education Department says student loans that are in default will be referred for collections.

Roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans and soon could be subject to having their wages garnished.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter's Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history's first Latin American pontiff.

The cardinals met Tuesday in the Vatican's synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis' successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10.

A change in popes — through death or resignation — is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global Catholic Church and the Vatican's head of state.

These are the need-to-know terms — some of them in Latin — to help make sense of news in the coming days:

NEW YORK (AP) — Fears of a "generosity crisis" have dogged nonprofit fundraisers for much of this century as they experienced precipitous drops in U.S. household donations. The results of a new poll suggest most Americans gave at least a little to some charities in the past year but offer mixed signals for those hoping to improve giving trends.

Bottles and bags, food wrappers and straws. Piping, packaging, toys and trays. Plastic is everywhere — and yet some people may be surprised at how much they actually wear.

A typical closet is loaded with plastic, woven into polyester activewear, acrylic sweaters, nylon swimsuits and stretchy socks — and it's shedding into the environment nonstop.

NEW YORK (AP) — As economic uncertainty deepens worldwide, gold prices have notched more and more record highs.

That's because gold sales can rise sharply when anxious investors seek "safe havens" for parking their money. Gold's current rally arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump 's announces new tariffs on economic allies and foes alike, roiling financial markets and threatening to reignite inflation for families and businesses alike.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The outlooks for the U.S. and global economies have significantly worsened in the wake of President Donald Trump's tariffs and the uncertainty they have created, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.

The IMF said that the global economy will grow just 2.8% this year, down from its forecast in January of 3.3%, according to its latest World Economic Outlook. And in 2026, global growth will be 3%, the fund predicts, also below its previous 3.3% estimate.

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss pharmaceuticals powerhouse Roche announced Monday it plans to invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, creating 12,000 jobs.

The Basel-based company, whose array of products includes cancer medicines and multiple sclerosis treatment Ocrevus, said the investment would go toward high-tech research and development sites and new manufacturing facilities in places including California, Indiana, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pulled the airstrike information he posted into Signal chats with his wife, brother and dozens of others from a secure communications channel used by U.S. Central Command, raising new questions as to whether the embattled Pentagon head leaked classified information over an open, unsecured network.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser tried to keep the focus on a groundbreaking ceremony for a new mixed-used development. But she couldn't help fielding a string of questions about the budget crisis hanging over the nation's capital city.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The infighting and backstabbing that plagued President Donald Trump's first term have returned as a threat to his second, with deepening fissures over trade, national security and questions of personal loyalty.

The latest turmoil threatens to engulf the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed out top advisers and faces fresh controversy over sharing sensitive information about airstrikes in Yemen outside of classified channels. A former Pentagon spokesperson who was ousted last week wrote in Politico that Trump should fire Hegseth for presiding over a "full-blown meltdown."

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials said they plan to phase out eight petroleum-based artificial colors from the nation's food supply, triggering an overhaul of scores of brightly hued products on American store shelves.

Details of the plan are expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, who have advocated the change as part of Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Tuesday to block the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America, the 83-year-old international news service created by Congress.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the administration illegally required Voice of America to cease operations for the first time since its World War II-era inception.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that immigrants who agree to leave the country are allowed some deadline flexibility in a case that was argued before President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

In a 5-4 decision, the court sided with a man who came from Mexico illegally as a teenager and had lived in Colorado for nearly two decades before he was ordered to leave in 2021. The case was argued in November 2024, days after Trump won re-election. Several other new immigration cases have since come before the court on its emergency docket.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Tuesday signaled support for the religious rights of parents in Maryland who want to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters.

The court seemed likely to find that the Montgomery County school system, in suburban Washington, could not require elementary school children to sit through lessons involving the books if parents expressed religious objections to the material.

Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which said that it illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade for opioids and other controlled substances.

The nationwide drugstore chain must pay the government at least $300 million and will owe another $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred before 2032, according to the settlement reached last Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla's first-quarter profits plunged by more than two-thirds amid backlash against Elon Musk's electric car company that has hurt sales and sent its stock plunging.

The Austin, Texas, company said Tuesday that quarterly profits fell by 70% to to $409 million, or 12 cents a share. That's far below analyst estimates. Tesla's revenue fell 9% to $19.3 billion in the January through March period, below Wall Street's forecast.

NEW YORK (AP) — With his show involved in a bitter dispute with President Donald Trump, the top executive at the storied CBS News show "60 Minutes" abruptly resigned on Tuesday while saying he's losing the freedom to run it independently.

Bill Owens, executive producer of television's most popular and influential newsmagazine since 2019, said in a note to staff that it has "become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for '60 Minutes,' right for the audience."

