News - Friday, February 21, 2025

If someone had asked attorney Brittany Thomas Faith what she thought the U.S. needed in order to achieve meaningful immigration reform in 2015, she would have said a Republican president.

“George (H.W.) Bush was a compassionate conservative,” Faith says. “He fought hard for immigration reform and recognized the role of immigration in our history. I would have said we needed someone like him.”

The Chattanooga Bar Association presented its yearly awards during its 127th annual meeting, held Feb. 12 at The Westin Chattanooga. The recipients included the Hon. Tom Greenholtz of the Court of Criminal Appeals, who received the Ralph H. Kelley Humanitarian Award; Mark Litchford of Litchford, Pearce & Associates, who receivedthe President’s Award; Alan Cates of Husch Blackwell, who received the Jac Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award; Chancery Court Clerk and Master Robin Miller, who received the Albert L. Hodge Volunteer Award; Art Brock of Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams, who received the Harry Weill Zealous Practice of Law Award; and Claire Tuley of Husch Blackwell, who received the Young Lawyers Division Volunteer Award.

February is Black History Month. We take the opportunity to celebrate the life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American on the United States Supreme Court.

Associate Justice Marshall’s remarkable career was defined by his unwavering commitment to civil rights, equality and the principles of justice.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel shareholder John Jackson is the firm’s new litigation and risk management practice group section chair, while shareholder Andy Leffler is the new section chair for the firm’s real estate practice group.

John Jackson

Jackson takes over as litigation and risk management chair after most recently serving on Chambliss’ executive committee. He follows Steve Barham, who previously served as section chair and is now serving as Chambliss’ president and managing shareholder.

The real estate market is showing strong momentum as we move further into 2025. Nationally, existing-home sales have continued their upward trend for the third consecutive month, with notable increases in higher-priced home purchases.

Locally, Chattanooga’s housing market remains active, with a rise in new listings, pending sales and inventory creating more opportunities for both buyers and sellers.

Members of the Tennessee Aquarium’s board of trustees have selected Andrew Wood as president and CEO beginning March 31. Wood succeeds Keith Sanford, who retired at the end of 2024 after nine years of leadership at the nonprofit institution.

The city of Chattanooga has begun construction on a new business resource center, an initiative funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. With a budget of $1.8 million, the center will serve as a resource for local entrepreneurs.

The Business Resource Center will be located in the old Kelley Building at 332 East Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Con Nooga 2025, scheduled for the Chattanooga Convention Center Feb. 21-23, will feature cosplay contests, more than 400 hours of programming and a gaming arena with tournaments and free-play options. Schedule: www.connooga.com. Download the Apple or Android app

On March 8, we observe International Women’s Day. Although this event celebrates women’s achievements, it’s still true that women, especially caregivers, face significant financial hurdles. How can these challenges be met?

To begin with, let’s look at some concerning statistics connected to American women in the “sandwich generation” – those who care for children and parents or other relatives – from a study by Edward Jones and research firms NEXT360 and Morning Consult:

Maybe legislators have introduced fewer half-baked proposals this session than in their previous few gatherings. I say this with some regret since half-baked government proposals have kept me in the writing business for years.

Granted, as mentioned in last week’s column, anytime you pull off a giant $450 million con like school vouchers you’ve scored a major half-baked victory. But when it comes to tomfoolery, the General Assembly motto has long been “Too much is not enough.”

Bipartisanship is still possible in a Tennessee Legislature in which one party enjoys a supermajority, lawmakers say. Also paradoxically, a supermajority can’t always do everything it wants, a political scientist from another supermajority state says.

Knoxville won’t be hosting any 2026 FIFA World Cups games, yet the city will still play a vital role in making the event happen.

FIFA is working with the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University to develop field turf for all 16 host sites for the World Cup, which will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

What’s the biggest misunderstanding in the modern workplace? It’s that HR is your friend.

You’ve probably heard the rumors. HR is there to help you. If you’re having a problem with a co-worker or your boss, you should call HR. They’ll sort it out for you. They’re there to help the little guy. HR will stick up for you.

The 2025 Ford Explorer and 2025 Honda Pilot are midsize SUVs with three rows of seating, available all-wheel drive and cabins peppered with storage cubbies. In other words, they’re both highly practical means of running errands, coping with a commute or tackling long road trips.

