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Most of the 80,000 federal workers responsible for researching diseases, inspecting food and administering Medicare and Medicaid under the auspices of the Health and Human Services Department were emailed an offer to leave their job for as much as a $25,000 payment as part of President Donald Trump's government cuts. The workers have until 5 pm on Friday to submit a response for the so-called voluntary separation offer. The email was sent to staff across the department, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and the National Institutes of Health as well as the Food and Drug Administration, both in Maryland. The mass email went out to a “broad population of HHS employees," landing in their inboxes days before agency heads are due to offer plans for shrinking their workforces. HHS is one of the government's costliest federal agencies, with an annual budget of about $1.7 trillion that is mostly spent on health care coverage for millions of people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. There was no immediate comment Sunday from HHS. Russia uses a gas pipeline to strike at Ukrainian troops from the rear in Kursk Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump's health secretary, has hinted at plans at deep cuts to the staff. Last year, he promised to immediately clear out all 600 employees at the NIH, the nation's biomedical research arm. He has not gone that far, but in an interview last month shortly after being sworn in last month, Kennedy said he wanted to remove some workers from the public health agencies. “I have a list in my head,” Kennedy said of potential firings at the agency. He said some workers “made really bad decisions” on nutrition guidelines. The Trump administration, with the help of billionaire Elon Musk, has been trying to push out federal workers in an effort to cut costs. In January, most federal employees received a deferred resignation offer that came with eight months of pay. Thousands of probationary employees, too, have been fired across federal agencies, including at HHS. The latest move to reduce the number of federal health workers comes as the the CDC is assisting with a deadly measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico and as lawmakers are debating deep cuts to Medicaid in the federal budget. HHS workers are directed in the email to reach out to their local human resources office to submit for the voluntary separation.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency's journey towards possible mainstream acceptance. Under Trump's new order, the US government will retain the estimated 200,000 bitcoin it's already seized in criminal and civil proceedings, according to Trump's “crypto czar” David Sacks. “The US will not sell any bitcoin deposited into the Reserve. It will be kept as a store of value. The Reserve is like a digital Fort Knox for the cryptocurrency often called ‘digital gold,’” Sacks said on social media. The executive order calls for a “full accounting” of the government's bitcoin holdings, which Sacks said have never been fully audited. He added that the US government has previously sold off about 195,000 bitcoin over the last decade for $366 million. He said those bitcoins would be worth about $17 billion if the government hadn't sold them. Sacks said the order allows for the Treasury and Commerce Departments “to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin.” Once a skeptic who said a few years ago that bitcoin “seems like a scam,” Trump has embraced digital currencies and leaned into his unofficial role as the “ crypto president ” in ways that can both help the crypto industry and enrich himself and his family. Wealthy players in the crypto industry, who felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, spent heavily to help Trump win last year's election. Trump vows support for crypto industry at White House summit Establishing a bitcoin reserve was one of several crypto-related promises Trump made on the campaign trail last year. Trump is also pushing Congress to pass industry-friendly legislation, and under his administration the Securities and Exchange Commission has started dropping enforcement actions it had taken against some major crypto companies. On Friday, Trump is set to host many key industry leaders at a White House “Crypto Summit.” Bitcoin is the oldest and most popular cryptocurrency. Created in response to the 2008 financial crisis by an anonymous person or persons, bitcoin has blossomed from an experiment by libertarian cryptography enthusiasts into an asset with a market cap of about $1.7 trillion. While it hasn’t taken off as a way to pay for everyday things, bitcoin has found popularity as a store of value that’s not controlled by banks, governments or other powerful entities. Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million coins, a built-in scarcity that supporters say makes it a great hedge against inflation. Critics have long said bitcoin lacks any inherent value, but it’s so far defied naysayers with remarkable price increases. Some supporters of a strategic bitcoin reserve said it could one day help pay off the US national debt. Crypto prices soared after Trump’s victory last year, and when the price of bitcoin first crossed $100,000 in early December, Trump took credit and posted “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” on social media. But prices have since cooled off. Trump's executive order did not equate to an immediate price spike for bitcoin, which was trading around $86,000 shortly after his announcement. The executive order also creates a “US Digital Asset Stockpile,” where the government will hold seized cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin. On Sunday, Trump sent crypto prices on a short-lived surge after a surprise announcement that he wanted the government to hold lesser-known cryptocurrencies XRP, solana and cardano.