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown against China is unsustainable and expects a "de-escalation" in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.

But in a private speech in Washington for JPMorgan Chase, Bessent also cautioned that talks between the United States and China had yet to formally start. Trump placed import taxes of 145% on China, which has countered with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Trump has placed tariffs on several dozen countries, causing the stock market to stumble and interest rates to increase on U.S. debt as investors worry about slower economic growth and higher inflationary pressures.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks jumped in a widespread rally Tuesday, and other U.S. investments steadied a day after falling sharply on worries about President Donald Trump's trade war and his attacks on the head of the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 climbed 2.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,016 points, or 2.7%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 2.7%. All three indexes more than made up their big losses from the start of the week.

NEW YORK (AP) — Companies from a wide range of industries are having trouble assessing the impact of tariffs because of the constant uncertainty over whether and where the taxes will be imposed next or postponed, sometimes on a daily or weekly basis. Some tariffs remain in place against key U.S. trading partners, but others have been postponed to give nations time to negotiate.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a massive overhaul of the State Department on Tuesday, with plans to reduce staff in the U.S. by 15% while closing and consolidating more than 100 bureaus worldwide as part of the Trump administration's "America First" mandate.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Republican-led Legislature adjourned its monthslong lawmaking session on Tuesday by passing a final flurry of bills, including ones aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion in governments.

Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill that would ban local governments or higher education institutions from making employment decisions based on consideration of someone's race, ethnicity, sex, age or other demographic information, rather other metrics such as merit, qualifications, veteran status or lawful eligibility criteria. They passed another bill Tuesday that would unravel offices and programs at various levels of state and local governments that promote DEI, and delete age, gender or race requirements on certain boards.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans know who they want to select with the first overall pick in Thursday night's opening round of the NFL draft, so stop asking them if that spot is available via trade.

New general manager Mike Borgonzi declined to say Tuesday exactly who the Titans will be taking with that draft pick.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA may have been 5-7 in coach DeShaun Foster's first season, but he's smiling now and the Bruins are suddenly feeling like winners.

Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is coming home to suit up for the Bruins this fall.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Board of Parole on Tuesday recommended a pardon for country music star Jelly Roll, a Nashville native who has spoken openly about his criminal record and what it has taken to overcome it. The board's action leaves the final decision on a pardon up to Gov. Bill Lee.

ATLANTA (AP) — Anjan Roy was studying with friends at Missouri State University when he got an email that turned his world upside down. His legal status as an international student had been terminated, and he was suddenly at risk for deportation.

"I was in literal shock, like, what the hell is this?" said Roy, a graduate student in computer science from Bangladesh.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A federal judge is scheduled to consider a request Wednesday to immediately release a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two major law firms are expected to ask separate judges on Wednesday to permanently block President Donald Trump's executive orders that were designed to punish them and hurt their business operations.

The firms — Perkins Coie and WilmerHale — have said the orders imposed in March are unconstitutional assaults on the legal profession that threaten their relationships with clients and retaliate against them based either on their past legal representations or their association with particular attorneys who Trump perceives as his adversaries.

SHANGHAI (AP) — Leading automakers are showcasing their latest designed-for-China and the world models at the Shanghai auto show this week, fighting not to be edged aside in the world's largest car market while watching for U.S. President Donald Trump's next steps in his trade war.

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk says he'll be spending less time in Washington slashing government costs and more time running Tesla after his electric vehicle company reported a big drop in profits.

Musk said on a conference call with analysts Tuesday that "now that the major work of establishing Department of Government Efficiency is done," that he will be "allocating far more of my time to Tesla" starting in May. Musk said he now expects to spend just "a day or two per week on government matters"

LONDON (AP) — European Union watchdogs fined Apple and Meta hundreds of millions of euros Wednesday as they stepped up enforcement of the 27-nation bloc's digital competition rules.

The European Commission imposed a 500 million euro ($571 million) fine on Apple for preventing app makers from pointing users to cheaper options outside its App Store.

Former employees of OpenAI are asking the top law enforcement officers in California and Delaware to stop the company from shifting control of its artificial intelligence technology from a nonprofit charity to a for-profit business.

They're concerned about what happens if the ChatGPT maker fulfills its ambition to build AI that outperforms humans, but is no longer accountable to its public mission to safeguard that technology from causing grievous harms.

NEW YORK (AP) — Uncertainty over tariffs and an unpredictable trade war is weighing heavily on companies as they report their latest financial results and try to give investors financial forecasts.