NEW YORK (AP) — In a James Bond shakeup that stirred the film industry, Amazon MGM announced Thursday that the studio has taken the creative reins of the 007 franchise after decades of family control. Longtime Bond custodians Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they would be stepping back.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee voted Thursday to advance Linda McMahon's nomination to serve as President Donald Trump's education secretary, bringing her closer to leading an agency the Republican president wants to shut down.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate was set to vote Thursday on whether to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director, a decision that could place him atop the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency despite concerns from Democrats over his qualifications and the prospect that he would do President Donald Trump's bidding.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's new attorney general filed a federal court lawsuit against Target on Thursday, claiming the discount store chain "misled investors" by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that prompted a backlash and hurt sales, ultimately costing shareholders.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A month into President Donald Trump 's second term, lawyers for the Republican administration seem intent on provoking a legal fight to overturn a 90-year-old Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey's Executor that has been critical to the development of the modern U.S. government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hoping to head off a potential trade conflict, a top European Union official stressed the importance of active engagement and fairness in trade during a four-hour meeting with Trump administration officials.

"The top objective as it was presented to us yesterday by our American partners is reciprocity," Maroš Šefcovic, the European commissioner for trade and economic security, told reporters at a Thursday briefing.

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart delivered another year of strong sales and profits as its competitive prices became a strong magnet for inflation-weary shoppers. Yet uncertainty about the state of the American consumer and the potential impact of tariffs have seeped into expectations for 2025.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official said Thursday that President Donald Trump's increasingly tough criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy reflects the administration's growing frustration with what they see as the Ukrainian leader creating roadblocks to finding an endgame to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump's bidding and go after the Republican president's adversaries.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers scored a career-high 30 points shooting 11 for 13 and grabbed 14 rebounds and 16th-ranked Oklahoma beat Vanderbilt 101-81 on Thursday night for the Sooners' fourth straight win.

Payton Verhulst and reserve Zya Vann scored 16 points each for the Sooners (20-6, 8-5 Big 12), who shot 52.2% (36 for 69).

WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court on Friday dealt a severe blow to Holocaust survivors and their families in a long-running lawsuit seeking compensation from Hungary for property confiscated during World War II.

The justices threw out an appeals court ruling that had allowed the lawsuit to continue despite a federal law that generally shields sovereign nations like Hungary from suits in U.S. courts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A pair of court orders have had only limited effect in slowing the Trump administration's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and have left some USAID workers stationed worldwide in precarious situations, staffers assert.

WASHINGTON (AP) — People left waiting for months on their unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic in Alabama must be able to sue the state over the delay, the U.S. Supreme Court said Friday.

The 5-4 ruling comes after the Alabama Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit from 21 people. Some waited for months for a decision on whether they qualified for benefits, while others never got a decision or saw benefits suddenly stop without explanation, according to court documents. One man's claim was dismissed after he missed an administrative deadline because he was on a ventilator, they said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has kept withholding foreign aid despite a court order and must at least temporarily restore the funding to programs worldwide, a federal judge said Thursday.

Judge Amir H. Ali declined a request by nonprofit groups doing business with the U.S. Agency for International Development to find Trump administration officials in contempt of his order, however.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday refused to immediately block the Trump administration's abrupt halt to funding of the nation's largest private refugee resettlement program in a setback to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Judge Trevor McFadden denied the bishops' request for a temporary restraining order that would have restored the funding, but called his ruling "very tentative."

NEW YORK (AP) — A Florida woman backed by wealthy advisers who created a company to make it easier for college students to apply for financial aid went on trial Thursday on criminal charges that she defrauded JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a $175 million buyout deal.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to pay 8.1 million Brazilian reais ($1.4 million) in fines for failing to comply with judicial orders, according to a judicial ruling.

The ruling, signed on Wednesday and made public by the court on Thursday, said the social media platform refused to provide registration data for a profile attributed to Allan dos Santos, an ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro accused of spreading falsehoods.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Washington has allowed President Donald Trump's mass firings of federal workers to move forward.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided Thursday he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block the layoffs. He found that their complaint amounted to an employment dispute and must follow a different process outlined in federal employment law.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is throwing out protections that shielded roughly half a million Haitians from deportation, meaning they would lose their work permits and could be eligible to be removed from the country by August.

The decision, announced Thursday, is part of a sweeping effort by the Trump administration to make good on campaign promises to carry out mass deportations and specifically to scale back the use of the Temporary Protected Status designation, which was widely expanded under the Biden administration to cover about 1 million immigrants.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in January as rising mortgage rates and prices put off many would-be homebuyers despite a wider selection of properties on the market.

Sales fell 4.9% last month from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Friday.

ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball games — at least in its current form — will conclude at the end of the 2025 season.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro informed baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday morning that the network was opting out of the final three years of its contract, two people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because because they weren't authorized to discuss financial matters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was obvious to Christine Smith Olsey that her son was not doing well at school, despite educators telling her to leave it to the experts. The second-grade student stumbled over words, and other kids teased him so much he started to call himself "an idiot."