 New Zealand’s most senior envoy to the United Kingdom has lost his job over remarks he made about U.S. President Donald Trump at an event in London this week, New Zealand 's foreign minister said Thursday. Phil Goff, who is New Zealand's high commissioner to the U.K., made the comments at an event held by the international affairs think tank Chatham House in London on Tuesday. Goff asked a question from the audience of the guest speaker, Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, in which he said he had been rereading a famous speech by former British wartime leader Winston Churchill from 1938, when Churchill was a lawmaker in the government of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Churchill's speech rebuked Britain's signing of the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler, allowing Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia. Goff quoted Churchill as saying to Chamberlain, “You had the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, yet you will have war.” Goff then asked Valtonen: “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?” As the audience chuckled at the New Zealand envoy's question, Valtonen said she would “limit myself” to saying that Churchill “has made very timeless remarks,” according to video of the event published by Chatham House. Hamas rejects Trump's threat, demands lasting truce for hostages Valtonen's speech on Tuesday was billed as covering Finland’s approach to European security at an event entitled ‘Keeping the peace on NATO’s longest border with Russia.’ In response to questions from reporters, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said that Goff’s remarks were “disappointing” and made the envoy’s position “untenable.” “When you are in that position you represent the government and the policies of the day," Peters said. “You’re not able to free think, you are the face of New Zealand.” Officials would “work through” with Goff the “upcoming leadership transition” at New Zealand's mission in London, said Peters. Goff has been New Zealand’s envoy to the U.K. since January 2023. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials were “in discussion with High Commissioner Goff about his return to New Zealand," according to a statement from New Zealand's foreign minister. Global stocks mixed as Trump eases some trade tariffs Former Prime Minister Helen Clark — who was Goff's boss during his time as a lawmaker — denounced his sacking in a post on X, where she wrote the episode was “a very thin excuse” for removing a “highly respected” former foreign minister from his diplomatic role.

As it has with other government agencies, the Trump administration is moving swiftly to assert its vision at the Voice of America. As it does so, a question hangs in the air: Is the news organization's journalistic mission, which dates to World War II, in for some fundamental changes? Within the past week, VOA placed veteran U.S.-based journalist Steve Herman on an extended absence to investigate his social media activities, and moved to reassign White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, who had been disciplined during the first Trump administration. President Donald Trump's choice to lead VOA, unsuccessful Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, joined the organization as a special adviser while awaiting the approval necessary to take over. Voice of America beams audio and online news reports about the United States throughout the world, typically in the native languages of countries where it operates. At birth, Voice of America told stories about democracy to people in Nazi Germany. Charter mandates editorial independence The agency's charter requires that its journalists deliver independent news and information, and not be a government mouthpiece. Conservatives have often chafed at that; outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the agency employees in 2021 that they often sounded like “Vice of America" and shouldn't be afraid to extol the country's greatness. Trump has also been critical. He said on social media that Lake's appointment will help “ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the world FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.” Billionaire Elon Musk, leading Trump's government efficiency efforts, has no use for the organization. He posted on X on Feb. 9 to “shut them down.” Musk wrote that “nobody listens to them anymore” and that it's “just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching” taxpayer money. In January, the president appointed L. Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative watchdog Media Research Center, to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America and sister outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. The appointment requires Senate approval. Herman ran afoul of VOA leadership in early February for what could be considered a typical journalist's act: tweeting a link to comments by an activist critical of the administration's efforts to dismantle USAID. A Trump administration official, Richard Grenell, labeled that “treasonous” and said Herman should be fired. Last Friday, Herman received a letter effectively suspending him with pay. The action is pending an investigation “regarding whether your social media activity has undermined VOA's audiences' perception of the objectivity and/or credibility of VOA and its news operation,” according to the letter, obtained by The Associated Press. Minority groups in Bangladesh feel safer under interim govt: VOA survey VOA “believes that your continued presence in the workplace may otherwise jeopardize legitimate U.S. government interests,” said the letter, signed by John Featherly, acting deputy director, programming directorate. A representative for the U.S. Agency for Global Media said Tuesday that it does not discuss personnel matters. VOA managers told journalists there on Monday about Widakuswara's assignment, without making clear why it was being done or what she would be doing in the future. As a White House reporter in 2021, she was demoted for shouting questions at Pompeo following his appearance at the agency, including one referencing the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. That proved to be short-lived, however, as former President Joe Biden removed agency leadership the day after he was inaugurated. Yet in the wake of her demotion four years ago, dozens of Widakuswara's colleagues signed a letter protesting her treatment, and there's some concern that the action could make them targets with Trump loyalists returning, according to an employee who spoke under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Are stories being edited to minimize criticism of Trump? There have also been instances of VOA stories being edited or watered down to minimize criticism of Trump, according to some journalists there who spoke on condition of anonymity. Some holdovers at VOA appear to be trying to appease future leaders from the Trump team, said a former manager there who has heard of similar instances and spoke under condition of anonymity in fear that some people he still knows there could be punished. A story on VOA's website on Tuesday about the Trump administration's imposition of tariffs played it straight, with contributions from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. But it included criticism of Trump's plan by leaders in Canada, Mexico and China. The quick moves by the Trump administration to assert itself at VOA stands in contrast to the president's first term, where his choice to lead the agency, Robert Pack, didn't take office until three years into the presidency. Trump supporters have also taken a close look at news organizations that are supported in part by government funding, like PBS and NPR, and at government payments for news subscriptions. In a memo announcing Lake's appointment as an adviser last week, VOA's chief financial officer Roman Napoli, said the former television anchor's experience in journalism and broadcasting “will be invaluable as we continue our mission to clearly and effectively present the policies of the Trump administration around the world.” 60.4 % think freedom of expression improved under interim govt: VOA survey  That caused some internal concern. “If what they're going to create is an all-Trump, all the time outlet, we're going to lose our credibility and our resources,” said the former manager at VOA. In her own memo to staff later in the week, Lake cited comments made by former President John F. Kennedy upon the 20th anniversary of Voice of America that the task is to tell America's story around the world and do it in a way that is truthful. “That remains our job today,” she wrote. “I am committed to quickly reforming and modernizing the agency into something the American people are willing to support,” she wrote. “I look forward to working with you.” Lake's appointment as leader of VOA is pending approval of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board, which works with the head of the agency that Bozell was chosen to lead. However, that board's membership was recently disbanded by Trump. Jeffrey Trimble, a former deputy director of that advisory board's predecessor, said the new administration had every right to seek congressional approval to change Voice of America's mission. But he thought that would be unwise, since the message VOA sends to other countries about the free flow of ideas in a democracy has a power in its own. “It represents a core value of our democracy, which is robust debate about the issues,” Trimble said. “They can change that if they want to. But at the moment, they are governed by law.”

Twelve Chinese nationals — including mercenary hackers, law enforcement officers and employees of a private hacking company — have been charged in connection with global cybercrime campaigns targeting dissidents, news organizations, U.S. agencies and universities, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. A set of criminal cases filed in New York and Washington add new detail to what U.S. officials say is a booming hacking-for-hire ecosystem in China, in which private companies and contractors are paid by the Chinese government to target victims of particular interest to Beijing in an arrangement meant to provide Chinese state security forces cover and deniability. The indictments come as the U.S. government has warned of an increasingly sophisticated cyber threat from China, such as a hack last year of telecom firms called Salt Typhoon that gave Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, including U.S. government officials and prominent public figures. One indictment charges eight leaders and employees of a private hacking company known as I-Soon with conducting a sweeping array of computer breaches around the world meant to suppress speech, locate dissidents and steal data from victims. Among those charged is Wu Haibo, who founded I-Soon in Shanghai in 2010 and was a member of China's first hacktivist group, Green Army, and who is accused in the indictment of overseeing and directing hacking operations. Earlier reporting by The Associated Press on leaked documents from I-Soon mainly showed I-Soon was targeting a wide range of governments such as India, Taiwan or Mongolia, but little on the United States. But the indictment contains new revelations about I-Soon’s activities targeting a wide range of Chinese dissidents, religious organizations and media outlets based in the U.S., including a newspaper identified as publishing news related to China and opposed to the Chinese Communist Party. Other targets included individual critics of China living in the U.S., the Defense Intelligence Agency and a research university. The intended targets were in some cases directed by China's Ministry of Public Security — two law enforcement officers were charged with tasking certain assignments — but in other instances the hackers acted at their own initiative and tried to sell the stolen information to the government afterward, the indictment says. US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine amid diplomatic spat The company charged the Chinese government the equivalent of between approximately $10,000 and $75,000 for each email inbox it successfully hacked, officials said. Phone numbers listed for I-Soon on a Chinese corporate registry rang unanswered, and I-Soon representatives did not immediately respond to an AP email requesting comment. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, suggested Wednesday that the allegations were a “smear” and said, “We hope that relevant parties will adopt a professional and responsible attitude and base their characterization of cyber incidents on sufficient evidence rather than groundless speculation and accusations.” A separate indictment charges two other Chinese hackers, identified as Yin Kecheng and Zhou Shuai, in a for-profit hacking campaign that targeted victims including U.S. technology companies, think tanks, defense contractors and health care systems. Among the targets was the U.S. Treasury Department, which disclosed a breach by Chinese actors late last year in what it called a “major cybersecurity incident.” The Treasury Department announced sanctions Wednesday in connection with the hacking, and the State Department announced multimillion-dollar rewards for information about the defendants. I-Soon is part of a sprawling industry in China, documented in an AP investigation last year, of private hacking contractors that steal data from other countries to sell to the Chinese authorities. Over the past two decades, Chinese state security’s demand for overseas intelligence has soared, giving rise to a vast network of these private hackers-for-hire companies that have infiltrated hundreds of systems outside China. UN rights chief calls for accountability over Bangladesh’s 2024 protest abuses China’s hacking industry rose in the early days of the internet, when Wu and other Chinese hackers declared themselves “red hackers” — patriots who offered their services to the Chinese Communist Party, in contrast to the anti-establishment ethos popular among many coders. The indictment “proved the close ties and interaction among China’s first generation patriotic hackers,” said Mei Danowski, a cybersecurity analyst who wrote about I-Soon on her blog, Natto Thoughts. They “all turned to entrepreneurs now — doing businesses with the governments and making profits through other means.” Since I-Soon documents were leaked online last year, the company has been suffering but is still in operation, according to Chinese corporate records. They've downsized and moved offices. "Apparently i-SOON companies have been struggling to survive," Danowski wrote on her blog. “To Chinese state agencies, a company like i-SOON is disposable.”

An appeals court in Washington removed the head of a federal watchdog agency on Wednesday in the latest twist in a legal fight over Republican President Donald Trump's authority to fire the special counsel. A three-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit sided with the Trump administration in allowing the immediate removal of Hampton Dellinger from the Office of Special Counsel while arguments continue over the legality of Dellinger's firing. The case has become a flashpoint in the debate over how much power the president should have to replace the leaders of independent agencies as he moves to radically reshape and shrink the federal government. The Trump administration has argued that the law protecting the special counsel from removal is unconstitutional and unfairly prevents the president from rightfully installing his preferred agency head. Dellinger’s lawyers say allowing the president to fire the special counsel without cause would have a chilling effect on the important duties of the office to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Dellinger has also been working in recent days to challenge Trump’s firing of thousands of probationary workers, but his sudden removal throws those efforts into doubt. US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine amid diplomatic spat Dellinger didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening. He's likely to appeal to the US Supreme Court. Dellinger sued Trump last month, saying he was illegally fired because special counsels can be fired by the president “only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, quickly reinstated Dellinger in the job while he pursued his case. Jackson on Saturday ruled that Dellinger's firing was unlawful and ordered that he remain in his post. But the appeals court lifted Jackson's order blocking his removal, allowing the Trump administration to replace him while the judges weigh the legal arguments. The Office of Special Counsel is responsible for guarding the federal workforce from illegal personnel actions, such as retaliation for whistleblowing. It investigates whistleblower claims of reprisal, can pursue disciplinary action against employees who punish whistleblowers and provides a channel for employees to disclose government wrongdoing. Dellinger was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate to a five-year term in 2024. The independent agency is separate from Justice Department special counsels like Jack Smith, who are appointed by the attorney general for specific investigations. After a request from Dellinger's office, a government panel that enforces workers’ rights ruled Wednesday that more than 5,000 employees fired by the Trump administration should be put back on the job at the US Department of Agriculture. While the order applies only to the USDA workers, Dellinger released a statement “calling on all federal agencies to voluntarily and immediately rescind any unlawful terminations of probationary employees.”

The United States has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, marking a significant shift in its support for the war-torn country, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has confirmed. Speaking on the matter, Waltz stated: "We have taken a step back and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship." The decision follows a diplomatic breakdown after a tense Oval Office meeting on Friday between the US President and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainians grapple with consequences of Trump's pause on military aid The suspension of intelligence sharing is expected to have serious consequences on the battlefield, according to BBC correspondent Tom Bateman. Intelligence from the US has been a crucial factor in Ukraine’s strategic defence against Russian aggression. This latest development comes after former President Donald Trump had already put a hold on military aid to Kyiv. However, Waltz indicated that the suspension could be reconsidered should peace negotiations show progress. In a further twist to the situation, the US President, during an address to Congress last night, suggested that Ukraine was now prepared to engage in peace talks. He read aloud a letter he had received from Zelensky, underscoring Kyiv’s willingness to seek a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. The diplomatic rift adds another layer of complexity to Ukraine’s war effort, as the country has been heavily reliant on both intelligence and military support from Western allies. How Zelensky’s outfit choice may have sparked Oval Office dispute It remains to be seen whether this move signals a shift in broader US policy or serves as a strategic manoeuvre to push Ukraine towards negotiations. Meanwhile, officials in Kyiv have yet to issue an official response to the latest development. The situation is rapidly evolving, and all eyes remain on potential diplomatic engagements in the coming days. Source: BBC

Severe storms in the US have caused blizzard conditions and pose a threat of more tornadoes, reports AP. Powerful storms that claimed two lives in Mississippi and caused roof damage in a small Oklahoma town swept across the country, bringing extreme weather to central and eastern parts of the US on Wednesday. Tornadoes kill 5, injure 83 in China's eastern Shandong province At the same time, forecasters warned that a Pacific storm would bring widespread rain and mountain snow across California and the western US from Wednesday through Friday. A tornado watch was issued for parts of North and South Carolina early on Wednesday, extending until the afternoon, while tornado warnings were also issued for Florida and South Carolina. On Tuesday, strong winds forced changes to Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans, with the two major parades being moved up and shortened to avoid the bad weather. Tornadoes touched down on Tuesday in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary reports. Deadly severe weather roars through several states in US, spawning potential tornadoes In Mississippi, two fatalities were reported due to the severe weather, with Governor Tate Reeves sharing the news on social media without giving further details. WAPT-TV reported that one victim was killed by a falling power line in Madison County, while another died when a tree struck their car. On Wednesday morning, officials in Nebraska advised against travel in the eastern part of the state due to low visibility caused by high winds. The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed a 130-mile stretch of Interstate 80 from Greenwood to Grand Island. Blizzard conditions in southern Minnesota made travel hazardous on Wednesday morning, with the weather service in the Twin Cities issuing warnings about heavy snow and strong northerly winds that slowed movement across much of the area, including the Twin Cities, southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. The storms left hundreds of thousands without power on Wednesday morning across the central and southeastern US, with over 111,000 outages in Texas, around 54,000 in Tennessee, and about 53,000 in Alabama, according to PowerOutage.us. After over 850 flight cancellations nationwide on Tuesday, the storms began to disrupt traffic at major East Coast airports, affecting the broader commercial aviation system. Nearly 500 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks delays and cancellations nationwide..

Ukrainians grappled Tuesday with the ramifications of a US decision to pause military aid that is critical to their fight against Russia’s invasion, as a rift between Kyiv and Washington deepens. Days after an explosive meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump ordered the assistance halted in a bid to pressure Kyiv to engage in peace talks with Russia. Ukraine and its allies are concerned Trump is pushing for a quick ceasefire that will favour Russia, and Kyiv is looking for security guarantees to ward off possible future Russian invasions. A White House official said the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” The order will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the assistance. Ukraine needs help to fight Russia Ukraine, which depends heavily on foreign help to hold back the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24 2022, has feared that aid could be stopped since Trump took office. US-made Patriot air defense missile systems, for example, are a pivotal part of Ukraine’s air defenses. Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexican, Canadian imports from Tuesday Just as vital is US intelligence assistance, which has allowed Ukraine to track Russian troop movements and select targets. Ukraine’s European allies couldn't make up for a US withdrawal of that asset if it proves to be part of the pause. “I feel betrayed, but this feeling is not really deep for some reason. I was expecting something like that from Trump's side,” said a Ukrainian soldier fighting in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a daring military incursion in August 2024 to improve its hand in negotiations. The soldier spoke by phone to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to speak freely about his thoughts as he was not authorized to speak to the press. On the frontline, where Ukraine is struggling to fend off the much larger and better-equipped Russian army, another soldier said the US decision would enable Russia to make further battlefield gains. “War is very pragmatic,” he told the AP on condition of anonymity in compliance with military regulations. “If we have weapons, enough ammunition, infantry, armored vehicles and aviation — great. If not, then we’re done,” he said. He recalled a seven-month delay in US aid that ended in April 2024 but in the meantime opened a door for the Russian capture of the strategically important city of Avdiivka. Trump halts Ukraine aid, pressures Zelenskyy for swift end to war Others said the move has left even greater confusion about Donald Trump’s intentions. “The problem is that it’s unclear what Trump wants and what the purpose of his actions is,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, Ukrainian lawmaker and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. “As of today, it appears that he is increasingly siding with Russia and trying to pressure Ukraine into accepting Russia’s demands.” “This looks terrible — forcing the weaker side to accept the terms of the stronger aggressor,” he told AP. Olena Fedorova, a 46-year-old resident of the southern port city of Odesa, said she hoped Trump’s decision would be “a temporary measure” because “we really need help.” The US-Ukraine relationship has taken a downturn in recent weeks as Trump’s team launched bilateral talks with Russia and Trump’s demeanor toward Zelenskyy has become increasingly dismissive. Trump says he wants to get traction for peace negotiations. He vowed during his campaign to settle the war in 24 hours, but in January changed that time frame and voiced hope that peace could be negotiated in six months.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Anora” creator Sean Baker won best director, best picture and two other Academy Awards at the Oscars on Sunday, bookending a dominant awards season for the American filmmaker whose stories seek to humanize sex workers and immigrants. Baker, 53, wrote, produced, directed and edited the film, and he swept in all four categories. The comedy-drama stars Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries the impetuous son of a Russian oligarch. They impulsively tie the knot on a ketamine-induced Las Vegas getaway, angering his parents, who send their bumbling henchmen after the couple to force an annulment. With his four Oscars, Baker ties Walt Disney for the most wins in a single year in Academy Awards history. “Anora” was the night’s big winner with five overall — two more than “The Brutalist.” (Unlike Disney in 1954, all Baker's wins were for a single project. Bong Joon Ho was the previous record holder for most wins for a single film, in 2017 for “Parasite.”) In addition to best director and best picture, Baker won for best original screenplay and best editing — a rarity as directors don’t typically cut their own films. He came into the night the favorite for the directing Oscar after earning the top prize from the Directors Guild of America, a win that historically all but guarantees an Oscars victory. He also took home the top awards at the Producers Guild and Independent Spirit Awards. In his best director acceptance speech, he exhorted filmmakers to keep creating projects for the big screen, bemoaning the erosion of the theatergoing experience. “In a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever,” Baker said. “It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry.” Baker told Quentin Tarantino, who presented the award, that if he hadn't cast Madison in 2019's “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood,” there would be no “Anora.” On Sunday, Madison took home the lead actress award — her first Oscar. “Thank you so much to Sean. I adore you. This is all because of you,” Madison said onstage. This year’s best director lineup featured five first-time nominees in the category for the first time in nearly three decades. All had writing credits on their respective films, demonstrating the academy’s growing preference for auteurs who can masterfully bring their own vision to life. For the Oscar, Baker beat out Brady Corbet of “The Brutalist,” James Mangold of “A Complete Unknown,” Jacques Audiard of “Emilia Pérez” and Coralie Fargeat of “The Substance.” “Anora” brings Baker’s signature style of provocative comedy from indie theaters into the mainstream, blending slapstick humor with social commentary in a way that makes lessons about marginalized groups palatable to a wider audience. He made the film on a modest budget of $6 million — an amount one producer previously joked is smaller than the catering budget of some of its competitors. He said Sunday that it was the best $6 million ever spent. Last year’s best picture winner, “Oppenheimer,” had a $100 million budget. Baker has been vocal about the difficulty of making independent films and surviving as an indie filmmaker in an industry that increasingly supports big-budget spectacles. In a rousing speech at the Independent Spirit Awards, he said indies are in danger of becoming “calling card films” — movies made only as a means to get hired for projects at major studios. Without backing for independent films, he said, some of the most creative and innovative projects might never be made. He said he hopes the success of “Anora” will increase support for indie projects. Baker has long been passionate about using his craft to help destigmatize sex work. His 2012 film “Starlet” follows a budding friendship between an adult film star and a crotchety widow who sells her a thermos full of cash at a yard sale. Baker said the connections he formed with sex workers involved in the project inspired him to feature them in several other films. He received widespread praise for “Tangerine” (2015), in which he used three iPhone 5S smartphones to tell a story about transgender sex workers in Los Angeles. In “The Florida Project” (2017), a single mother living in an Orlando motel turns to sex work to provide for her daughter. And “Red Rocket” (2021) follows a retired porn actor's journey back to his small Texas hometown. Baker and Madison weren't the only ones to pick up Oscars for “Anora” — producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan, Baker's wife, also received statues for the best picture win.