News from Multiple Perspectives

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Beit Shemesh site where an Iranian missile strike killed 9 people.

Trump and Netanyahu are in this war for very different reasons. And that will soon show.

In latest statement, Trump says US was 'very nearly under threat' from Iran, drawing immediacy of attacks into question.

FILE-A FedEx cargo plane is shown on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) 2026-03-02T19:46:54Z WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to slow the process of refunding billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs the Supreme Court struck down as illegal last month. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit started the next phase in the refund process by sending it to a lower court to sort out. In a court filing Friday, Trump’s Justice Department had urged the Federal Circuit to proceed cautiously and hold off for 90 days. But the judges refused. The Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20 that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on most countries in the world were illegal, clearing the way for the importers who paid them to seek refunds. The government had collected more than $130 billion from the tariffs by mid-December, and could ultimately be on the hook for refunds worth $175 billion, according to calculations by the Penn Wharton Budget Model. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); But the Supreme Court offered no guidance on refunds; its decision did not even mention them. Now the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York will decide how the complicated refund process should proceed. “I would expect the Court of International Trade to quickly issue an order requesting a status update from the government on their plans with respect to refunds (or expedited briefing),” said trade lawyer Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official. “I expect the court to take an aggressive posture, asking the government to justify how they intend to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.” Siddartha Rao, a partner at law firm Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, said he has been getting a lot of calls from clients with questions. “We are somewhat in uncharted territory,” he said. The Trump administration has been reaching for new tariffs to replace the ones the Supreme Court struck down. One question, he said, is how the government might actually pay for these refunds. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); “Everyone is sort of cognizant of the fact that it’s not like there’s over a hundred billion dollars sitting in, you know, in a room somewhere to just cut checks,” Rao said. “So, you know, this is a Treasury problem, and it may very well be that the administration is reimposing tariffs for the reasons that it’s cited ... it’s important for strategic trade agreements and for bargaining power and all of that. But it also might be that they need to raise revenue to pay out refunds.” ____ Mae Anderson reported from New York. AP Writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington contributed to this story. MAE ANDERSON Anderson reports for The Associated Press on a wide range of issues that small businesses face. She is based in New York. twitter mailto

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer shouts towards the court during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Virginia in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) 2026-03-02T18:00:28Z Duke is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the second straight week, extending its all-time record with the program’s 149th appearance in the top spot. The Blue Devils received 55 of 59 first-place votes in Monday’s poll following lopsided wins over Notre Dame and then- No. 11 Virginia last week. No. 2 Arizona received four first-place votes after clinching a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with Saturday’s 84-61 win over No. 14 Kansas. Michigan, UConn and Florida rounded out the top five. Duke (27-2) has been dominant defensively since losing to rival North Carolina on Feb. 7, holding its last six opponents to an average of 57 points per game. The Blue Devils opened the week by handing Notre Dame its worst home loss since 1898 with a 100-56 win. Duke then turned its showdown with Virginia into another rout, crushing the Cavaliers 77-51 on Saturday to clinch the top seed for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Rising and falling No. 10 Texas Tech had the biggest jump of the week, climbing six places with wins over Cincinnati and at Iowa State last week. No. 8 Michigan State moved up five places following its 76-74 win over Purdue on Thursday and Sunday’s 13-point win over Indiana. No. 19 Miami (Ohio), Division I’s only remaining undefeated team, climbed two spots for its highest ranking since reaching No. 12 in 1952-53. No. 15 Purdue had the biggest drop of the week, losing seven places following losses to Michigan State and Ohio State . No. 12 Gonzaga lost three places following its 70-59 loss to rival Saint Mary’s. In and out Saint Mary’s win over Gonzaga not only earned the Gaels a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season, it moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 21. No. 22 Miami is ranked for the first time since 2023 following wins over Florida State and Boston College. BYU dropped out of the poll from No. 19 with three losses in four games since sharpshooting guard Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending knee injury. Louisville’s losses to North Carolina and Clemson last week knocked the Cardinals out of the poll from No. 25. Conference watch The Big 12 is tied with the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences for most ranked teams at five following BYU’s departure. The ACC is next with four teams, followed by the Big East and West Coast conferences with two each. The Mid-American Conference and Atlantic 10 each have one ranked team. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