WASHINGTON (AP) — An idea first proposed on social media has bubbled up to the White House and received President Donald Trump's enthusiastic endorsement: Take some of the savings from billionaire Elon Musk's drive to cut government spending and return it to taxpayers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators pushed a $340 billion budget framework to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the Trump administration says it needs for mass deportations and border security that top their agenda.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The budget resolution from Republicans was on the agenda in the Senate, but the late-night debate encompassed so much more.

Democrats used the overnight session that ended early Friday morning as a platform for their outrage over what President Donald Trump has wrought during his first month in office and their warnings of what is still to come.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The layoffs of roughly 7,000 IRS probationary workers beginning this week likely mean the end of the agency's plan to go after high-wealth tax dodgers and could spell disaster for revenue collections, experts say.

The majority of employees shown the door at the federal tax collector are newly hired workers focused on compliance, which includes ensuring that taxpayers are abiding by the tax code and paying delinquent debts, among other duties.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials have asked the Trump administration to exclude their country from U.S. plans to impose aggressive tariffs on trade partners, emphasizing that Seoul is already applying low duties on American products under the free trade agreement between the two nations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is visiting troops along the U.S.-Mexico border Friday to assess the military's progress in fortifying sections of the wall, coming as the Pentagon rapidly expands its border mission in line with President Donald Trump's efforts to combat illegal immigration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The wealth of Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity heart surgeon nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has swelled in part from for-profit health care companies over which he'd wield significant power if confirmed, according to a newly filed government ethics report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump marked Black History Month at the White House on Thursday by making an appearance at a celebratory reception with a surprise guest, golf legend Tiger Woods, while calling out other athletes in attendance and marveling at the size of the crowd.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska canceled two nonconference games against Tennessee as part of a plan to recoup lost revenue from reduced seating capacity during major renovations of Memorial Stadium in 2027, athletic director Troy Dannen announced Friday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio was arrested Friday near the U.S. Capitol on a charge that he assaulted a woman protesting a gathering attended by Tarrio and others who received presidential pardons for crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in the nation's capital.

A lawsuit filed by 17 states challenging federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions may proceed, a federal appeals court ruled.

The Eighth Circuit Court's decision on Thursday reverses Eastern District of Arkansas U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.'s dismissal of the case in June after he found that the states lacked standing to sue. Eighth Circuit Chief Judge Steven M. Colloton, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush in 2003, wrote in Thursday's opinion that the states do have standing since they are subject to the federal rules.

NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York City and leading authorities on a five-day manhunt is scheduled to be in court Friday for the first time since his December arraignment on state murder and terror charges.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top official in charge of carrying out President Donald Trump's mass deportations agenda has been reassigned amid concerns that the deportation effort isn't moving fast enough.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Friday that Caleb Vitello, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was "no longer in an administrative role, but is instead overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of the President and Secretary (Kristi) Noem."

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nico Daws made 29 saves to record his first NHL shutout as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Nashville Predators 5-0 on Sunday night.

Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist, Ondrej Palat, Seamus Casey, Stefan Noesen and Tomas Tatar also scored for the Devils, winners of two of three. Nico Hischier had three assists and Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had two.

NASHVILLE (AP) — MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 24 points as sixth-ranked South Carolina beat the Vanderbilt women 82-54 Sunday for the Gamecocks' second straight win.

South Carolina (25-3, 13-1 Southeastern Conference) improved to 23-21 all-time, winning its 17th straight in this series dating back to Vanderbilt's last win Jan. 27, 2011, in Columbia, South Carolina.

NEW YORK (AP) — Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She was 88.

She died at home surrounded by her family, publicist Elaine Schock said in a statement. Flack announced in 2022 she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and could no longer sing,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk violated the law with his weekend demand that federal employees explain their accomplishments or risk being fired, attorneys for the workers said Monday in a lawsuit.

The updated lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in California and was provided to The Associated Press, is trying to block mass layoffs pursued by Musk and President Donald Trump, including any connected to the email distributed by the Office of Personnel Management on Saturday. The office, which functions as a human resources agency for the federal government, said employees needed to detail five things they did last week by the end of day on Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a pair of cases from abortion opponents who say laws limiting anti-abortion demonstrations near clinics violate their First Amendment rights.

The majority did not explain their reasoning for turning down the appeals, as is typical, but two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, disagreed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Manhattan criminal defense attorneys was so concerned about prosecutor Emil Bove's professionalism that they banded together to send an email to his bosses.

One lawyer complained in the 2018 email that Bove was "completely reckless and out of control" in how he handled his cases. Another, upset about Bove's rudeness and power plays, said he needed "adult supervision." A third, a top federal public defender in the city, said "he cannot be bothered to treat lesser mortals with respect or empathy."

Supplies of high-demand obesity treatments are improving, but that doesn't mean it's easier to get them.