Some tariffs remain in place against key U.S. trading partners, but others have been postponed to give nations time to negotiate. The tariff and trade picture has been shifting for months, sometimes changing drastically on a daily basis. Those shifts make it difficult for companies and investors to make a reliable assessment of any impact to costs and sales.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The height of tax season was the height of turmoil at the IRS.

The agency shuffled through three acting directors over the course of a week. It's preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. And President Donald Trump is weighing in on which nonprofits should lose their tax-exempt status, an incursion into the agency's typically apolitical stance that threatens to further erode trust in federal institutions and weaponize enforcement efforts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The H-1B visa has long been a highly coveted employment visa for foreign citizens with specialized skills to live and work in the U.S., and recent requests from the Trump administration have put greater attention on the program.

The requests for more information from people applying for or renewing H-1B visas come amid heightened tensions over immigration as President Donald Trump seeks to make good on his vow of mass deportations of people in the country illegally.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday pushed back at the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia as part of any potential peace agreement, a day before American, European and Ukrainian officials are set for high-level talks in London.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A planned meeting Wednesday between top U.S., British, French and Ukrainian diplomats to push forward a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine was scrapped at the last minute, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance saying negotiations are reaching a moment of truth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The world's biggest corporations have caused $28 trillion in climate damage, a new study estimates as part of an effort to make it easier for people and governments to hold companies financially accountable, like the tobacco giants have been.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Novavax's closely watched COVID-19 vaccine is on track for full approval after additional discussions with the Food and Drug Administration, the company said Wednesday.

The news sent company shares soaring more than 21% in morning trading and appeared to resolve concerns that Trump administration officials might be holding up a decision on the shot.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge expressed deep skepticism Wednesday over a President Donald Trump executive order targeting a prominent law firm, signaling that she was inclined to grant a request to permanently block its enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell grilled a Justice Department lawyer over the government's plans to suspend security clearances from lawyers at the firm of Perkins Coie and pressed him to explain why the Trump administration was forcing law firms to disavow the use of diversity, equity and inclusion considerations in its hiring practices.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent leveled harsh criticism at the operations of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday even as he tried to reassure nervous investors that the United States would maintain its global leadership role.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose as a worldwide rally came back around to Wall Street.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.7% Wednesday after President Donald Trump appeared to back off his criticism of the Federal Reserve and his tough talk in his trade war.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is establishing a task force to investigate employee reports of alleged anti-Christian bias among their colleagues, part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to infuse its agenda with religious purpose and champion the rights of Christians.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than four-decade career representing Illinois and accelerating a generational shift in Senate Democratic leadership where he has long held the No. 2 position.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran has agreed to allow in an International Atomic Energy Agency technical team in the coming days to discuss restoring camera surveillance at nuclear sites, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Wednesday, calling it an encouraging signal of Iran's attitude toward nuclear talks with the United States.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine's president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the "killing field" after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.

Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among U.S., European and Ukrainian officials. "There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said.

TOKYO (AP) — Nissan expects to rack up a loss totaling 700 billion yen ($4.9 billion) to 750 billion yen ($5.3 billion) for the fiscal year through March because of declining sales and the losing value of its assets, the embattled Japanese automaker said Thursday.

The surprise transfers of brothers Nico and Madden Iamaleava have prompted fresh questions about contracts and name, image and likeness buyouts for athletes in a college sports landscape looking increasingly like the pros.

Nico Iamaleava, who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, walked away from a reported $2.4 million NIL contract to seek higher pay elsewhere. He joined UCLA on Sunday, reportedly for half the money though terms of any NIL deal were not released.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter and 12 other prospects will walk the red carpet at Lambeau Field before going backstage at the NFL draft theater to wait for their name to be called Thursday night.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two major law firms asked separate judges Wednesday to permanently block President Donald Trump's executive orders that were meant to punish them and harm their business operations.

The firms — Perkins Coie and WilmerHale — say the orders are unconstitutional assaults on the legal profession threaten their relationships with clients and retaliate against them based on their past legal representations or their association with particular attorneys whom Trump perceives as his adversaries.

SHANGHAI (AP) — The world's auto industry is getting a shake-up from Chinese automakers that are quickly expanding across the globe, offering relatively affordable electric vehicles designed to wow car buyers with sleek designs and the latest high-tech interiors.

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk has been called a Moonshot Master, the Edison of Our Age and the Architect of the Future, but he's got a big problem at his car company and it's not clear he can fix it: damage to its brand.

Sales have plunged for Tesla amid protests and boycotts over Musk's embrace of far right-wing views. Profits have been sliced by two-thirds so far this year, and rivals from China, Europe and the U.S. are pouncing.