UConn guard Blanca Quinonez (4), guarded by St. John's guard Brooke Moore (10), heads toward the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) 2026-03-02T17:01:44Z UConn heads into the postseason undefeated and still the unanimous No. 1 choice in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 . The Huskies, who have won 47 consecutive games, are 31-0 this season after routing St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. It’s the 11th time they’ve headed to the conference tournament undefeated. They received all 31 first-place votes in Monday’s poll from a national media panel. The top nine teams remained unchanged this week with UCLA, South Carolina and Texas following the Huskies. Vanderbilt and LSU were next followed by Oklahoma, Michigan and Iowa. TCU replaced Louisville in the top 10 after the Cardinals lost at Notre Dame on Sunday. North Carolina made the biggest jump, moving up five spots after knocking off Duke on Sunday. The Tar Heels have won four straight. In and out Fairfield entered the poll at No. 25 for the second time in three seasons. The Stags are 25-4 this season and tied with Quinnipiac atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings. They were ranked for three weeks in March at the end of the 2023-24 season. Alabama, which has dropped five of its last six games, fell out of the rankings. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Conference supremacy The SEC has the most teams in the Top 25 with eight. The Big Ten is next with seven. The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has three and the Ivy League, MAAC and Big East each have one. Games of the week The Power Four conferences tournaments begin with numerous potential Top 25 matchups in the Big Ten and SEC. If seedings hold, No. 5 Vanderbilt will face fourth-ranked Texas in the semifinals with a potential one-seed in the NCAA Tournament on the line. Texas was fourth and Vanderbilt fifth in the NCAA Top 16 reveal on Sunday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Lebanon's health ministry says 31 people were killed by Israeli strikes, while there are no reports of casualties in Israel.

Emmanuel Macron said eight countries could enjoy protection from France's nuclear umbrella - but that Paris would retain sole decision-making power.

The painting, created by the Dutch master in 1633, had disappeared after being sold in 1961.