Many employers and insurers are scaling back coverage of Wegovy and Zepbound and a key government program, Medicare, doesn't cover the drugs for obesity. Meanwhile, some big employers are adding coverage, but their commitment isn't guaranteed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Monday imposed sanctions on dozens of people and oil tankers across China, the United Arab Emirates, India and other jurisdictions for allegedly helping to finance Iran and its support for militant groups that launch attacks against the U.S. and its allies.

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk's cost-cutting team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that oversees Tesla and has launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his company's cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has cut a "modest" amount of positions, according to a statement from the agency. Musk has accused NHTSA of holding back progress on self-driving technology with its investigations and recalls.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett is viewed as one of the world's greatest investors, so his annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders are always read closely for lessons.

Buffett no longer ventures much into politics or current events in his letters, so he won't offend anyone who might take it out on his many companies that include well-known ones like Geico insurance, Dairy Queen and Helzberg jewelry.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Key U.S. agencies, including the FBI, State Department and the Pentagon, have instructed their employees not to comply with cost-cutting chief Elon Musk's latest demand that federal workers explain what they accomplished last week — or risk losing their job.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Confusion and chaos loom as hundreds of thousands of federal employees begin their workweek on Monday facing a deadline from President Donald Trump's cost-cutting chief, Elon Musk, to explain their recent accomplishments or risk losing their jobs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration moved its fast-paced dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development toward what appeared to be its final phases, telling all but a fraction of staffers worldwide that they were on leave as of Monday and notifying at least 1,600 of the U.S.-based staffers they were being fired.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from January's devastating wildfires, which he said could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House for talks on Monday at a moment of deep uncertainty about the future of transatlantic relations, with Trump transforming American foreign policy and effectively tuning out European leadership as he looks to quickly end Russia's war in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dan Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who has penned best-selling books, ran unsuccessfully for office and gained fame as a conservative pundit with TV shows and a popular podcast, has been chosen to serve as FBI deputy director.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's real-time confrontation with Maine's governor over transgender athletes captured the conundrum many Democratic governors are facing in the Republican's second term.

Gov. Janet Mills' vow that she would see Trump in court over his threat to withhold money from the state if it didn't comply with his executive order delighted Democrats who want more strident pushback. But the dust-up that played out in the open Friday as Trump hosted governors at the White House ticked off a president known to retaliate against people he considers enemies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barely a week after mass firings at the Food and Drug Administration, some probationary staffers received unexpected news over the weekend: The government wants them back.

Beginning Friday night, FDA employees overseeing medical devices and other key areas received calls and emails notifying them that their recent terminations had been "rescinded effective immediately," according to messages viewed by The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge was hearing arguments Monday afternoon in The Associated Press' lawsuit against three staff members of President Donald Trump, whose administration has barred the news agency from presidential events.

The AP is appearing in federal court in Washington over its emergency motion to undo the administration's move to shut its journalists out of the Oval Office, Air Force One and other areas where the outlet has long operated as part of the White House press pool.

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC's veteran Lester Holt will step down as anchor of the network's flagship "Nightly News" broadcast.

Holt, who has been been the face of "Nightly News" for a decade, will remain at NBC. In a note to staff Monday, he said he would be expanding his work on NBC's "Dateline," taking on a full-time role.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fabric and crafts retailer Joann Inc., which has been a destination for generations of quilters, knitters and lovers of crafts projects for 80 years, is going out of business and shuttering all its stores.

NEW YORK (AP) — The ubiquitous food delivery app DoorDash will pay almost $17 million to settle claims that it unfairly used customer tips to subsidize the wages of its delivery workers in New York, rather than letting drivers keep the tips on top of their guaranteed pay, Attorney General Letitia James said Monday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Apple announced Monday that it plans to invest more than $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, including plans to hire 20,000 people and build a new server factory in Texas.

The move comes just days after President Donald Trump said Apple CEO Tim Cook promised him that the tech giant's manufacturing would shift from Mexico to the U.S. Trump noted the company was doing so to avoid paying tariffs. That pledge, coupled with Monday's investment commitment, came as Trump continues to threaten to impose tariffs that could drive up the cost of iPhones made in China.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservatives from across the country filled a ballroom a few blocks from the White House and lamented that the United States is abandoning the ideals that forged a great nation. Some attendees donned red hats with various inscriptions mocking President Donald Trump and his "Make America Great Again" movement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As they mustered support for their confirmations by the U.S. Senate, some of President Donald Trump's appointees made statements from which they've already distanced themselves upon taking office.

From the leadership of the FBI to vaccine schedules and Russia sanctions, here's a look at some of those promises and the subsequent action in their own words.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump voiced support for Elon Musk's demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday or risk getting fired, an edict that has spawned new litigation and added to turmoil within the government workforce.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — In a win for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, the United States on Monday failed to get the U.N. General Assembly to approve its resolution urging an end to the war without mentioning Moscow's aggression. And the assembly approved a dueling European-backed Ukrainian resolution demanding Russia immediately withdraw from Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he was hopeful that Russia's war in Ukraine was nearing an endgame as he met on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of the invasion.