LONDON (AP) — Britain announced a major investment in wind power Thursday as it hosted an international summit on energy security — with Europe and the United States at odds over whether to cut their reliance on fossil fuels.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government will invest 300 million pounds ($400 million) in boosting Britain's capacity to manufacture components for the offshore wind industry, a move it hopes will encourage private investment in the U.K.'s renewable energy sector.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tariff worries continue hanging over companies as they report their latest financial results and try to provide guidance on their path ahead.

Some tariffs remain in place against key U.S. trading partners, but others have been postponed to give nations time to negotiate. The tariff and trade picture continues shifting and that makes it difficult for companies and investors to make a reliable assessment of any impact to costs and sales.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the International Monetary Fund urged countries to move "swiftly'' to resolve trade disputes that threaten global economic growth.

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said the unpredictability arising from President Donald Trump's aggressive campaign of taxes on foreign imports is causing companies to delay investments and consumers to hold off on spending.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' trust in President Donald Trump to bolster the U.S. economy appears to be faltering, with a new poll showing that many people fear the country is being steered into a recession and that the president's broad and haphazardly enforced tariffs will cause prices to rise.

BANGKOK (AP) — China on Thursday denied any suggestion that it was in active negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs, saying that any notion of progress in the matter was as groundless as "trying to catch the wind."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent leveled harsh criticism at the operations of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday even as he tried to reassure nervous investors that the United States would maintain its global leadership role.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State lawmakers across the U.S. have introduced at least 240 anti-China proposals this year, aiming to ensure public funds don't buy Chinese technology or even T-shirts, coffee mugs and key chains for tourists. They're also targeting sister-city relationships between American and Chinese communities.

ATLANTA (AP) — The pastor of a Georgia megachurch who led a nationwide 40-day "fast" boycott of Target stores over the retail chain's commitment to diversity initiatives is now calling for that effort to continue as a "full Target boycott."

The Rev. Jamal Bryant said this week that the Minneapolis-based retailer has not met all of the boycott effort's demands. Among them: Restoring its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion principles and pledging money to Black-owned banks and businesses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered sharper scrutiny of America's colleges and the accreditors that oversee them, part of his escalating campaign to end what he calls " wokeness " and diversity efforts in education.

In a series of executive actions signed Wednesday, Trump targeted universities that he views as liberal adversaries to his political agenda. One order called for harder enforcement of a federal law requiring colleges to disclose their financial ties with foreign sources, while another called for a shakeup of the accrediting bodies that decide whether colleges can accept federal financial aid awarded to students.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview released Wednesday that Iran must give up all nuclear enrichment if it wants to make a deal during talks with the Trump administration and head off the threat of armed conflict.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Canada would "cease to exist" if it weren't for the United States — comments that came just days before Canadians are set to vote in an election dominated by Trump's remarks on the country's economy and sovereignty.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — State and local election officials from across the country are meeting Thursday to consider President Donald Trump's executive order that seeks major changes to how elections are run, the first time those in charge of the nation's voting will formally gather to weigh in on its implications.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian leader to "STOP!" after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.

"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!"

Russia's illegal seizure of Crimea from Ukraine 11 years ago was quick and bloodless. But Kyiv — and most of the world — never recognized Moscow's annexation of the strategic peninsula, which is now a major focus of U.S.-led efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from immediately enacting certain changes to how federal elections are run, including adding a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form.

The decision is a setback for President Donald Trump, who has argued the requirement is needed to restore public confidence in elections. But the judge allowed other parts of Trump's sweeping executive order on U.S. elections to go forward for now, including a directive to tighten mail ballot deadlines around the country.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in California on Thursday barred the Trump administration from denying or conditioning the use of federal funds to "sanctuary" jurisdictions, saying that portions of President Donald Trump's executive orders were unconstitutional.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge nominated by President Donald Trump ordered his administration to facilitate the return of a man who was deported to El Salvador last month despite having a pending asylum application.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland ruled Wednesday that the government violated a 2019 settlement agreement when it deported the 20-year-old man, a Venezuelan native identified only as Cristian in court papers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to allow enforcement of a ban on transgender people in the military, while legal challenges proceed.

Without an order from the nation's highest court, the ban could not take effect for many months, Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote, "a period far too long for the military to be forced to maintain a policy that it has determined, in its professional judgment, to be contrary to military readiness and the nation's interests."

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street's rally kept rolling Thursday as better-than-expected profits for U.S. companies piled up, though CEOs said they're unsure whether it will last because of uncertainty created by President Donald Trump's trade war.

The S&P 500 charged 2% higher and pulled within 11% of its record set earlier this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 486 points, or 1.2%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.7%.