As sirens sound again across Israel amid escalating Iranian attacks, the country is confronting not only a new battlefield but old psychological wounds. In a stable in central Israel, Danny, is getting some healing. On October 7, Danny (not his real name) said he was called up from home. Within days, he said, his unit was evacuating bodies from Kibbutz Kissufim under live fire. He spent six months in the war, moving between combat zones in Gaza and evacuating severely wounded soldiers. "We were shot at while evacuating the dead," he recalled. "I saw the wounded arrive in pieces. These are things I will never forget." Since coming home, he says he is constantly on edge — sensitive to noise, tense, struggling to resume normal life. Once a week, he comes to work with a large dark horse named King. "There’s something that waits for me here," he said. "It’s the one day I can relax and leave the chaos behind. There’s something waiting for me here." VIRGINIA MADSEN SAYS VETERANS AREN’T TRAINED TO COME HOME AFTER NEPHEW’S SUICIDE His story is one of many emerging from a country that is facing a mental-health crisis with many of its troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A recent Reuters report citing Israel's Defense Ministry said it has witnessed "a nearly 40% increase in PTSD cases amongst its soldiers since September 2023, and predicts the figure will increase by 180% by 2028." It also said that some 60% of all wounded troops suffer from PTSD, according to those figures. Alex, 35, is another veteran who found his way to the same stable. Standing beside a horse named Donna, he prepares for another therapy session. A victim of another one of Israel's war he was stabbed seven times during Operation Cast Lead in 2009. He says the assault altered the course of his life. "Pain you can get used to," he says. "But post-trauma — you cannot get used to." He has been coming here for two months. "With Donna I feel the quiet and peace that I can’t feel at home when I’m alone and my thoughts go elsewhere," he says. "The treatment with the horses is changing my life. Every week more and more, and I don’t want it to end. "The Transcending Trauma Project was founded by Dr. Anita Shkedi, a pioneer in therapeutic horseback riding in Israel since the 1980s. After years in the field, she came out of semi-retirement following the Oct. 7 attacks to launch the program under a new charity she created, Brothers of Jonathan. The initiative provides equine-assisted therapy to reservists, soldiers, veterans, Nova music festival survivors and family members struggling with the psychological aftermath of war. ‘SHEEPDOG’ SHINES LIGHT ON THE WAR AFTER WAR, AS VETERANS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH LIFE BACK HOME For Shkedi, the project is deeply personal. Her son, Jonathan Boyden, was mortally wounded during a rescue mission in Lebanon in 1993 and died weeks later from his injuries. For years, she said, she felt she had never fully honored his memory. "When he was alive and serving in the army, he always said to me, ‘Do something and help the injured soldiers,’" she recalled. "So I put everything together and felt this was the right thing to do — to start a charity called Brothers of Jonathan and help people in the way I know best, which is with the horse." Since launching in late 2023, the program has delivered more than a thousand therapy sessions and now operates with a growing waiting list. From the outset, Shkedi said her goal was not only treatment but prevention. "Right from the beginning, I was interested in prevention — if we can get to people early, maybe we can prevent symptoms of trauma from turning into chronic PTSD ," she said. "We need to save this generation." Many participants arrive in what she describes as "survival mode," stuck in cycles of fear, anxiety and hypervigilance. But she warns that another psychological wound is emerging alongside classic PTSD symptoms. "There will be a high level of moral injury — shame and guilt — alongside fear, anxiety and depression," Shkedi said. "When that combines with PTSD, it is very shattering for a person." MARINE-TURNED-PSYCHOLOGIST'S BRAIN BREAKTHROUGH IS HELPING VETERANS STILL FIGHTING INSIDE In the stable, she says, something shifts. "Traumatized people need a safe place. Sometimes home is not a safe place," she explained. "When they come to the horses, they attach easily. The environment becomes safe for them — and they start to feel safer inside." The therapy is structured and trauma-informed. Participants learn first to regulate themselves alongside the horse and eventually to guide and care for the animal. "We don’t get rid of trauma. Trauma has happened," Shkedi said. "Our job is to build resilience and post-traumatic growth — to help people move from co-regulation to self-regulation." For some, she said, the bond has been lifesaving. "We have had people who were struggling with suicidal thoughts. The fact that they can attach themselves to the horse has really helped them." Looking ahead, Shkedi hopes to expand. "The dream is to have a place in Israel where people can come 24/7," she said. "A place that says: you are safe here." As the war continues and more soldiers rotate home, she believes the psychological toll is only beginning to surface. "We are not just here for people to ride a horse," she said. "We are here to help them move forward."

Several Gulf states on Monday said they intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones over the past 24 hours as regional tensions escalated in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes against Tehran. Bahrain's National Communication Center said its air defenses intercepted 70 missiles and 59 drones targeting the kingdom. Qatar said it downed two Iranian Su-24 fighter aircraft and intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense reported intercepting nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 148 drones. 3 US WARPLANES SHOT DOWN BY KUWAITI AIR DEFENSES, PILOTS BAIL OUT IN FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT, CENTCOM SAYS Since the start of Iran’s retaliatory attacks , the UAE said it has detected 174 ballistic missiles launched toward the country, destroying 161 while 13 fell into the sea. Officials also said 689 Iranian drones were detected, with 645 intercepted and 44 falling within the country’s territory. On Sunday, the UAE announced it was closing its embassy in Tehran and withdrawing its ambassador and diplomatic staff in response to the strikes. Kuwait said its air defenses have intercepted and destroyed 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones since the attacks began, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency. TOMAHAWKS, B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS AND ATTACK DRONES POUND OVER 1,000 IRANIAN TARGETS IN 24-HOUR BLITZ Saudi Arabia ’s Ministry of Energy said Monday two drones were intercepted near the Ras Tanura oil refinery, with debris causing minor damage, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. In response to the large-scale attacks, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United States released a joint statement condemning Iran’s "indiscriminate and reckless" missile and drone strikes across the region. The countries said the strikes endangered civilians , damaged infrastructure and violated the sovereignty of multiple states. TRUMP SAYS US MISSION IN IRAN IS ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,’ VOWS TO ‘EASILY PREVAIL’ OVER REGIME "The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior," the statement reads in part. "We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction." Jordan’s military said it intercepted 49 Iranian projectiles on Saturday, including 13 ballistic missiles, according to the Jordanian outlet Roya News.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Monday urged Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice, citing heightened security threats across the country. In an alert, the embassy advised U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution, avoid crowds and keep a low profile amid ongoing riots and demonstrations against the United States following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It said protests, particularly near the July 14th Bridge in Baghdad, have turned violent, prompting Iraqi authorities to close the International Zone in central Baghdad with limited exceptions. The U.S. Mission in Iraq also directed all staff to shelter in place and suspended consular operations, including routine services. STATE DEPT ORDERS EVACUATION OF NON-EMERGENCY US PERSONNEL FROM EMBASSY IN BEIRUT Iraqi airspace is currently closed, officials said, and travelers were advised to contact airlines directly for updates. The State Department maintains a Level 4 " Do Not Travel " advisory for Iraq, urging Americans not to travel to the country for any reason and advising those already there to review personal security plans and consider departing when conditions allow. TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND' AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN " Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue to pose a significant threat to public safety," the U.S. embassy said in a post on X. "Reports of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue." The U.S. military presence in Iraq has shifted in recent years, with Iraqi officials announcing in January the formal handover of Al-Asad Air Base from U.S. forces to Iraqi control. US JOINS ISRAEL IN PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ON IRAN AS TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS’ The country's defense ministry described the move as part of a broader transition toward long-term security cooperation with the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Spain and other countries, focused on training and advisory support. Iraqi officials said international coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw from their headquarters in Erbil by the end of September 2026 under agreed-upon timelines.