Trump, in broad-ranging comments on the state of the conflict, said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine to keep the peace. He also expressed hope that the conflict could end within weeks and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon come to the U.S. to sign a deal to give the U.S. access to Ukraine's critical minerals to help repay some of the $180 billion in American aid that's been sent to Kyiv since the start of the war.

The biggest games of the week in men's college basketball reside in the Southeastern Conference.

Seems to be a recurring theme this season.

It make sense given the league that was once synonymous solely with football has four of the nation's top six teams in the AP Top 25, led for the seventh consecutive week by No. 1 Auburn. And that the league's eight total teams in the rankings are nearly double any other conference; the Big 12 is next with three in the top 10 and five total in the poll.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator has reported to federal prison after he pleaded guilty in 2022 to an illegal campaign finance scheme, then tried and failed to take back his plea.

Brian Kelsey is now an inmate at FCI Ashland in Kentucky, according to a federal Bureau of Prisons database. The Republican was ordered to arrive at the prison's minimum security satellite camp Monday for a 21-month sentence.

MEMPHIS (AP) — A Missouri woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge accusing her of concocting a brazen plot to defraud Elvis Presley's family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday refused to immediately order the White House to restore The Associated Press' access to presidential events, saying the news organization had not demonstrated it had suffered any irreparable harm. But he urged the Trump administration to reconsider its two-week-old ban, saying that case law "is uniformly unhelpful to the White House."

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, will remain in prison after losing a bid Monday to overturn her fraud conviction, with a federal appeals court saying she hadn't proved there were legal missteps during her trial for defrauding investors with false claims of what her blood-testing startup could achieve.

Bill Conway didn't start out wanting to make a big impact on the nursing profession.

In 2011, the financier announced he would give away $1 billion to create jobs for the poor and asked the public to send him ideas. In came around 2,500 suggestions. Most were sob stories, but some people had good ideas, he says, and several suggested backing bachelor's degree nursing programs.

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota announced plans to restructure its board on Tuesday in what it described as an attempt to bring in more diverse views and give a larger roles to auditors.

Among six appointments is Christopher Reynolds, now an executive in the automaker's North American operations. As a lawyer, and son of a Ford worker, he brings experience in human resources and risk management, according to Toyota.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence plummeted in February, the biggest monthly decline in more than four years, a business research group said Tuesday, with inflation seemingly stuck and a trade war under President Donald Trump seen by a growing number of Americans as inevitable.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that his tariffs on Canada and Mexico are starting next month, ending a monthlong suspension on the planned import taxes that could potentially hurt economic growth and worsen inflation.

"We're on time with the tariffs, and it seems like that's moving along very rapidly," the U.S. president said at a White House news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners felt more uncertain about the future in January, as they continue to deal with labor challenges and lingering inflation.

According to a monthly poll of small business owners from the National Federation of Independent Business, the uncertainty index in January rose 14 points to 100 – the third highest recorded reading, after two months of decline. The NFIB said small business owners are feeling less confident about investing in their business due to uncertain business conditions in the coming months.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to "dismantle critical public services."

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson will try against the odds to muscle a Republican budget blueprint to passage this week, a step toward delivering President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over stiff opposition from Democrats — and even some Republicans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that he was replacing the top lawyers for the military services because he didn't think they were "well-suited" to provide recommendations when lawful orders are given.

Speaking at the start of a meeting with Saudi Arabia's defense minister, Hegseth refused to answer a question about why the Trump administration has selected a retired general to be the next Joint Chiefs chairman, when he doesn't meet the legal qualifications for the job.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Tuesday to continue blocking President Donald Trump's administration from freezing grants and loans potentially totaling trillions of dollars.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction requested by groups representing thousands of nonprofits and small businesses. It's the first such order since the Trump administration announced a sweeping pause on federal aid, stirring up a wave of confusion and anxiety across the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday gave the Trump administration less than two days to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid, saying the administration had given no sign of complying with his nearly two-week-old court order to ease its funding freeze.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Tuesday that people who win early rulings in civil rights cases won't necessarily be able to recover their legal fees, a finding that both conservative and liberal groups had argued could make it harder to fight for people's rights in court.

The White House said Tuesday that its officials "will decide" which news outlets can regularly cover President Donald Trump up close — a sharp break from a century of tradition in which a pool of independently chosen news organizations go where the chief executive does and hold him accountable on behalf of regular Americans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with the company's chief executive for protesting contracts to provide artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military.

