Italian coast guard finds 19 migrants dead and rescues 58 from dinghy off Lampedusa

ROME (AP) — Nineteen people were found dead and 58 rescued alive by the Italian coast guard, which intercepted a dinghy filled with migrants that was in distress about 80 nautical miles from the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Tuesday night.

The Italian coast guard operated in the Libyan search and rescue area amid rough weather conditions, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

"We were the only one able to intervene, as there were no other ships or rescue teams in the area. Sea conditions were pretty extreme, with waves of more than 6-7 meters (20-23 feet)," said coast guard spokesman Roberto D'Arrigo.

D'Arrigo said the migrants had probably departed from Libya and the victims likely died of hypothermia, but the cause of the deaths still need to be verified.

Advertisement

The survivors were brought to Lampedusa after a 10-hour trip and are now in the care of local health services, the coast guard said.

The tiny island of Lampedusa is the main entry point to Europe for migrantscrossing the Mediterranean Seafrom North Africa, with thousands dying during the perilous journey.

Most of the deaths have been attributed to small boats setting off from the coasts of Tunisia and Libya.

Themost recent deadly shipwreckoff Lampedusa happened in August last year, when a boat carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized in international waters, killing at least 26 people.

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Italian coast guard finds 19 migrants dead and rescues 58 from dinghy off Lampedusa

ROME (AP) — Nineteen people were found dead and 58 rescued alive by the Italian coast guard, which intercepted a dinghy f...

Read More

Easter Holiday Weekend Weather Forecast: Wet East, Chilly Midwest, Nice West

Easter week is here, and this weekend's forecast has a pronounced split in the nation's weather as a storm system tracks across the eastern half of the country.

Let's break down the forecast each day this weekend to help you plan your holiday activities.

Saturday

-Where the weather looks great: In the West from the Rockies to the West Coast, it will be sunny in most areas with temperatures near or above average, and not nearly as hot asthe recent record heat wave.

-Where you'll need a jacket: Unfortunately, rain and thunderstorms are expected Saturday from the Great Lakes to eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley. Some thunderstorms could be strong or severe with heavy rainfall, as well. In parts of the upper Midwest, snow is expected in the areas shown in blue or purple in the map below. And strong, chilly winds are expected in much of the Plains and upper Mississippi Valley behind a cold front.

Advertisement

-Where it might be okay: We can't rule out a threat of some showers in parts of the East. But in most areas, they don't seem likely enough to postpone any Easter egg hunts, but it will turn wetter on Sunday. And while it will be breezy, it will also be much warmer than average in most of the East, with 70s and 80s as far north as parts of the mid-Atlantic.

(192-hours: Further beef up your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on ourPremium Pro experience.)

Easter Sunday

-Fabulous holiday weather:Again, the West is the big winner on Sunday, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures generally warmer than average for the first Sunday in April, without the recent blistering heat.

-Rain jacket will be needed: Unfortunately, rain, perhaps with a clap of thunder, is likely in the East as a cold front slices through. It will also be quite windy with the front. Any sunrise Easter services planned outdoors in the Southeast may have to be moved indoors.

-A winter jacket needed: Sunday will be chilly and windy in the Midwest, with highs only in the 40s in the Great Lakes. Some snow showers may linger in parts of the western Great Lake snowbelts from northeast Minnesota into northern Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and western and northern Lower Michigan. Leave extra time to get to your Easter destination if traveling in these areas.

(FORECAST MAPS:Rain/Snow|Highs/Lows|Travel Planner)

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him onBluesky,X (formerly Twitter)andFacebook.

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Easter Holiday Weekend Weather Forecast: Wet East, Chilly Midwest, Nice West

Easter week is here, and this weekend's forecast has a pronounced split in the nation's weather as a storm system...

Read More

Trump isn't immune from civil claims his Jan. 6 rally speech incited riot, judge says

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trumpis not immune fromcivil claimsthat he incited a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021, a federal judgehas ruledin one of the last unresolved legal cases stemming from the riot.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Tuesday that Trump's remarks at his "Stop the Steal" rally, held on the Ellipse near the White House shortly before the siege began, "plausibly" were inciting words that are not protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

The Republican president is not shielded from liability for much of his Jan. 6 conduct, including that speech and many of his social media posts that day, according to the judge. But Mehta said Trump cannot be held liable for his official acts that day, including his Rose Garden remarks during the riot and his interactions with Justice Department officials.

"President Trump has not shown that the Speech reasonably can be understood as falling within the outer perimeter of his Presidential duties," Mehta wrote. "The content of the Ellipse Speech confirms that it is not covered by official-acts immunity."

Not the first court ruling on presidential immunity

The decision is not the court's first ruling that Trump can be held liability for the violence at the Capitol and it is unlikely to be the last given the near-certainty of an appeal. But the 79-page ruling sets the stage for a possible civil trial in the same courthouse where Trump was charged with crimes for his Jan. 6 conduct, before his 2024 electionended the prosecution.

Mehta previously refused to dismiss the claims against Trump in a February 2022 ruling that Trump was not entitled to presidential immunity from the claims brought by Democratic members of Congress and law enforcement officers who guarded the Capitol on Jan. 6. In that decision, Mehta also concluded that Trump's words during his rally speech plausibly amounted to incitement and were not protected by the First Amendment.

The case returned to Mehta after an appeals court ruling upheld his 2022 decision. He said Tuesday's ruling on immunity falls under a more "rigorous" legal standard at this later stage in the litigation.

Mehta, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, said his latest decision is not a "final pronouncement on immunity for any particular act."

Advertisement

"President Trump remains free to reassert official-acts immunity as a defense at trial. But the burden will remain his and will be subject to a higher standard of proof," the judge wrote.

Official capacity vs. office-seeker

Trump spoke to a crowd of his supporters at the rally before the mob's attack disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory over Trump. Trump closed out his speech by saying, "We fight. We fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."

Trump's lawyers arguedthat Trump's conduct on Jan. 6 meets the threshold for presidential immunity.

The plaintiffscontended that Trump cannot prove he was acting entirely in his official capacity rather than as an office-seeking private individual. They also said the Supreme Court has held that office-seeking conduct falls outside the scope of presidential immunity.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who at that time led the House Homeland Security Committee, sued Trump, Trump's personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani and members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers extremist groups over the Jan. 6 riot. Other Democratic members of Congress later joined the litigation, which was consolidated with the officers' claims.

'Victory for the rule of law'

The civil claims survived Trump's sweeping act of clemency on the first day of his second term, when he pardoned, commuted prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of all 1,500-plus criminal cases stemming from the Capitol siege. More than 100 police officers were injured while defending the Capitol from rioters.

The plaintiffs' legal team includes attorneys from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Damon Hewitt, the group's president and executive director, praised the ruling as a "monumental victory for the rule of law, affirming that no one, including the president of the United States, is above it."

"The court rightly recognizes that President Trump's actions leading to the January 6 insurrection fell outside the scope of presidential duties," Hewitt said in a statement. "This ruling is an important step toward accountability for the violent attack on the Capitol and our democracy."

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Trump isn't immune from civil claims his Jan. 6 rally speech incited riot, judge says

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trumpis not immune fromcivil claimsthat he incited a mob of his supporters to attack th...

Read More

Naomi Girma set to return home to San Jose for USWNT match against Japan

Naomi Girma is going to play at home in Northern California with the U.S. national team later this monthfor the first time since a send-off gamefor the 2023 Women's World Cup.

US Women Roster Soccer

Coach Emma Hayes announced Wednesday that Girma, who was born in San Jose and played at nearby Stanford, will be on the roster when the U.S. plays the first ofthree matches against Japanon April 11 at San Jose's Pay Pal Park.

Her last U.S. national team appearance in her hometown was in a 2-0 victory over Wales ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

"Playing for the national team in the Bay always just feels like kind of surreal, and seeing a lot of people who come to support me, who were there when I was playing club soccer, just playing for fun, and being like, 'Wow, I can't believe that we're all here and we've made it this far.' So it always is really special for me," Girma said.

Girma's Stanford teammate Sophia Wilson was named to her first roster in 15 months after taking last year off for the birth of her daughter. Defender Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL last season, will also return.

"I think it's a great test for us," Girma said about Japan. "They're a great side, just won the Asian Cup. And I think they're very organized in their defense, but then also in their attack and they bring something different to a lot of other opponents that we play. So I think it's always a good test for us to measure ourselves against them."

Girma plays professionally in England for Chelsea. She joined the Women's Super League clubin early 2025 on a $1.1 million transferfrom the San Diego Wave. This past weekend the defender scored her first WSL goal in a 4-3 victory over Aston Villa to move the Blues in to second in the standings behind Manchester City.

She made her debut for the national team in 2022. She has appeared in 52 games with the United States and played on the squad that won thegold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Advertisement

Wilson was left off the U.S. roster for the recent SheBelieves Cup as she worked her way back from maternity leave with her club team, the Portland Thorns. Wilson has played in 58 games for the national team, scoring 24 goals, including three at the Olympics in France.

After the match in San Jose, the series against Japan will move to Seattle's Lumen Field on April 14. The final game is set for April 17 at Dick's Sporting Good's Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

The roster by position with club affiliation:

Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United).

Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Angel City), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave).

Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes).

Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns).

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Naomi Girma set to return home to San Jose for USWNT match against Japan

Naomi Girma is going to play at home in Northern California with the U.S. national team later this monthfor the first tim...

Read More

Umpire C.B. Bucknor in spotlight again over blatant missed call

Three days afterhaving six of his calls overturnedby MLB's newAutomated Balls and Strikes system, umpire C.B. Bucknor was in the spotlight once again Tuesday night.

Serving as the first-base umpire in Milwaukee for the Brewers' March 31 game against theTampa Bay Rays, Bucknor had one of the most blatant blown calls you'll ever see overturned by replay, leading to similar amused reactions in both dugouts.

The play occurred in the sixth inning with Milwaukee leading 4-2 and first baseman Jake Bauers at the plate. Bauers' line drive went off the glove of Rays second baseman Ben Williamson, who then threw wildly to first base.

The Rays retrieved the ball and tagged Bauers, whom Bucknor called out for failing to touch first base.

Advertisement

As the television announcers pointed out, Bucknor didn't even seem to be looking at Bauers' foot as he clearly stepped on the first base bag.

It didn't take long for replay to overturn the call.

Bauers ended up stealing second base and coming around to score on Brandon Lockridge's RBI double asthe Brewers went on to a 6-2 win.

What the new MLB ABS system looked like in action

"I don't know what happened,"Bauers told reporters after the game, avoiding repeated opportunities to comment any further. "I'm just thankful to get on base and thankful to come around and score."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:C.B. Bucknor has blatant missed call reversed in Brewers-Rays game

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Umpire C.B. Bucknor in spotlight again over blatant missed call

Three days afterhaving six of his calls overturnedby MLB's newAutomated Balls and Strikes system, umpire C.B. Buck...

Read More

Nevada lithium mine clears major hurdle despite conservationists' worries for rare wildflower

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge in Nevada has ruled against conservationists who wanted to stop a lithium-boron mine they said would harm anendangered wildflower.

The ruling marks a major legal victory for the 11-square-mile (28.49 square-kilometer) Rhyolite Ridge Lithium/Boron Mine Project in Esmeralda County, located between Reno and Las Vegas. The land holds the largest lithium and boron deposit in the world outside of Turkey, said Bernard Rowe, managing director of Ioneer, the Australia-based company behind the project.

U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva ruled Friday that the federal government properly approved the project and sufficiently examined the impacts the project will have on the rare wildflower called Tiehm's buckwheat, whose entire population grows within 10 acres (4.05 hectares) of land in the project area. Environmental groups behind the lawsuit say they may appeal.

Lithium is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries. Rhyolite Ridge would beNevada's third lithium mine, and one of few mines that will process the materials on site, Rowe said.

"Rhyolite Ridge will create hundreds of new American jobs, reduce reliance on foreign materials and processing, and provide a domestic source of two critical minerals," Chad Yeftich, vice president of corporate development and external affairs at Ioneer, said in a statement.

Growing US manufacturing

Ioneer wants construction to start by the end of this year and production in 2029, though it is still looking for a financial partner after a major investor pulled out last year. Sibanye Stillwater said the project did not make financial sense. In January 2025, the Department of Energy finalized a nearly $1 billion loan for the project.

The $2 billion mine would have a life span of over 77 years and would produce enough lithium carbonate for around 400,000 electric vehicles per year, Rowe said. It will also produce boric acid, which is used in pest control, flame retardant, and medical and personal care.

Advertisement

Rhyolite Ridge wasfirst approved under the Biden administrationas an part of the former president's clean energy agenda. The Trump administration has alsosupported lithium projects in Nevadaas a way to bolster US manufacturing of critical minerals. The Interior Department declined to comment.

Protecting the wildflower

The Center for Biological Diversity, which haslong fought to protectthe wildflower and successfully pushed for its endangered species designation in 2022, is not finished in its fight, Great Basin Director Patrick Donnelly said.

His organization is considering appealing the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the case could have implications for other species and protected habitats on the Endangered Species Act.

"This can seem like a little remote flower in the middle of nowhere. But if we lose on Tiehm's buckwheat, you know, what else are we facing with the whittling away of the Endangered Species Act?" Donnelly said.

Tiehm's buckwheat is a wildflower a couple inches tall that grows in an area the size of seven football fields in the Silver Peak Range. In the spring, the plant produces green leaves and yellow flowers that look like pom-poms. When it blooms, it is the epicenter of a vibrant pollinator community, Donnelly said.

Silva, a Biden-nominated judge, found Ioneer's mitigation efforts, which include fencing around the habitat and buffer zones between the mining activities and the buckwheat, were sufficient for the purposes of the Endangered Species Act. Silva wrote that of the buckwheat's 1.4 square mile (3.63 square kilometers) of critical habitat, it will lose 4.9% due to the project.

Donnelly maintains the mining project will increase the risk of the wildflower going extinct, which would affect the ecosystem's biodiversity. He cast doubt that fencing around the flower's habitat will protect it.

"There's been this kind of death by a thousand cuts for Tiehm's buckwheat," Donnelly said, adding that if it were to move forward, it would be the "death blow" for the wildflower.

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Nevada lithium mine clears major hurdle despite conservationists' worries for rare wildflower

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge in Nevada has ruled against conservationists who wanted to stop a lithium-boron mine the...

Read More

Appeals court suspends order for Voice of America employees to return to work

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panelagreed Tuesdayto suspend a federal judge's order for the Trump administration to bring hundreds of Voice of America employees back to work from paid leave.

The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay pending the government's appeal of the lower court'sMarch 17 ruling. More than 1,000 employees of Voice of America will remain on administrative leave while the appeals court weighs the case, a process that could take months.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered President Donald Trump's administration to restore the government-run Voice of America's operations after it had effectively been shut down a year ago. Lamberth was nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan.

The case is assigned to Circuit Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Robert Wilkins and Gregory Katsas.

Advertisement

Henderson was nominated by Republican President George H.W. Bush. Wilkins was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama. Katsas was nominated by Trump, a Republican.

Voice of America has broadcast news reports to countries around the world since its formation during World War II. Before Trump's executive order, it had operated in 49 different languages, broadcasting to 362 million people.

Voice of America has been operating with a skeleton staff since Trump issued an executive order to shut it down.

Lamberth also has ruled that Kari Lake, Trump's choice to lead Voice of America, did not have the legal authority to do what she had done at the agency.

byAdministrator

in

April 01, 2026

Appeals court suspends order for Voice of America employees to return to work

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panelagreed Tuesdayto suspend a federal judge's order for the Trump administration...

Read More