It was the first report in this conflict of Iran attempting to attack its Persian Gulf neighbors with warplanes. The incident indicates a sharp escalation in tensions between Iran and Qatar.

Smoke billows from at least four military ships that have burned for more than 24 hours, according to images released on Monday.

The militant group’s attacks, apparently at the behest of Iran, led to retaliation from Israel and were “practically a suicide mission” for Hezbollah, an analyst said.

ProPublica has sued the U.S. Department of Education in federal court in New York, accusing it of withholding public records about how it’s enforcing civil rights protections for millions of American students. The Education Department has failed to provide public records related to its investigations, communications and other work that ProPublica sought through four Freedom of Information Act requests filed last year. The Education Department’s civil rights arm for decades has investigated allegations of discrimination in schools. It historically has kept an online list of its open investigations and posted the findings of completed inquiries. But under Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, the Office for Civil Rights has been decimated and the work of its remaining investigators is largely cloaked in secrecy. ProPublica submitted three FOIA requests — the first of them more than a year ago — seeking records about civil rights investigations that have been opened or closed, notices sent to institutions being investigated and previous findings of discrimination that have been reversed under the Trump administration. A fourth request sought communication between top Education Department officials and conservative groups that have criticized public schools. Some of the groups have urged the OCR to investigate specific school districts and have met often with McMahon. The department has not responded to the requests other than to acknowledge that it received them. “Actions by the Department of Education have real consequences for millions of students and families,” said Alexandra Perloff-Giles of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, which is representing ProPublica. “The public deserves to understand how executive authority is being exercised so that it can hold government accountable,” she said. “Congress enacted FOIA to offer the public that necessary transparency, and we’re asking the court to enforce it.” Spokespeople for the department did not respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit. The department has not yet responded to the complaint in court. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, argues that since Trump took office, the work of the OCR — once one of the federal government’s largest enforcers of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — has become significantly more opaque. Though each presidential administration has its priorities, OCR has consistently worked to uphold constitutional rights against discrimination based on disability, race and gender. But the focus of the OCR under Trump has shifted to investigations relating to curbing antisemitism, ending participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports and combating alleged discrimination against white students. Complaints about transgender students playing sports and using girls’ bathrooms at school have been fast-tracked while cases of racial harassment of Black students last year were ignored. And although some documents that detail how cases were resolved are being posted online, some older resolution agreements have been terminated . Those terminations have not been disclosed to the public. “The public interest in this information is substantial and ongoing. Since there are approximately 49.6 million students in the U.S., changes to the ED and its policies affect millions of families,” the lawsuit says. Trump has been working to shutter the department. Hundreds of department workers have been laid off and official employee counts at the OCR went from 568 in 2024 to 403 as of December 2025. McMahon closed seven of the 12 regional OCR offices that handled discrimination complaints across the country. Amid the staffing difficulties and the shift in priorities at the OCR, families’ discrimination complaints have piled up. When President Joe Biden left office, about 12,000 investigations were open; by December 2025, there were nearly 24,000. ProPublica reporting has found that new complaints as well as older ones included in the backlog often are dismissed without investigation. OCR workers have said they feel as if they’re working in a “dismissal factory.” In the past year, ProPublica has filed several other lawsuits seeking to force transparency in courts and the federal government. That includes a lawsuit filed in May against the State Department. ProPublica also has joined other media organizations in lawsuits. Help Us Report on How the Department of Education Is Handling Civil Rights Cases Have you recently filed a civil rights complaint or do you have a pending case? We need your help to get a full picture of how the dismantling of the Office for Civil Rights is affecting students, parents, school employees and their communities. Share Your Experience The post ProPublica Sues Education Department for Withholding Records About Discrimination in Schools appeared first on ProPublica .