The protest on Monday came after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed last week that sophisticated AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during the recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The story also contained details of an errant Israeli airstrike in 2023 that struck a vehicle carrying members of a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.

WASHINGTON (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Washington seeking to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to stand by Europe's side in his talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine. As Macron left the White House, he called the meeting a "turning point" — yet Trump made no promises.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The turmoil that enveloped the federal workforce over the last few days is unlikely to cease anytime soon as the U.S. government's human resources agency considers how to fulfill Elon Musk 's demands.

The Office of Personnel Management told agency leaders Monday that their employees did not have to comply with a Musk-inspired edict for workers to report their recent accomplishments or risk getting fired. But later that evening, OPM sent out another memo suggesting that there could be similar requests going forward — and workers might be sanctioned for noncompliance.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Against the odds, House Speaker Mike Johnson is trying Tuesday to muscle a Republican budget blueprint to passage, a step toward delivering President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over stiff opposition from Democrats — and even some Republicans.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes knows each time she drops the ball in the basket it will bring more attention.

That's what happens when someone scores 53 points, then sets the NCAA freshman single-game scoring record with 55 just 17 days later.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Zakai Zeigler scored 17 points, Felix Okpara added 15 and No. 5 Tennessee defeated LSU 65-59 on Tuesday night.

Chaz Lanier added 14 points and a season-high nine rebounds for the Volunteers (23-5, 10-5 Southeastern Conference), who struggled offensively in the first half but built a 15-point lead on Cade Phillips' free throw with 3:24 left.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new federal lawsuit in Maryland is challenging a Trump administration memo giving the nation's schools and universities two weeks to eliminate "race-based" practices of any kind or risk losing their federal money.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the American Federation of Teachers union and the American Sociological Association, says the Education Department's Feb. 14 memo violates the First and Fifth Amendments. Forcing schools to teach only the views supported by the federal government amounts to a violation of free speech, the organizations say, and the directive is so vague that schools don't know what practices cross the line.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered the suspension of any security clearances held by lawyers at a prominent Washington law firm who provided legal services to special counsel Jack Smith, the latest move in the Republican's campaign of retribution over the criminal investigations that dogged him before he returned to office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans who identify as Christian has declined steadily for years, but that drop shows signs of slowing, according to a new survey Wednesday from the Pew Research Center.

The Religious Landscape Study finds 62% of U.S. adults call themselves Christians. While a significant dip from 2007, when 78% of Americans identified as Christian, Pew found the Christian share of the population has remained relatively stable since 2019.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 3.2 million Social Security recipients who received pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public service jobs will soon see a boost in their benefits. Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, and new monthly payments will begin in April, the agency says.

LONDON (AP) — British energy company BP confirmed Wednesday that it would slash spending on green ventures and increase its oil and gas production, a change in direction that it hopes will bolster its flagging share price but has been met with incredulity from climate action campaigners.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says it's critical that the nation be out in front when it comes to artificial intelligence, and that means having reliable and affordable sources of electricity to meet the growing demands of the technology sector.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A satellite company owned by Elon Musk has the inside track to potentially take over a large federal contract to modernize the nation's air traffic communications system.

Equipment from Musk's Starlink has been installed in Federal Aviation Administration facilities as a prelude to a takeover of a $2 billion contract held by Verizon, according to government employees, contractors and people familiar with the work.

NEW YORK (AP) — Shortly after becoming Wired's global editorial director in 2023, Katie Drummond acted on an early-morning idea. With a presidential election coming, the tech-focused news outlet needed a team to report on technology's intersection with politics.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts overwhelmingly approved a six-year contract Tuesday, averting the threat of a strike that could have crippled the economy.

The yes vote was expected after the leadership of the International Longshoremen's Association union reached a tentative contract agreement in January with the U.S. Maritime Alliance of ports and shipping companies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday directed the government to consider possible tariffs on copper, the latest move by the White House to tax a wide array of imports and reshape global trade.

"It will have a big impact," said Trump before signing the executive order to study copper imports.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agencies must develop plans to eliminate employee positions, according to a memo distributed by President Donald Trump 's administration that sets in motion what could become a sweeping realignment of American government.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The framework of an economic deal with the United States is ready, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, but it does not yet offer U.S. security guarantees that Kyiv views as vital for its war against the Russian invasion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a push from President Donald Trump, House Republicans sent a GOP budget blueprint to passage Tuesday, a step toward delivering his "big, beautiful bill" with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts despite a wall of opposition from Democrats and discomfort among Republicans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A freshman Democratic congressman is introducing a bill to protect the jobs of veterans working for the U.S. government amid mass firings by the Trump administration, the latest legislative response to the turmoil rippling across federal agencies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump moves to overhaul the federal government with astonishing speed, he has wreaked havoc on one agency long known for its nonpartisanship and revered for its mission: the National Archives and Records Administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is creating a registry for all people who are in the United States illegally, and those who don't self-report could face fines or prosecution, immigration officials announced Tuesday.

Everyone who is in the U.S. illegally must register, give fingerprints and provide an address, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. It cited a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act — the complex immigration law — as justification for the registration process, which would apply to anyone 14 and older.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday criticized the Justice Department's evolving position that a presidential pardon for a Kentucky man who stormed the Capitol also covers his conviction for illegally possessing guns at his home.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich pressed a prosecutor to explain why the department abandoned its initial conclusion that Daniel Edwin Wilson must report back to prison because it didn't believe that his pardon for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot extended to his firearms convictions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to side with an Ohio woman who claims she suffered sex discrimination from her employer because she is straight.

The outcome of the case could remove an additional requirement that some courts apply when members of a majority group, including those who are white and heterosexual, sue for discrimination under federal law.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Agriculture Department predicts the current record prices for eggs could soar more than 40% in 2025, as the Trump administration offered the first new details Wednesday about its plan to battle bird flu and ease the cost of eggs.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon on Wednesday unveiled a generative-AI infused Alexa that it says will allow the popular voice assistant to have more personality, check a user's tone and even plan romantic dates.

But unlike before, when Alexa was offered for free on any Alexa-enabled devices, customers will have to pay Amazon a monthly fee of $19.99 for the revamped voice assistant, which it calls "Alexa+". However, the generative-AI powered Alexa will be free for Prime members, who pay the company a monthly or annual fee for free delivery and other perks.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Workplace communications platform Slack experienced an outage Wednesday morning as thousands of users reported they were unable to use the service.

The tech company, based in San Francisco, said it was investigating reports of trouble connecting or loading Slack. On an update on the company's website, Slack said it had "determined a variety of API endpoints, sending (and) receiving messages, and some threads loading" were impacted.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a potential landmark action, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has privately urged the Trump administration to reconsider a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for U.S. action against climate change.

President Donald Trump began dismantling his predecessor's climate change and renewable energy policies on his first day in office, declaring a national energy emergency to speed up fossil fuel development – a policy he has summed up as "drill, baby, drill."

WASHINGTON (AP) — A planned meeting between European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was abruptly canceled Wednesday due to "scheduling issues," coming as political tensions have increased between Europe and the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that House Republicans have passed an ambitious budget blueprint for President Donald Trump's agenda, its time for the hard work of turning ideas for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion of slashed spending into a bill that lawmakers warn could bring intense changes to Americans back home.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to start selling a "gold card" visa with a potential pathway to U.S. citizenship for $5 million, seeking to have that new initiative replace a 35-year-old visa program for investors.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House on Friday to sign a long-sought minerals deal that will closely tie the two countries together for years to come.

Trump made the announcement at the start of the first Cabinet meeting of his second term, hailing the deal as "a very big agreement."

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A preliminary economic agreement between Ukraine and the United States would ensure long-term U.S. involvement in rebuilding the country, but the deal leaves the question of security guarantees sought by Kyiv to future negotiations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Jamieson Greer, a veteran of President Donald Trump's first-term economic battles with China, Mexico and Canada, to be America's top trade negotiator.

As U.S. trade representative, Greer will work with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a billionaire financier, to oversee Trump's aggressive trade agenda. Greer's nomination cleared the Senate by a 56-43 vote on Wednesday.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Tyler Nickel scored 21 points on a career-best seven 3-pointers and Vanderbilt held on for an 86-84 upset over No. 12 Texas A&M on Wednesday night.

The Commodores (19-9, 7-8 Southeastern Conference) were ahead by seven with 12 seconds to go when Zhuric Phelps made a layup before Texas A&M got the ball back on a turnover by Tyler Tanner. Phelps then sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 86-84 with 1.5 seconds remaining.

Of all the ways to aptly describe the degree of difficulty in Vanderbilt’s frigid February basketball schedule – from challenging to demanding, from backbreaking to grueling, from exhausting to murderous – leave it to Commodores junior forward Tyler Nickel to come up with just the right word.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is abandoning cases that sought to force police and fire departments to end what the Biden administration alleged were discriminatory hiring processes, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday in the latest move by the Trump administration to end government support for efforts to increase diversity.

ASHLAND CITY (AP) — A Tennessee man has been charged with an act of terrorism after he threatened to burn down an xAI facility because he was upset with its founder, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump, authorities said.

Ethan Paul Early, 25, of Ashland City, was arrested and charged on Feb. 20 after he spoke with a police officer about the threats, according to an affidavit. He was booked into jail on $500,000 bond, court records show. A lawyer listed in court records for Early did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

LONDON (AP) — Unwanted phone calls are out of control. Whether it's a robocall trying to sell you something or spam calls from scammers trying to rip you off, it's enough to make you want to stop answering your phone. So what can you do to stop them?