Local emergency managers, the behind-the-scenes coordinators who mobilize help during disasters, have raised the same point time and again: We need adequate resources to protect people in harm’s way — before the harm arrives.  In some notable cases, resources didn’t come soon enough. It wasn’t until after Hurricane Helene devastated Yancey County, North Carolina, in 2024 that commissioners there hired additional emergency management staff, which the former emergency manager said he’d requested for years. City officials in St. Louis, Missouri, were in the process of upgrading their faulty outdoor warning system when a tornado killed four people and injured dozens of others in May 2025.  We wanted to know more about the cracks in the systems meant to keep communities safe when disasters strike. To do that, we reached out to dozens of emergency management agencies and wound up hearing from more than 40 current and former emergency managers in 11 states. They described common concerns.  Some said their agencies have been saddled with an ever-growing list of responsibilities. In Saluda County, South Carolina, the emergency management director said his team of six is responsible for everything from the county’s IT department to a spay and neuter program. In San Bernardino County, California, the emergency manager said that she has had to help respond to new challenges like a lithium battery fire and, at a previous agency, was tasked with responding to busloads of immigrants arriving from other states. Funding for additional staff was the most pressing issue they cited. One North Carolina emergency management director said an internal study from about three years ago recommended their agency have more than 20 staffers, but they still only have 10. Across the country, more than half of the 1,689 local emergency management agencies that responded to Argonne National Laboratory’s July 2025 emergency management survey have either one or no permanent full-time employees, and a “notable percentage” of local emergency managers who responded are volunteers. Get Involved We know disasters are a matter of where and when, not if. And our reporting team at ProPublica wants to be prepared well in advance. If you are a local or state emergency manager, sign up to be a part of our long-term source network to help fuel ProPublica’s investigative journalism. Get Involved Given the wide-ranging responsibilities and increasing risk due to climate change, part-time or volunteer emergency management positions shouldn’t exist, said Samantha Montano, an emergency management associate professor and researcher at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.  “To expect somebody to understand how to mitigate cyber risks and also recover from a tornado, I mean, these are different skill sets,” Montano said. “So to think that one person is going to be capable of doing all of those things, especially working part time or as a volunteer, is ludicrous.”  Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s administration has caused delays in emergency management funding to state and local agencies and issued an executive order to shift more of the weight of disaster preparedness to state and local governments.  Kelly McKinney, the vice president of emergency management at NYU Langone Health and a former deputy commissioner at the New York City Emergency Management office, said that over the years states have become “overly dependent” on funding administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But there is no clear plan for alternative funding streams, according to McKinney. “This crisis-management system in the United States is itself in crisis,” he said. “There’s Only So Much You Can Do”  Several emergency managers we heard from said one of the only times they’re able to draw attention to their agency’s needs is in the aftermath of a wide-scale disaster. Wike Graham, the emergency management director for the Charlotte-Mecklenberg area of North Carolina, said the first question the media typically asks following such a disaster is: “Did emergency management do what they were supposed to do?” According to Graham, that’s almost always the wrong question. He instead asks: “Did you properly fund emergency management staff? And did you provide them with the resources that they need? Did you make emergency management a priority for your community?”  Unlike firefighters, EMTs or law enforcement, emergency managers face a “public identity issue” that can result in agencies receiving smaller budgets, Montano said.  Several emergency managers told ProPublica that because people in their field operate mostly behind the scenes or as part of larger departments, they often find themselves competing for funding with better-recognized agencies, and they say elected officials frequently don’t have a clear understanding of their role. Some said it’s simply difficult to get people to care about a disaster that hasn’t happened yet. Several others told ProPublica they are also seeing an uptick in the frequency and intensity of disasters, which makes it difficult to manage recovery (which can take years) while preparing for the next storm or fire. In St. Louis, for example, emergency management commissioner Sarah Russell was still in the midst of managing recovery efforts from 2022 flash flooding when the 2025 tornado hit. Josh Morton, president of the International Association of Emergency Managers USA Council and emergency management director for Saluda County in South Carolina, says local emergency management is “where the rubber meets the road,” but local governments are often “the most limited when it comes to resources.” Donaven Doughty for ProPublica At the Saluda County emergency management office where Morton works, a memorial, first image, honors the two volunteer firefighters who lost their lives while responding to Hurricane Helene. Donaven Doughty for ProPublica During the St. Louis tornado, the sirens — which the city was in the early process of upgrading — weren’t activated, in part due to a miscommunication between Russell and a fire alarm dispatcher, according to an external investigation commissioned by the city. Russell, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, told ProPublica that the fire department was responsible for sounding the sirens.  But even if the activation button had been pressed, more than a third of the sirens weren’t working, and a later test showed that the button at the fire alarm office wasn’t either.  Russell was terminated in August 2025, in part due to their management of the tornado response, according to their termination letter. But Russell, who is appealing the termination, said the incident highlights the need to proactively invest in emergency management.  Russell had made several requests for additional staff who specialize in emergency management to help with core responsibilities, like updating the city’s outdated plan for responding to emergencies. “There’s always things that you would do different with hindsight,” Russell said. “But there’s only so much you can do with so little resources and support.” St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, who had been in office for a month at the time of the tornado and who was an alderwoman for the decade prior, told ProPublica that she was aware of the agency’s requests for additional funding, but that most city departments make such requests. After the tragedy, the city fully automated the tornado sirens and issued an executive order declaring that the fire department would have primary authority over the sirens, replacing an unclear protocol.  A city spokesperson said the new emergency management commissioner has “implemented several improvements” to the emergency operations plan.  “Recognizing that budget restraints are unfortunately the reality across many aspects of government,” Spencer said via email, “I’m incredibly proud of the improvements this team has been able to implement with almost no additional funding.” “This Isn’t a Quick Fix” Strained budgets for local emergency management agencies aren’t a new issue. But in recent months, federal funding has become uncertain.  In April 2025, the Trump administration cut federal grants that pay for local disaster-preparedness projects — but a judge later halted the administration’s efforts to shutter the grant program. In May 2025, federal officials delayed grants that help fund local and state emergency managers’ salaries .  In December, the FEMA Review Council, which Trump created to advise on ways to reform the agency, was expected to vote on a long-awaited report that would outline the agency’s future. But after a draft was leaked to CNN , the meeting was abruptly canceled. The work of the review council has been extended until late March.  Several emergency managers told ProPublica they would welcome change at FEMA. But many voiced concerns about the federal government shuttering grant programs — which fund salaries, upgrades to equipment and disaster-mitigation efforts — or drastically reducing reimbursement for local agencies responding to large-scale disasters without alternative funding in place. They said such actions would be detrimental, especially in small, rural regions with limited local budgets.  In North Carolina, one emergency manager said that without federal emergency management performance grants, which can be used to pay 50% of an emergency manager’s salary, “we are looking at the loss of preparedness and response capabilities.” Another called the grant “vital” to daily operations.  FEMA did not respond to requests for comment.  Claire Connolly Knox, who directs the University of Central Florida’s master’s program for emergency and crisis management, has been studying what a “decentralized FEMA” could mean for state agencies. She said it could take several legislative cycles before states are prepared to fill in the gaps that changes to FEMA might create. Many states, Knox said, are not closely tracking spending across multiple departments and multiple phases of emergency management, meaning “we don’t know the true cost” of mitigating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters.  “When you start breaking that down,” Knox said. “You start seeing that this isn’t a quick fix.” The post What Emergency Managers Say They Need More Than Ever appeared first on ProPublica .

We know disasters are a matter of where and when, not if. And just like you, our reporting team at ProPublica wants to be prepared well in advance. If you are a local, state or federal emergency manager, former emergency manager, emergency management researcher, or a part of the broader network of disaster response and recovery partners, we want to hear your concerns. Dozens of current and former emergency managers working everywhere from large cities to rural counties have already told us about the growing challenges they face amid more frequent disasters and uncertain federal funding . Now we need your help to build a comprehensive picture of the real conditions across the country. What resources do you need to feel prepared for the next gray-sky day? How have or will changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency impact the work you’re doing? How are alerts and warning systems working in your region? Have you been hit by multiple large-scale disasters in recent years? What new hazards are on your radar? We know that emergency managers are critically important but aren’t often thought about until after tragedy strikes. We are building this source network to fuel in-depth coverage of the nation’s emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery infrastructure that goes far beyond breaking news and brings attention to important issues across the country. As with all ProPublica journalism, our goal is impact . Fill out the brief form below to tell us what we should be covering, or to stay in touch as changes unfold. You may hear from our team as we report on major overhauls to the emergency management system, develop emergency preparedness guides or provide crucial information to communities that have just experienced their worst day. The post Emergency Managers: Help ProPublica Prepare to Report on the Next Disaster appeared first on ProPublica .

President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time as he invited eight European countries to take part in exercises with French deterrent forces. Announcing a new doctrine of “forward deterrence”, Macron said the plans involving partners including Germany, Britain and Poland would “complicate the calculations of our adversaries”. “We must strengthen our nuclear deterrent in the face of multiple threats, and we must...

A federal appeal court on Monday rejected US President Donald Trump’s push to delay legal proceedings linked to refunds of his tariffs, allowing the battle to proceed in a lower court. The Supreme Court last month delivered a stinging rebuke of Trump’s signature economic policy by striking down many of his global tariffs, opening the door to a complicated legal fight as companies sue for their money back. The tariffs ruled illegal by the high court had generated more than US$130 billion for the...

The simmering war in the Middle East fractured Europe on Monday, as allies clashed, tempers flared and the shock waves from the US and Israeli bombing of Iran threatened to reverberate through the continent. The crisis exposed a familiar European fault line: while leaders insist they are the last guardians of the rules-based international order, they remain split over how to respond when allies bend or break those rules. With oil price spikes threatening to compound the European economic...

PM says on 7.30 that the late Iranian leader should not be mourned. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese does not believe the US government will request military assistance from Australia in its conflict against Iran, noting Australia is “a long way” from the Middle East. In an interview with ABC’s 7.30 last night, the prime minister said the US had not requested military assistance and he did not expect they would in the coming days and weeks. It’s a long way from Australia, and Australia is not – we are not big players in the Middle East. Continue reading...

French president says Paris could deploy nuclear capable fighter jet to countries such as Germany and Poland France will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades and significantly intensify nuclear weapons cooperation with eight European allies including the UK as part of a “major” strengthening of its deterrence doctrine, Emmanuel Macron has said. Amid growing concern among European leaders about wavering US commitments to help defend the continent, the French president said on Monday that Paris could deploy nuclear-capable Rafale fighter jets to partner countries such as Germany and Poland. Continue reading...

Billionaire Paramount Skydance chief announces plan days after winning takeover battle for Warner Bros Discovery Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Paramount Skydance plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service, chief executive David Ellison announced during a call with investors, days after the company said it would acquire HBO parent company Warner Brothers Discovery. The deal would allow major HBO Max titles, such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Succession, to sit alongside Paramount offerings including Yellowstone and Survivor. Ellison said combining the two platforms would give the company over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers. Continue reading...