ROME (AP) — The FBI has accused North Korean-linked hackers of conducting one of the largest thefts of cryptocurrency publicly known, seizing some $1.5 billion worth of ethereum from a Dubai-based firm.

The theft earlier this month targeting Bybit, one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, represents yet another involving a team of hackers identified by the U.S. government by the names TraderTraitor and the Lazarus Group.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A spike in demand for electricity from tech companies competing in the artificial intelligence race is upending forecasts for natural gas-fired power in the U.S., as utilities reconsider it as a major new power source.

That is not what many scientists and climate activists envisioned in the fight against climate change. And it is endangering progress on the greenhouse gas-reduction goals that scientists say are necessary to manage the damage from burning fossil fuels that warms the planet.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A permit issued by the United States government allowing energy giant Chevron Corp. to pump and export Venezuelan oil will be terminated this week, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, ending what became a financial lifeline for the South American country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Schools and colleges across the U.S. face a Friday deadline to end diversity programs or risk having their federal money pulled by the Trump administration, yet few are openly rushing to make changes. Many believe they're on solid legal ground, and they know it would be all but unprecedented — and extremely time-consuming — for the government to cut off funding.

NEW YORK (AP) — The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation will increase its giving over the next two years in response to what it calls a "crisis" prompted by the Trump administration's freeze on federal foreign aid and the now- suspended freeze on federal grants.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs has temporarily suspended billions of dollars in planned contract cuts following concerns that the move would hurt critical veterans' health services, lawmakers and veterans service organizations said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon revealed the specifics of its new transgender troop policy in a court filing Wednesday that says any service member or recruit who has been diagnosed with or treated for gender dysphoria is disqualified from serving — unless they can prove they meet a specific warfighting need and adhere to severe restrictions on their day-to-day behavior.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Building lethality in the military may be the buzzword for the new Trump administration, but busywork and paperwork have become the reality at the Pentagon, as service members and civilian workers are facing a broad mandate to purge all of the department's social media sites and untangle confusing personnel reduction moves.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Agriculture Department predicts record egg prices could soar more than 40% in 2025, as the Trump administration offered the first new details Wednesday about its plan to battle bird flu and ease costs.

With an emphasis on farms tightening their measures to prevent bird flu's spread, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA will invest another $1 billion on top of the roughly $2 billion it has already spent since the outbreak began in 2022.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday, in addition to doubling the 10% universal tariff charged on imports from China.

Posting on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said that illicit drugs such as fentanyl are being smuggled into the United States at "unacceptable levels" and that import taxes would force other countries to crack down on the trafficking.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The American economy grew at a solid 2.3% annual rate the last three months of 2024, supported by a burst of year-end consumer spending, the government said, leaving unchanged its initial estimate of fourth-quarter growth.

The outlook for 2025 is cloudier as President Donald Trump pursues trade wars, cutbacks in the federal workforce and mass deportations.

NEW YORK (AP) — When it comes to stock markets around the world, this year has clearly not been "America First."

The U.S. stock market has risen in 2025 and isn't far from its all-time high set last week. But it's climbed less than stock indexes in Mexico City, Paris and Hong Kong.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday pushed back hard against allegations by U.S. President Donald Trump that the 27-nation bloc was out to get the United States, and warned that it would vigorously fight any wholesale tariff of 25% on all EU products.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from Elon Musk about whether staffers at his Department of Government Efficiency have shared national security secrets over insecure communication channels.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia were joined by several other Democrats on a letter Thursday that asserts that reckless actions by Musk and Republican President Donald Trump's cost-cutting initiative present a threat to national security by exposing secrets about America's defense and intelligence agencies.

PARIS (AP) — France is also seeking access to Ukraine 's deposits of critical minerals, with negotiations already underway for months, the French defense minister said Thursday, indicating that the United States isn't the only player.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected Friday at the White House to sign a minerals deal with the United States. President Donald Trump made the announcement Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit the White House on Thursday to try to convince President Donald Trump that a lasting peace in Ukraine will endure only if Kyiv and European leaders are at the table as negotiations move forward with Moscow.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Senate unanimously confirmed Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as Air Force chief of staff in 2020, President Donald Trump hailed a "historic day for America!" on social media and said he was "Excited to work even more closely with Gen. Brown, who is a Patriot and Great Leader!"

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Agency for International Development workers who have been fired or placed on leave as part of the Trump administration's dismantling of the agency began paying mournful final visits to their abruptly closed Washington headquarters on Thursday, under the administration's 15-minute windows to clear out their offices while escorted by federal officers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said it is eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad.