DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicle business has lost $3 billion before taxes during the past two years and will lose a similar amount this year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-motor-co-michigan-detroit-business-e75de5b389687e7a3bbc248e83e23ac0">as the company invests heavily</a>&nbsp;in the new technology.

The figures were released Thursday as Ford rolled out a new way of reporting financial results. The new business structure separates electric vehicles, the profitable internal combustion and commercial vehicle operations into three operating units.

Company officials said the electric vehicle unit, called “Ford Model e,” will be profitable before taxes by late 2026 with an 8% pretax profit margin. But they wouldn't say exactly when it's expected to start making money.

Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said Model e should be viewed as a startup company within Ford.

“As everyone knows, EV startups lose money while they invest in capability, develop knowledge, build (sales) volume and gain (market) share,” he said.

Model e, he said, is working on second- and even third-generation electric vehicles. It currently offers three EVs for sale in the U.S.:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-detroit-business-taxes-29362a3adb2611e3360e16b3ff3021fa">the Mustang Mach E SUV</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-environment-and-nature-michigan-ed809bb0f237e4d3be7974936416f91e">F-150 Lightning pickup</a>&nbsp;and an electric Transit commercial van.

The new corporate reporting system, Lawler said, is designed to give investors more transparency than the old system of reporting results by geographic regions. The automaker calculated earnings for each of the three units during the past two calendar years.

Model e had pretax losses of $900 million in 2021 and $2.1 billion last year, and it is expected to lose $3 billion this year. In the past two years Ford has announced it would build four new battery factories and a new vehicle assembly plant as well as spending heavily to acquire raw materials to build electric vehicles.

By the end of this year, the company based in Dearborn, Michigan, expects to be building electric vehicles at a rate of 600,000 per year, reaching a rate of 2 million per year by the end of 2026.

Last year, the pretax profit margin for Model e was minus 40%, Lawler said. To get to a positive 8% by the end of 2026, the company expects economies of scale — spreading costs over more vehicles sold— to be worth 20 points of the improvement. Design and engineering improvements will bring 15 points, battery cost reductions 10 points and 3 points will come from other areas including federal tax incentives and raw material price reductions.

Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan calculated that Ford would need $15,000 in cost savings to get to an 8% profit margin. He asked what gives Ford confidence it can reach that number. “It just seems like quite a big number,” he said.

Lawler replied that Ford is looking at a whole new way of designing vehicles, focusing on energy efficiency, including aerodynamics. “Every decision is about optimizing energy efficiency so that we can get the smallest battery possible to hit the range target that we have for that vehicle,” he said.

Ford also will simplify its manufacturing process, maximizing common parts in next generation of EVs, saving over the current generation of repurposed internal combustion vehicle underpinnings. “There is a significant amount of opportunity in there to identify efficiencies and drive those home,” he said.

Ford Blue, the unit that sells internal combustion and gas-electric hybrid vehicles, made just over $10 billion before taxes during the last two years. Ford Pro, the commercial vehicle unit, made $5.9 billion during those years, the company said.

For this year, Ford expects Ford Blue to post a $7 billion pretax profit, modestly better than last year. Ford Pro is expected to earn $6 billion before taxes, nearly double its earnings last year, Lawler said.

Ford was to present the new structure, announced last March, to analysts and investors on Thursday. Other business units include corporate, Ford Credit and Ford Next, a new business incubator. Shares of Ford rose 1.7% in Thursday midday trading.

Lawler said the company is changing the way it does business, not just doing an accounting exercise.

“After 120 years, we've essentially re-founded Ford,” he said. “We're embracing technology and competitive disruption in our industry, fundamentally changing how we're thinking, how we're making decisions, and how we're running the company.”

DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicle business has lost $3 billion before taxes during the past two years and will lose a similar amount this year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-motor-co-michigan-detroit-business-e75de5b389687e7a3bbc248e83e23ac0">as the company invests heavily</a>&nbsp;in the new technology.The figures were released Thursday as Ford rolled out a new way of reporting financial results. The new business structure separates electric vehicles, the profitable internal combustion and commercial vehicle operations into three operating units.Company officials said the electric vehicle unit, called “Ford Model e,” will be profitable before taxes by late 2026 with an 8% pretax profit margin. But they wouldn't say exactly when it's expected to start making money.Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said Model e should be viewed as a startup company within Ford.“As everyone knows, EV startups lose money while they invest in capability, develop knowledge, build (sales) volume and gain (market) share,” he said.Model e, he said, is working on second- and even third-generation electric vehicles. It currently offers three EVs for sale in the U.S.:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-detroit-business-taxes-29362a3adb2611e3360e16b3ff3021fa">the Mustang Mach E SUV</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-environment-and-nature-michigan-ed809bb0f237e4d3be7974936416f91e">F-150 Lightning pickup</a>&nbsp;and an electric Transit commercial van.The new corporate reporting system, Lawler said, is designed to give investors more transparency than the old system of reporting results by geographic regions. The automaker calculated earnings for each of the three units during the past two calendar years.Model e had pretax losses of $900 million in 2021 and $2.1 billion last year, and it is expected to lose $3 billion this year. In the past two years Ford has announced it would build four new battery factories and a new vehicle assembly plant as well as spending heavily to acquire raw materials to build electric vehicles.By the end of this year, the company based in Dearborn, Michigan, expects to be building electric vehicles at a rate of 600,000 per year, reaching a rate of 2 million per year by the end of 2026.Last year, the pretax profit margin for Model e was minus 40%, Lawler said. To get to a positive 8% by the end of 2026, the company expects economies of scale — spreading costs over more vehicles sold— to be worth 20 points of the improvement. Design and engineering improvements will bring 15 points, battery cost reductions 10 points and 3 points will come from other areas including federal tax incentives and raw material price reductions.Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan calculated that Ford would need $15,000 in cost savings to get to an 8% profit margin. He asked what gives Ford confidence it can reach that number. “It just seems like quite a big number,” he said.Lawler replied that Ford is looking at a whole new way of designing vehicles, focusing on energy efficiency, including aerodynamics. “Every decision is about optimizing energy efficiency so that we can get the smallest battery possible to hit the range target that we have for that vehicle,” he said.Ford also will simplify its manufacturing process, maximizing common parts in next generation of EVs, saving over the current generation of repurposed internal combustion vehicle underpinnings. “There is a significant amount of opportunity in there to identify efficiencies and drive those home,” he said.Ford Blue, the unit that sells internal combustion and gas-electric hybrid vehicles, made just over $10 billion before taxes during the last two years. Ford Pro, the commercial vehicle unit, made $5.9 billion during those years, the company said.For this year, Ford expects Ford Blue to post a $7 billion pretax profit, modestly better than last year. Ford Pro is expected to earn $6 billion before taxes, nearly double its earnings last year, Lawler said.Ford was to present the new structure, announced last March, to analysts and investors on Thursday. Other business units include corporate, Ford Credit and Ford Next, a new business incubator. Shares of Ford rose 1.7% in Thursday midday trading.Lawler said the company is changing the way it does business, not just doing an accounting exercise.“After 120 years, we've essentially re-founded Ford,” he said. “We're embracing technology and competitive disruption in our industry, fundamentally changing how we're thinking, how we're making decisions, and how we're running the company.”

Ford losing billions on electric vehicle business

United States Catholic bishops have issued guidelines that seek to stop Catholic hospitals from providing gender transition care, a move LGBTQ advocates say could harm the physical and emotional health of transgender people within the church.

<a href="https://www.usccb.org/resources/Doctrinal%20Note%202023-03-20.pdf">Click here to read</a> the guidelines

The 14-page doctrinal note, titled “Moral Limits to the Technological Manipulation of the Human Body,” sets forth guidelines for changing a person’s sex, specifically with youth. The document, issued Monday, says Catholic hospitals “must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex, or take part in the development of such procedures.”

Transgender Catholics&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-united-states-gender-identity-marquette-e88473adf85944f912511fc85d542d29">have received a mixed response</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. church. Some have found acceptance in specific parishes and rejection in certain dioceses, including those that bar church personnel from using trans people’s preferred gender pronouns. The bishops’ latest guidance to Catholic medical centers could prevent trans people from getting the health care they need, said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for greater LGBTQ acceptance in the church.

Catholic hospitals make up a sizeable portion of the U.S. health care system and in some communities they are the only option. The Catholic Health Association, which comprises more than 600 hospitals and 1,400 long-term care and other health facilities in the United States, says more than one in seven U.S. hospital patients is cared for in a Catholic facility.

“These decisions are being made at a much higher level without knowing the individuals and individual cases involved,” DeBernardo said. “When transgender people are not permitted or restricted from transitioning in ways they feel are appropriate, it could end in depression, anxiety or even self harm, including suicide.”

The bishops’ guidelines “will not change much” when it comes to caring for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals, said the Rev. Charlie Bouchard, CHA’s senior director of theology and sponsorship. Transgender people will continue to always be accepted in Catholic hospitals and treated with dignity and respect, but might not receive all of the gender-affirming care they request because of the church's theological and moral teachings, he said.

“As we look at the document from the bishops, what we are mindful of is that we have a history of caring for the marginalized, and we see transgender people very much as a marginalized group,” he said.

Catholic hospitals see transgender patients with a variety of health care needs from broken bones to cancer treatment and heart attacks, Bouchard said, adding that the hospitals would not perform cosmetic procedures such as reconstructive surgeries, hysterectomies, or treatments such as sterilizations on request, unless there is a medical need for them.

He said Catholic hospitals are also training staff to be respectful of transgender patients: “When a patient checks in, we ask staff to be respectful in how they ask questions. We want to affirm transgender individuals as persons and provide them with spiritual care and psychological counseling.”

Bouchard said Catholic hospitals will “base health care on science and continue to follow the science when it comes to transgender people.”

“But we don’t treat ideology,” he said. “We treat patients who are really suffering. There are things out there about gender fluidity that we do not agree with. But as Catholic hospitals, we are held to the same standard of care as other hospitals.”

DeBernardo disagreed, saying the bishops’ doctrinal guidelines cause harm rather than heal people by not paying heed to science.

“The bishops’ unwillingness to counter any of the evidence from the scientific community or the experience of transgender people is neither good theology nor acceptable pastoral care,” he said.

DeBernardo said he sees hope with many more Catholics in the pews showing greater understanding of transgender people's lives. He noted cases where Catholic parents are supporting their transgender children against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/des-moines-gender-b67a28db1a2b04a3622cfcec649afade">restrictive policies in Catholic schools</a>, including barring puberty blockers and preferred pronouns on campuses and in parishes.

Christine Zuba, a transgender woman who lives in New Jersey, said she feels accepted at her local parish, but is upset that the national church “continues to deny our existence and our need for health care.” Zuba said she was disappointed to see that transgender people were not even mentioned in the 14-page document.

“In my parish, I feel accepted unconditionally for who I am,” she said. “But that is missing in our hierarchy. There is no willingness to engage with us and understand our lives.”

Zuba said she is happy to see more engagement and interaction in some dioceses. In Davenport, Iowa, Bishop Thomas Zinkula formed a Gender Committee calling Catholics to “listen to the people in the margins,” calling ministering to LGBTQ people – particularly trans people – as “a life issue.” In a column published in the Catholic Messenger, Zinkula said he has been haunted by the story of a transgender youth who attempted suicide after being denied Communion.

“This type of thing should never happen again,” he wrote.

Zuba said she would like to see that type of commitment to listen and learn in the upper echelons of the church.

“All we ask is listen to us as a group and as individuals,” she said. “Open your hearts and try to understand.”

By DEEPA BHARATH, Associated PressUnited States Catholic bishops have issued guidelines that seek to stop Catholic hospitals from providing gender transition care, a move LGBTQ advocates say could harm the physical and emotional health of transgender people within the church.<a href="https://www.usccb.org/resources/Doctrinal%20Note%202023-03-20.pdf">Click here to read</a> the guidelinesThe 14-page doctrinal note, titled “Moral Limits to the Technological Manipulation of the Human Body,” sets forth guidelines for changing a person’s sex, specifically with youth. The document, issued Monday, says Catholic hospitals “must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex, or take part in the development of such procedures.”Transgender Catholics&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-united-states-gender-identity-marquette-e88473adf85944f912511fc85d542d29">have received a mixed response</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. church. Some have found acceptance in specific parishes and rejection in certain dioceses, including those that bar church personnel from using trans people’s preferred gender pronouns. The bishops’ latest guidance to Catholic medical centers could prevent trans people from getting the health care they need, said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for greater LGBTQ acceptance in the church.Catholic hospitals make up a sizeable portion of the U.S. health care system and in some communities they are the only option. The Catholic Health Association, which comprises more than 600 hospitals and 1,400 long-term care and other health facilities in the United States, says more than one in seven U.S. hospital patients is cared for in a Catholic facility.“These decisions are being made at a much higher level without knowing the individuals and individual cases involved,” DeBernardo said. “When transgender people are not permitted or restricted from transitioning in ways they feel are appropriate, it could end in depression, anxiety or even self harm, including suicide.”The bishops’ guidelines “will not change much” when it comes to caring for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals, said the Rev. Charlie Bouchard, CHA’s senior director of theology and sponsorship. Transgender people will continue to always be accepted in Catholic hospitals and treated with dignity and respect, but might not receive all of the gender-affirming care they request because of the church's theological and moral teachings, he said.“As we look at the document from the bishops, what we are mindful of is that we have a history of caring for the marginalized, and we see transgender people very much as a marginalized group,” he said.Catholic hospitals see transgender patients with a variety of health care needs from broken bones to cancer treatment and heart attacks, Bouchard said, adding that the hospitals would not perform cosmetic procedures such as reconstructive surgeries, hysterectomies, or treatments such as sterilizations on request, unless there is a medical need for them.He said Catholic hospitals are also training staff to be respectful of transgender patients: “When a patient checks in, we ask staff to be respectful in how they ask questions. We want to affirm transgender individuals as persons and provide them with spiritual care and psychological counseling.”Bouchard said Catholic hospitals will “base health care on science and continue to follow the science when it comes to transgender people.”“But we don’t treat ideology,” he said. “We treat patients who are really suffering. There are things out there about gender fluidity that we do not agree with. But as Catholic hospitals, we are held to the same standard of care as other hospitals.”DeBernardo disagreed, saying the bishops’ doctrinal guidelines cause harm rather than heal people by not paying heed to science.“The bishops’ unwillingness to counter any of the evidence from the scientific community or the experience of transgender people is neither good theology nor acceptable pastoral care,” he said.DeBernardo said he sees hope with many more Catholics in the pews showing greater understanding of transgender people's lives. He noted cases where Catholic parents are supporting their transgender children against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/des-moines-gender-b67a28db1a2b04a3622cfcec649afade">restrictive policies in Catholic schools</a>, including barring puberty blockers and preferred pronouns on campuses and in parishes.Christine Zuba, a transgender woman who lives in New Jersey, said she feels accepted at her local parish, but is upset that the national church “continues to deny our existence and our need for health care.” Zuba said she was disappointed to see that transgender people were not even mentioned in the 14-page document.“In my parish, I feel accepted unconditionally for who I am,” she said. “But that is missing in our hierarchy. There is no willingness to engage with us and understand our lives.”Zuba said she is happy to see more engagement and interaction in some dioceses. In Davenport, Iowa, Bishop Thomas Zinkula formed a Gender Committee calling Catholics to “listen to the people in the margins,” calling ministering to LGBTQ people – particularly trans people – as “a life issue.” In a column published in the Catholic Messenger, Zinkula said he has been haunted by the story of a transgender youth who attempted suicide after being denied Communion.“This type of thing should never happen again,” he wrote.Zuba said she would like to see that type of commitment to listen and learn in the upper echelons of the church.“All we ask is listen to us as a group and as individuals,” she said. “Open your hearts and try to understand.”

U.S. Catholic bishops: New guidelines to limit trans health care

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.

Putin said the move was triggered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/depleted-uranium-ukraine-russia-tanks-a92a4784dfcbd1ff221813154b7f3a8e">Britain’s decision</a>&nbsp;this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.

Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia plans to maintain control over those it sends to Belarus, and construction of storage facilities for them will be completed by July 1, Putin said.

He didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by tactical aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.

Putin argued that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the United States, noting that the U.S. has nuclear weapons based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

“We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the launch platforms and training their crews,” Putin said, speaking in an interview on state television that aired Saturday night. “We are going to do the same thing.”

Russia has stored its tactical nuclear weapons at dedicated depots on its territory, and moving part of the arsenal to a storage facility in Belarus would up the ante in the Ukrainian conflict by placing them closer to the Russian aircraft and missiles already stationed there.

Some hawkish commentators in Russia long have urged the Kremlin to put the tactical nuclear weapons close to the weapons to send a signal to the West about the readiness to use them.

The U.S. said it would “monitor the implications” of Putin's announcement.

“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. "We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance.”

Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine had Soviet nuclear weapons stationed on their territory but handed them over to Russia after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Putin said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long asked to have nuclear weapons in his country again as a counter to NATO. Belarus shares borders with three NATO members — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — and Russia used its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-hit-kyiv-2a8d03f70dc20eab9a8c150df8c04b37">territory as a staging ground</a>&nbsp;to send troops into neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Putin noted that Russia helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-hit-kyiv-2a8d03f70dc20eab9a8c150df8c04b37">modernize Belarusian military aircraft</a>&nbsp;last year to make them capable of carrying nuclear warheads. He said 10 such planes were ready to go. He said nuclear weapons also could be launched by the Iskander short-range missiles that Russia provided to Belarus last year.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is living in exile, said the agreement to transfer the tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus “underlines the threat to regional security” from Lukashenko's regime.

“Europe won’t be safe until Belarus dictator is removed &amp; brought before tribunal to face justice for crimes against our country &amp; Ukraine," Tsikhanouskaya wrote in English on Twitter.

Lukashenko’s support of the war has drawn international criticism and sanctions. But he has publicly stood by Russia, which has pumped billions of dollars into shoring up his Soviet-style, state-controlled economy with cheap energy and loans.

Putin had initially objected to the depleted uranium rounds that Britain promised to ship to Ukraine by making the false claim that they have nuclear components.

He subsequently toned down his language, but insisted Saturday that the ammunition posed an additional danger to both troops and civilians in Ukraine by leaving a radioactive trace and contaminating agricultural land.

“Those weapons are harmful not just for combatants, but also for the people living in those territories and for the environment,” he said.

Putin added that Russia has vast stockpiles of similar ammunition but so far has refrained from using it.

Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process needed to create nuclear weapons. The rounds can't generate a nuclear reaction but they do emit low levels of radiation. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned of the possible dangers of exposure.

Such rounds were developed by the U.S. during the Cold War to destroy Soviet tanks, including the same T-72 tanks that Ukraine now faces in its push to break through a stalemate in the east.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Russia has stored its tactical nuclear weapons at dedicated depots on its territory, and moving part of the arsenal to a storage facility in Belarus would up the ante in the Ukrainian&nbsp; photo -Russian Presidential Press Service via AP" />
 <figcaption>Russia has stored its tactical nuclear weapons at dedicated depots on its territory, and moving part of the arsenal to a storage facility in Belarus would up the ante in the Ukrainian&nbsp; photo -Russian Presidential Press Service via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.Putin said the move was triggered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/depleted-uranium-ukraine-russia-tanks-a92a4784dfcbd1ff221813154b7f3a8e">Britain’s decision</a>&nbsp;this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679781807563.png" alt="Putin didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by tactical aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.-Google map" />
 <figcaption>Putin didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by tactical aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.-Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia plans to maintain control over those it sends to Belarus, and construction of storage facilities for them will be completed by July 1, Putin said.He didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by tactical aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.Putin argued that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the United States, noting that the U.S. has nuclear weapons based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.“We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the launch platforms and training their crews,” Putin said, speaking in an interview on state television that aired Saturday night. “We are going to do the same thing.”Russia has stored its tactical nuclear weapons at dedicated depots on its territory, and moving part of the arsenal to a storage facility in Belarus would up the ante in the Ukrainian conflict by placing them closer to the Russian aircraft and missiles already stationed there.Some hawkish commentators in Russia long have urged the Kremlin to put the tactical nuclear weapons close to the weapons to send a signal to the West about the readiness to use them.The U.S. said it would “monitor the implications” of Putin's announcement.“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. "We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance.”Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine had Soviet nuclear weapons stationed on their territory but handed them over to Russia after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.Putin said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long asked to have nuclear weapons in his country again as a counter to NATO. Belarus shares borders with three NATO members — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — and Russia used its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-hit-kyiv-2a8d03f70dc20eab9a8c150df8c04b37">territory as a staging ground</a>&nbsp;to send troops into neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.Putin noted that Russia helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-hit-kyiv-2a8d03f70dc20eab9a8c150df8c04b37">modernize Belarusian military aircraft</a>&nbsp;last year to make them capable of carrying nuclear warheads. He said 10 such planes were ready to go. He said nuclear weapons also could be launched by the Iskander short-range missiles that Russia provided to Belarus last year.Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is living in exile, said the agreement to transfer the tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus “underlines the threat to regional security” from Lukashenko's regime.“Europe won’t be safe until Belarus dictator is removed &amp; brought before tribunal to face justice for crimes against our country &amp; Ukraine," Tsikhanouskaya wrote in English on Twitter.Lukashenko’s support of the war has drawn international criticism and sanctions. But he has publicly stood by Russia, which has pumped billions of dollars into shoring up his Soviet-style, state-controlled economy with cheap energy and loans.Putin had initially objected to the depleted uranium rounds that Britain promised to ship to Ukraine by making the false claim that they have nuclear components.He subsequently toned down his language, but insisted Saturday that the ammunition posed an additional danger to both troops and civilians in Ukraine by leaving a radioactive trace and contaminating agricultural land.“Those weapons are harmful not just for combatants, but also for the people living in those territories and for the environment,” he said.Putin added that Russia has vast stockpiles of similar ammunition but so far has refrained from using it.Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process needed to create nuclear weapons. The rounds can't generate a nuclear reaction but they do emit low levels of radiation. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned of the possible dangers of exposure.Such rounds were developed by the U.S. during the Cold War to destroy Soviet tanks, including the same T-72 tanks that Ukraine now faces in its push to break through a stalemate in the east.--------------

U.S. responds to Putin plan to place nuclear weapons on Ukraine border

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Following threats and attacks on public officials, state lawmakers across the U.S. have stepped up efforts to shield personal information from being publicly disclosed about judges, police, elected officeholders and various public employees.

The measures generally are winning widespread support in state capitols — adding a layer of secrecy, in the name of safety, that could make it more difficult to determine whether public officials are complying with residency laws and paying their property taxes.

The efforts to exempt more information from public disclosure come despite the fact that many governments are more transparent than ever when it comes to their meetings — making permanent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-state-legislature-coronavirus-pandemic-4d6cf5821b44cb0ce70587305d5e1175">the online streaming options</a>&nbsp;spurred as a response to coronavirus-related restrictions on public gatherings.

That's led to a split assessment of government openness during Sunshine Week, an annual recognition of public information laws that began Sunday and runs through Saturday.

Though meetings may be more accessible, “basically, government is getting more secretive every year,” said David Cuillier, an associate journalism professor at the University of Arizona who has been analyzing data about government compliance with open-records laws.

People requesting records from the federal government are successful only about one-fifth of the time, down from a greater than 50% success rate more than a decade ago, according to Cuillier's research.

Information requests under state laws typically fair better, Cuillier said, but “every year, we get exemptions being passed in state legislatures all across the country, and that just seems to be accelerating.”

On a case-by-case basis, many public records exceptions may appear reasonable and justified. The movement to shield the home addresses of judges provides one good example.

In 2020, a man disgruntled with U.S. District Judge Esther Salas came to her New Jersey home disguised as a deliveryman and fatally shot her 20-year-old son while wounding her husband. New Jersey officials responded later that year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-laws-9c13dc83bdc9948e8af7249bbea13cde">enacting a law that exempted the home addresses</a>&nbsp;of current or retired judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers from disclosure under public records laws. The measure, called Daniel’s Law in honor of the judge’s son, also allowed covered officials to ask businesses or individuals to remove their home addresses from internet sites they control.

Though some states already had similar laws, the New Jersey case provided an impetus for action elsewhere. Most states now have laws prohibiting governmental entities from disclosing the home addresses of at least some public employees, with judges among the most commonly protected,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23702717-home-address-exemptions-in-state-foi-laws">according to research</a>&nbsp;by Jodie Gil, an associate journalism professor at Southern Connecticut State University.

A study panel of the Uniform Law Commission, a nonprofit organization that drafts potential legislation for state lawmakers, plans to recommend this spring that a common policy be drafted to exclude judges' home addresses and certain personal information from public-record disclosures, said Vince DeLiberato, director of Pennsylvania's Legislative Reference Bureau and chair of the study panel. The policy also could include an option to shield information for other public officials facing threats, he said.

Meanwhile, states are pressing forward with their own information-exemption laws for certain officials.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44449">Missouri Senate recently voted 30-1 for legislation</a>&nbsp;that allows judges and prosecutors to request that their home addresses, phone numbers, personal email addresses, marital status, children's identities and other information be removed from public display. The shield would apply not only to government records and websites but also to privately run sites such as online phone directories and internet search engines. That bill is now pending in the House.

On the same day as the Missouri vote, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/64592">Georgia Senate voted 53-0 for legislation</a>&nbsp;allowing federal, state or local public employees to request that their residential addresses and phone numbers be removed from online property records posted by local governments. That bill is now pending in the House.

“We don’t want people to be able to track these folks down and cause harm," Georgia state Sen. Matt Brass, a Republican, said while explaining his bill to a Senate committee.

But Richard Griffiths, a former president of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, raised concerns about the unintended consequences, asserting that the New Jersey law “turned into a bit of a train wreck.” Some governments shut down entire databases because of uncertainty about exactly whose information should be removed from which public records, he said.

New Jersey lawmakers responded in January 2022 by tweaking the process in Daniel’s Law and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2020/A6171">establishing a state Office of Information Privacy</a>&nbsp;— funded with $3 million — to create an online portal through which judicial and law enforcement officials can request that their information be redacted.

Public records listing the home addresses of government officials can function as an important tool for journalists working on public accountability stories, Gil said. Addresses in voter registration files and property ownership records can be used to determine whether officials actually live in the district they represent or are delinquent on property taxes.

When she was working as a journalist a decade ago, Gil&nbsp;<a href="https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/article/Ansonia_Officials_Owe_Car_Taxes_But_Dont_Suffer_The_Consequences/">reported that a local tax collector</a>&nbsp;was certifying that some public officials had paid their vehicle taxes when they actually had not.

“It's something that I could have never even attempted if public records were not connecting public officials and their addresses,” Gil said. “I didn’t publish any address — I didn't say the mayor lives at this house — but I needed his address to confirm that he was paying his taxes.”

Lawmakers are taking a variety of approaches to address confidentiality this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/HB3073">An Oregon bill</a>&nbsp;would prohibit the home addresses of elected officials and candidates from being publicly disclosed on voter registration lists.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&amp;bill_num=SB01157&amp;which_year=2023">A Connecticut bill</a>&nbsp;would add court marshals, attorney general's employees and workers in a state unit that determines services for people with disabilities to a list of about a dozen types of public employees whose home addresses are confidential under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.

The Connecticut bill is backed by state Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat who told lawmakers that his assistants are getting targeted online.

“People get really angry when they’re the subject of an enforcement action,” Tong said, "and sometimes they retaliate and they threaten people in my office with violence.”

But redacting public employee addresses from state records won't necessarily prevent threats and “provides employees with a false sense of comfort and security,” said Colleen Murphy, executive director of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, a state agency that administers and enforces open-records laws.

"For better or worse, the fact is that the residential addresses of most people are now readily available for free, or for a nominal charge, on the internet and through other commercial services,” Murphy said.

In New Mexico, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">series of drive-by shootings</a>&nbsp;at the homes of Democratic elected officials prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=S&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=180&amp;year=23">the Senate to pass legislation</a>&nbsp;that would let public officials keep secret their home addresses on election-related documents and government websites. The provision was included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-political-violence-driveby-shootings-b963e0341516ccf6ea61131b88980fbb">a broader election bill</a>&nbsp;that is now pending in the House.

Among the supporters is Democratic state Sen. Linda Lopez, of Albuquerque, whose home was hit by multiple shots while her 10-year-old daughter was sleeping.

“I understand the issue on transparency," Lopez said, “but the day and time that we’re in, we really have to rethink what we are doing.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Following threats and attacks on public officials, state lawmakers across the U.S. have stepped up efforts to shield personal information from being publicly disclosed about judges, police, elected officeholders and various public employees.The measures generally are winning widespread support in state capitols — adding a layer of secrecy, in the name of safety, that could make it more difficult to determine whether public officials are complying with residency laws and paying their property taxes.The efforts to exempt more information from public disclosure come despite the fact that many governments are more transparent than ever when it comes to their meetings — making permanent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-state-legislature-coronavirus-pandemic-4d6cf5821b44cb0ce70587305d5e1175">the online streaming options</a>&nbsp;spurred as a response to coronavirus-related restrictions on public gatherings.That's led to a split assessment of government openness during Sunshine Week, an annual recognition of public information laws that began Sunday and runs through Saturday.Though meetings may be more accessible, “basically, government is getting more secretive every year,” said David Cuillier, an associate journalism professor at the University of Arizona who has been analyzing data about government compliance with open-records laws.People requesting records from the federal government are successful only about one-fifth of the time, down from a greater than 50% success rate more than a decade ago, according to Cuillier's research.Information requests under state laws typically fair better, Cuillier said, but “every year, we get exemptions being passed in state legislatures all across the country, and that just seems to be accelerating.”On a case-by-case basis, many public records exceptions may appear reasonable and justified. The movement to shield the home addresses of judges provides one good example.In 2020, a man disgruntled with U.S. District Judge Esther Salas came to her New Jersey home disguised as a deliveryman and fatally shot her 20-year-old son while wounding her husband. New Jersey officials responded later that year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-laws-9c13dc83bdc9948e8af7249bbea13cde">enacting a law that exempted the home addresses</a>&nbsp;of current or retired judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers from disclosure under public records laws. The measure, called Daniel’s Law in honor of the judge’s son, also allowed covered officials to ask businesses or individuals to remove their home addresses from internet sites they control.Though some states already had similar laws, the New Jersey case provided an impetus for action elsewhere. Most states now have laws prohibiting governmental entities from disclosing the home addresses of at least some public employees, with judges among the most commonly protected,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23702717-home-address-exemptions-in-state-foi-laws">according to research</a>&nbsp;by Jodie Gil, an associate journalism professor at Southern Connecticut State University.A study panel of the Uniform Law Commission, a nonprofit organization that drafts potential legislation for state lawmakers, plans to recommend this spring that a common policy be drafted to exclude judges' home addresses and certain personal information from public-record disclosures, said Vince DeLiberato, director of Pennsylvania's Legislative Reference Bureau and chair of the study panel. The policy also could include an option to shield information for other public officials facing threats, he said.Meanwhile, states are pressing forward with their own information-exemption laws for certain officials.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44449">Missouri Senate recently voted 30-1 for legislation</a>&nbsp;that allows judges and prosecutors to request that their home addresses, phone numbers, personal email addresses, marital status, children's identities and other information be removed from public display. The shield would apply not only to government records and websites but also to privately run sites such as online phone directories and internet search engines. That bill is now pending in the House.On the same day as the Missouri vote, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/64592">Georgia Senate voted 53-0 for legislation</a>&nbsp;allowing federal, state or local public employees to request that their residential addresses and phone numbers be removed from online property records posted by local governments. That bill is now pending in the House.“We don’t want people to be able to track these folks down and cause harm," Georgia state Sen. Matt Brass, a Republican, said while explaining his bill to a Senate committee.But Richard Griffiths, a former president of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, raised concerns about the unintended consequences, asserting that the New Jersey law “turned into a bit of a train wreck.” Some governments shut down entire databases because of uncertainty about exactly whose information should be removed from which public records, he said.New Jersey lawmakers responded in January 2022 by tweaking the process in Daniel’s Law and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2020/A6171">establishing a state Office of Information Privacy</a>&nbsp;— funded with $3 million — to create an online portal through which judicial and law enforcement officials can request that their information be redacted.Public records listing the home addresses of government officials can function as an important tool for journalists working on public accountability stories, Gil said. Addresses in voter registration files and property ownership records can be used to determine whether officials actually live in the district they represent or are delinquent on property taxes.When she was working as a journalist a decade ago, Gil&nbsp;<a href="https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/article/Ansonia_Officials_Owe_Car_Taxes_But_Dont_Suffer_The_Consequences/">reported that a local tax collector</a>&nbsp;was certifying that some public officials had paid their vehicle taxes when they actually had not.“It's something that I could have never even attempted if public records were not connecting public officials and their addresses,” Gil said. “I didn’t publish any address — I didn't say the mayor lives at this house — but I needed his address to confirm that he was paying his taxes.”Lawmakers are taking a variety of approaches to address confidentiality this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/HB3073">An Oregon bill</a>&nbsp;would prohibit the home addresses of elected officials and candidates from being publicly disclosed on voter registration lists.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&amp;bill_num=SB01157&amp;which_year=2023">A Connecticut bill</a>&nbsp;would add court marshals, attorney general's employees and workers in a state unit that determines services for people with disabilities to a list of about a dozen types of public employees whose home addresses are confidential under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.The Connecticut bill is backed by state Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat who told lawmakers that his assistants are getting targeted online.“People get really angry when they’re the subject of an enforcement action,” Tong said, "and sometimes they retaliate and they threaten people in my office with violence.”But redacting public employee addresses from state records won't necessarily prevent threats and “provides employees with a false sense of comfort and security,” said Colleen Murphy, executive director of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, a state agency that administers and enforces open-records laws."For better or worse, the fact is that the residential addresses of most people are now readily available for free, or for a nominal charge, on the internet and through other commercial services,” Murphy said.In New Mexico, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">series of drive-by shootings</a>&nbsp;at the homes of Democratic elected officials prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=S&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=180&amp;year=23">the Senate to pass legislation</a>&nbsp;that would let public officials keep secret their home addresses on election-related documents and government websites. The provision was included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-political-violence-driveby-shootings-b963e0341516ccf6ea61131b88980fbb">a broader election bill</a>&nbsp;that is now pending in the House.Among the supporters is Democratic state Sen. Linda Lopez, of Albuquerque, whose home was hit by multiple shots while her 10-year-old daughter was sleeping.“I understand the issue on transparency," Lopez said, “but the day and time that we’re in, we really have to rethink what we are doing.”

States shield addresses of judges, workers after threats

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation this week introduced legislation&nbsp;to prohibit the Federal Reserve from developing a direct-to-consumer central bank digital currency which could be used as a financial surveillance tool by the federal government, according to a statement from Cruz's office.&nbsp; The bill was cosponsored by Sens. Braun (R-Ind.) and Grassley (R-Iowa).&nbsp;

As countries like China develop CBDCs that omit the benefits and protections of cash, as well as the control and security of many existing digital cryptocurrencies, it is more important than ever to ensure the United States’ digital currency policy protects financial privacy, maintains the dollar’s dominance, and cultivates innovation.&nbsp;CBDCs that fail to adhere to these three basic principles could enable an entity like the Federal Reserve to mobilize itself into a retail bank, collect personally identifiable information on users, and track their transactions indefinitely. It is important to note that while the Fed does not, and should not, have the authority to offer retail bank accounts, it is already looking into what establishing a digital currency would look like.

Unlike decentralized digital currencies like Bitcoin, CBDCs are issued and backed by a government entity and transact on a centralized, permissioned blockchain. Not only would this CBDC model centralize Americans’ financial information, leaving it vulnerable to attack, it could be used as direct surveillance tool into the private transactions of Americans.

Upon introducing the legislation, Sen. Cruz said:

“The federal government has no authority to unilaterally establish a central bank currency. This bill goes a long way in making sure big government doesn’t attempt to centralize or control cryptocurrency and instead, allows it to thrive in the United States. We should be empowering entrepreneurs, enabling innovation, and increasing individual freedom—not stifling it.

"Allowing the government to centralize Americans’ financial information and increase surveillance of Americans’ financial activity is simply a bad idea. The federal government should not have even more control over your own money. I support this legislation to allow entrepreneurship to prosper and keep the federal government from further encroaching on your privacy rights."

“The American people ought to be able to spend their money how they choose without the possibility that every transaction could be tracked by the government. Policy this impactful should be made by Congress, not government bureaucrats, and our bill would ensure that no one is snooping on the finances of hardworking Americans. Every American deserves that peace of mind.”&nbsp;

Adam Brandon, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, said:

"The Federal Reserve’s exploration into Central Bank Digital Currency raises serious questions regarding the continued development of the digital economy, consumer privacy, and the eventual transition to a cashless system of payments. One of the most significant features that draw people to digital assets is decentralization, and there is no central authority that manages the supply and value of most digital assets. The United States must not follow countries like China down the path of digital authoritarianism but instead preserve a payment system that promotes consumer privacy and security."

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation this week introduced legislation&nbsp;to prohibit the Federal Reserve from developing a direct-to-consumer central bank digital currency which could be used as a financial surveillance tool by the federal government, according to a statement from Cruz's office.&nbsp; The bill was cosponsored by Sens. Braun (R-Ind.) and Grassley (R-Iowa).&nbsp;As countries like China develop CBDCs that omit the benefits and protections of cash, as well as the control and security of many existing digital cryptocurrencies, it is more important than ever to ensure the United States’ digital currency policy protects financial privacy, maintains the dollar’s dominance, and cultivates innovation.&nbsp;CBDCs that fail to adhere to these three basic principles could enable an entity like the Federal Reserve to mobilize itself into a retail bank, collect personally identifiable information on users, and track their transactions indefinitely. It is important to note that while the Fed does not, and should not, have the authority to offer retail bank accounts, it is already looking into what establishing a digital currency would look like.Unlike decentralized digital currencies like Bitcoin, CBDCs are issued and backed by a government entity and transact on a centralized, permissioned blockchain. Not only would this CBDC model centralize Americans’ financial information, leaving it vulnerable to attack, it could be used as direct surveillance tool into the private transactions of Americans.Upon introducing the legislation, Sen. Cruz said:“The federal government has no authority to unilaterally establish a central bank currency. This bill goes a long way in making sure big government doesn’t attempt to centralize or control cryptocurrency and instead, allows it to thrive in the United States. We should be empowering entrepreneurs, enabling innovation, and increasing individual freedom—not stifling it.Sen. Braun said:"Allowing the government to centralize Americans’ financial information and increase surveillance of Americans’ financial activity is simply a bad idea. The federal government should not have even more control over your own money. I support this legislation to allow entrepreneurship to prosper and keep the federal government from further encroaching on your privacy rights."Sen. Grassley said:“The American people ought to be able to spend their money how they choose without the possibility that every transaction could be tracked by the government. Policy this impactful should be made by Congress, not government bureaucrats, and our bill would ensure that no one is snooping on the finances of hardworking Americans. Every American deserves that peace of mind.”&nbsp;Adam Brandon, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, said:"The Federal Reserve’s exploration into Central Bank Digital Currency raises serious questions regarding the continued development of the digital economy, consumer privacy, and the eventual transition to a cashless system of payments. One of the most significant features that draw people to digital assets is decentralization, and there is no central authority that manages the supply and value of most digital assets. The United States must not follow countries like China down the path of digital authoritarianism but instead preserve a payment system that promotes consumer privacy and security."

GOP bill seeks to ban central bank digital currency in US

BANGKOK (AP) — China threatened “serious consequences” Friday after the United States Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security.

The warning comes amid growing tensions between China and the United States in the region, as Washington pushes back at Beijing's growingly assertive posture in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway it claims virtually in its entirety.

On Thursday, after the U.S. sailed the USS Milius guided-missile destroyer near the Paracel Islands, China said its navy and air force had forced the American vessel away,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-destroyer-ship-paracel-south-china-sea-a146fa95de728afb0b3a9d8a49dceeb8">a claim the U.S. military denied</a>.

The U.S. on Friday sailed the ship again in the vicinity of the islands, which are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, as part of what it called a “freedom of navigation operation" challenging requirements from all three nations requiring either advance notification or permission before a military vessel sails by.

“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations,” U.S. 7th Fleet spokesperson Lt. j.g. Luka Bakic said in an emailed statement.

“The United States challenges excessive maritime claims around the world regardless of the identity of the claimant,” Bakic said.

China's Ministry of National Defense responded by accusing the U.S. of “undermining the peace and stability of the South China Sea” with its actions.

“The act of the U.S. military seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely breached international laws, and is more ironclad evidence of the U.S. pursuing navigation hegemony and militarizing the South China Sea,” ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said. “We solemnly request that the US. immediately stop such actions of provocation, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unexpected incidents caused by this.”

He said China would take “all necessary measures” to ensure its security but did not elaborate.

Like its statement on the Thursday incident, China again said it drove the American ship away from the islands, which are in the South China Sea a few hundred kilometers (miles) off the coast of Vietnam and the Chinese province of Hainan.

Both sides said their actions were justified under international law.

Bakic told The Associated Press that the ship “was not driven away” and “continued on to conduct routine maritime security operations in international waters” after concluding its mission near the Paracel Islands.

“The operation reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea for all nations,” he said. "The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as Milius did today.”

The U.S. has no South China Sea claims itself, but has deployed Naval and Air Force assets for decades to patrol the strategic waterway, through which around $5 trillion in global trade transits each year and which holds highly valuable fish stocks and undersea mineral resources.

A United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that the historical claim from China on the waters had no legal basis under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, and Washington maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight of the waterway are in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-aquilino-china-security-north-korea-bb41e692490b13cfcc0a6e28fd8f9bef">American national interest</a>.

U.S. forces currently operate daily in the South China Sea, and have been present for more than a century. China regularly responds angrily, accusing the U.S. of meddling in Asian affairs and impinging upon its sovereignty.

China's claims have frequently brought it into conflict with other nations in the region as well.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-philippines-south-china-sea-disputes-70ea7983dbf67b1f9ae5264c6ce9271a">Filipino diplomats unleashed a slew of protests</a>&nbsp;Friday over China's recent targeting of a Philippine coast guard ship with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-philippines-government-manila-china-8ee5459dcac872b14a49c4a428029259">powerful military laser</a>&nbsp;and other aggressive behavior.

BANGKOK (AP) — China threatened “serious consequences” Friday after the United States Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security.The warning comes amid growing tensions between China and the United States in the region, as Washington pushes back at Beijing's growingly assertive posture in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway it claims virtually in its entirety.On Thursday, after the U.S. sailed the USS Milius guided-missile destroyer near the Paracel Islands, China said its navy and air force had forced the American vessel away,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-destroyer-ship-paracel-south-china-sea-a146fa95de728afb0b3a9d8a49dceeb8">a claim the U.S. military denied</a>.The U.S. on Friday sailed the ship again in the vicinity of the islands, which are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, as part of what it called a “freedom of navigation operation" challenging requirements from all three nations requiring either advance notification or permission before a military vessel sails by.“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations,” U.S. 7th Fleet spokesperson Lt. j.g. Luka Bakic said in an emailed statement.“The United States challenges excessive maritime claims around the world regardless of the identity of the claimant,” Bakic said.China's Ministry of National Defense responded by accusing the U.S. of “undermining the peace and stability of the South China Sea” with its actions.“The act of the U.S. military seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely breached international laws, and is more ironclad evidence of the U.S. pursuing navigation hegemony and militarizing the South China Sea,” ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said. “We solemnly request that the US. immediately stop such actions of provocation, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unexpected incidents caused by this.”He said China would take “all necessary measures” to ensure its security but did not elaborate.Like its statement on the Thursday incident, China again said it drove the American ship away from the islands, which are in the South China Sea a few hundred kilometers (miles) off the coast of Vietnam and the Chinese province of Hainan.Both sides said their actions were justified under international law.Bakic told The Associated Press that the ship “was not driven away” and “continued on to conduct routine maritime security operations in international waters” after concluding its mission near the Paracel Islands.“The operation reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea for all nations,” he said. "The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as Milius did today.”The U.S. has no South China Sea claims itself, but has deployed Naval and Air Force assets for decades to patrol the strategic waterway, through which around $5 trillion in global trade transits each year and which holds highly valuable fish stocks and undersea mineral resources.A United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that the historical claim from China on the waters had no legal basis under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, and Washington maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight of the waterway are in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-aquilino-china-security-north-korea-bb41e692490b13cfcc0a6e28fd8f9bef">American national interest</a>.U.S. forces currently operate daily in the South China Sea, and have been present for more than a century. China regularly responds angrily, accusing the U.S. of meddling in Asian affairs and impinging upon its sovereignty.China's claims have frequently brought it into conflict with other nations in the region as well.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-philippines-south-china-sea-disputes-70ea7983dbf67b1f9ae5264c6ce9271a">Filipino diplomats unleashed a slew of protests</a>&nbsp;Friday over China's recent targeting of a Philippine coast guard ship with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-philippines-government-manila-china-8ee5459dcac872b14a49c4a428029259">powerful military laser</a>&nbsp;and other aggressive behavior.___

China threatens consequences over US warship's actions

BEIRUT (AP) — A strike Thursday by a suspected Iranian-made drone killed a U.S. contractor and wounded six other Americans in northeast Syria, and U.S. forces retaliated with airstrikes on sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Pentagon said. Activists said the U.S. bombing killed at least four people.

On Friday night, two Syrian opposition activist groups reported a new wave of airstrikes on eastern Syria that hit positions of Iran-backed militias after rockets were fired at a Conoco gas plant that has a base housing American troops. It was not immediately clear if U.S. warplanes carried out the attack.

While it’s not the first time the U.S. and Iran have traded strikes in Syria, the attack and the U.S. response threaten to upend recent efforts to deescalate tensions across the wider Middle East, whose rival powers have made steps toward détente in recent days after years of turmoil.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the American intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin, but offered no other immediate evidence to support the claim. The drone hit a coalition base in the northeast Syrian city of Hasaka. The wounded included five American service members and a U.S. contractor.

Austin said the strikes were a response to the drone attack “as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria” by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard.

Iran relies on a network of proxy forces through the Mideast to counter the U.S. and Israel, its arch regional enemy. The U.S. has had forces in northeast Syria since 2015, when they deployed as part of the fight against the Islamic State group, and maintains some 900 troops there, working with Kurdish-led forces that control around a third of Syria.

The U.S. airstrikes hit targets in three towns in eastern Syria, activists said. Overnight, videos on social media purported to show explosions in Deir el-Zour, a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. Iranian-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which also has seen suspected airstrikes by Israel in recent months allegedly targeting Iranian supply routes.

According to a defense official, the U.S. counter strikes were conducted by F-15 fighter jets flying out of al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

According to a U.S. official, the U.S. F-15s struck three locations, all in the vicinity of Deir el-Zour.

The activist group Deir Ezzor 24, which covers news in the province, said the American strikes killed four people and wounded a number of others, including Iraqis.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, put the death toll from U.S. strikes at 11 Iranian-backed fighters — including six at an arms depot in the Harabesh neighborhood in the city of Deir el-Zour and five others at military posts near the towns of Mayadeen and Boukamal.

Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Observatory said three rockets were fired earlier Friday at al-Omar oil field in Deir el-Zour that houses U.S. troops, an apparent retaliation to the American strikes.

An official with an Iran-backed group in Iraq said the strikes on eastern Syria early Friday killed seven Iranians. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Deir Ezzor 24 and the Observatory had no details on whether the new wave of airstrikes Friday night on the city of Deir el-Zour inflicted any casualties.

The Associated Press could not immediately independently confirm the activist reports. Iran and Syria did not immediately acknowledge the strikes, nor did their officials at the United Nations in New York respond to requests for comment from the AP.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out attacks with bomb-carrying drones across the wider Middle East.

The exchange of strikes came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-iran-diplomatic-relations-middle-east-d78f3ceac0561f4fb20301e4f32eef88">Saudi Arabia and Iran</a>&nbsp;have been working toward reopening embassies in each other’s countries. The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-syria-restore-relations-192c4b2086b34288bdd530e06fc4a32a">reopen a Saudi embassy in Syria</a>, whose embattled President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country’s long war.

U.S. Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the head of the American military’s Central Command, warned that its forces could carry out additional strikes if needed. “We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks,” Kurilla said in a statement.

Addressing the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, Kurilla warned lawmakers that the “Iran of today is exponentially more militarily capable than it was even five years ago.” He pointed to Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles and bomb-carrying drones.

“What Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies,” Kurilla said.

According to officials, Iran has launched 80 attacks against U.S. forces and locations in Iraq and Syria since January 2021. The vast majority of those have been in Syria.

Diplomacy to deescalate the exchange appeared to begin immediately. The foreign minister of Qatar spoke by phone with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan as well as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Qatari state news agency report. Doha has been an interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. recently amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Austin said he authorized the retaliatory strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden.

“As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. “No group will strike our troops with impunity.”

The U.S. under Biden has struck Syria previously over tensions with Iran — in February and June of 2021, as well as August 2022.

Dareen Khalifa, a senior Syria analyst with the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said that while Thursday’s exchange of strikes comes at a sensitive political moment due to the “overall deterioration of U.S.-Iran relations and the stalling of the nuclear talks,” she does not expect a significant escalation.

“These tit-for-tat strikes have been ongoing for a long time,” Khalifa said, although she noted that they usually do not result in casualties.

While “the risk of an escalatory cycle is there,” she said, “I think the Biden administration won’t be eager to escalate in Syria now and will instead have a relatively measured response.”

Since the U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Iran has sought “to make life difficult for U.S. forces stationed east of the Euphrates,” said Hamidreza Azizi, an expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

“Iran increased its support for local proxies in Deir el-Zour while trying to ally with the tribal forces in the area,” Azizi wrote in a recent analysis. “Due to the geographical proximity, Iraqi groups also intensified their activities in the border strip with Syria and in the Deir el-Zour province.”

The strikes come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Syria’s war began with the 2011 Arab Spring protests that roiled the wider Middle East and toppled governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. It later morphed into a regional proxy conflict that has seen Russia and Iran back Assad. The United Nations estimates over 300,000 civilians have been killed in the war. Those figures do not include soldiers and insurgents killed in the conflict; their numbers are believed to be in the tens of thousands.

BEIRUT (AP) — A strike Thursday by a suspected Iranian-made drone killed a U.S. contractor and wounded five American troops and another contractor in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said. American forces said they retaliated soon after with "precision airstrikes" in Syria targeting facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, with activist groups saying they killed at least four people.

The attack and the U.S. response threaten to upend recent efforts to deescalate tensions across the wider Middle East, whose rival powers have made steps toward détente in recent days after years of turmoil.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the American intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin, but offered no other immediate evidence to support the claim.

"The airstrikes were conducted in response to today's attack as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria" by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, Austin said.

Iran relies on a network of proxy forces through the Mideast to counter the U.S. and Israel, its arch regional enemy.

The Pentagon said two of the wounded service members were treated on-site, while three others and the injured contractor were transported to medical facilities in Iraq.

Overnight, videos on social media purported to show explosions in Syria's Deir el-Zour, a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. Iran-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which also has seen suspected airstrikes by Israel in recent months allegedly targeting Iranian supply routes.

Iran and Syria did not immediately acknowledge the strikes, nor did their officials at the United Nations in New York respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

The activist group Deir Ezzor 24 put the death toll from the American strikes at four people. Deir Ezzor 24, which covers news in Deir el-Zour province, said the strikes hit the city of Deir el-Zour as well as militiamen posts near Mayadeen and Boukamal. It said the strikes also wounded people, including Iraqis.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, reported that the American strikes killed six Iranian-backed fighters at an arms depot in the Harabesh neighborhood in the city of Deir el-Zour. The Observatory, which relies on a network of local contacts in Syria, said U.S. bombing at a post near the town of Mayadeen killed two fighters.

A separate American strike hit a military post near the town of Boukamal along the border with Iraq, killing another three fighters, the Observatory said.

The AP could not immediately independently confirm the activist reports.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out attacks with bomb-carrying drones across the wider Middle East.

In recent months, Russia has begun using Iranian drones in its attacks on sites across Ukraine as part of its war on Kyiv. Iran has issued a series of conflicting denials about its drones being used in the war, though Western nations and experts have tied components in the drones back to Tehran.

The exchange of strikes came as Saudi Arabia and Iran have been working toward reopening embassies in each other's countries. The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to reopen a Saudi embassy in Syria, whose embattled President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country's long war.

U.S. Army Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the head of the American military's Central Command, warned that American forces could carry out additional strikes if needed. "We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks," Kurilla said in a statement.

Addressing the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, Kurilla warned lawmakers that the "Iran of today is exponentially more militarily capable than it was even five years ago." He pointed to Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles and bomb-carrying drones.

Kurilla also alleged that Iran had launched some 78 attacks on U.S. positions in Syria since January 2021.

"What Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies," Kurilla said.

Diplomacy to deescalate the crisis appeared to begin immediately around the strikes. Qatar's state-run news agency reported a call between its foreign minister and Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser. Doha has been an interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. recently amid tensions over Tehran's nuclear program.

Qatar's foreign minister also spoke around the same time with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

"As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing," Austin said. "No group will strike our troops with impunity."

The U.S. under Biden has struck Syria previously over tensions with Iran. In February and June of 2021, as well as August 2022, Biden launched attacks there.

U.S. forces entered Syria in 2015, backing allied forces in their fight against the Islamic State group. The U.S. still maintains the base near Hasakah in northeast Syria where Thursday's drone strike happened. There are roughly 900 U.S. troops, and even more contractors, in Syria, including in the north and farther south and east.

Since the U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Iran has sought "to make life difficult for U.S. forces stationed east of the Euphrates," said Hamidreza Azizi, an expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

"Iran increased its support for local proxies in Deir el-Zour while trying to ally with the tribal forces in the area," Azizi wrote in a recent analysis. "Due to the geographical proximity, Iraqi groups also intensified their activities in the border strip with Syria and in the Deir el-Zour province."

Syria's war began with the 2011 Arab Spring protests that roiled the wider Middle East and toppled governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. It later morphed into a regional proxy conflict that has seen Russia and Iran back Assad. The United Nations estimates over 300,000 civilians have been killed in the war. Those figures do not include soldiers and insurgents killed in the conflict; their numbers are believed to be in the tens of thousands.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Kesten reported from Washington.

BEIRUT (AP) — A strike Thursday by a suspected Iranian-made drone killed a U.S. contractor and wounded six other Americans in northeast Syria, and U.S. forces retaliated with airstrikes on sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Pentagon said. Activists said the U.S. bombing killed at least four people.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a> on U.S. retaliatory air strikes in Syria: &quot;These precision strikes were intended to protect and defend U.S. personnel and the U.S. took proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1KyclVOhWi">pic.twitter.com/1KyclVOhWi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1639335261984129046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On Friday night, two Syrian opposition activist groups reported a new wave of airstrikes on eastern Syria that hit positions of Iran-backed militias after rockets were fired at a Conoco gas plant that has a base housing American troops. It was not immediately clear if U.S. warplanes carried out the attack.While it’s not the first time the U.S. and Iran have traded strikes in Syria, the attack and the U.S. response threaten to upend recent efforts to deescalate tensions across the wider Middle East, whose rival powers have made steps toward détente in recent days after years of turmoil.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the American intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin, but offered no other immediate evidence to support the claim. The drone hit a coalition base in the northeast Syrian city of Hasaka. The wounded included five American service members and a U.S. contractor.Austin said the strikes were a response to the drone attack “as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria” by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard.Iran relies on a network of proxy forces through the Mideast to counter the U.S. and Israel, its arch regional enemy. The U.S. has had forces in northeast Syria since 2015, when they deployed as part of the fight against the Islamic State group, and maintains some 900 troops there, working with Kurdish-led forces that control around a third of Syria.The U.S. airstrikes hit targets in three towns in eastern Syria, activists said. Overnight, videos on social media purported to show explosions in Deir el-Zour, a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. Iranian-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which also has seen suspected airstrikes by Israel in recent months allegedly targeting Iranian supply routes.According to a defense official, the U.S. counter strikes were conducted by F-15 fighter jets flying out of al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.According to a U.S. official, the U.S. F-15s struck three locations, all in the vicinity of Deir el-Zour.The activist group Deir Ezzor 24, which covers news in the province, said the American strikes killed four people and wounded a number of others, including Iraqis.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, put the death toll from U.S. strikes at 11 Iranian-backed fighters — including six at an arms depot in the Harabesh neighborhood in the city of Deir el-Zour and five others at military posts near the towns of Mayadeen and Boukamal.Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Observatory said three rockets were fired earlier Friday at al-Omar oil field in Deir el-Zour that houses U.S. troops, an apparent retaliation to the American strikes.An official with an Iran-backed group in Iraq said the strikes on eastern Syria early Friday killed seven Iranians. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.Deir Ezzor 24 and the Observatory had no details on whether the new wave of airstrikes Friday night on the city of Deir el-Zour inflicted any casualties.The Associated Press could not immediately independently confirm the activist reports. Iran and Syria did not immediately acknowledge the strikes, nor did their officials at the United Nations in New York respond to requests for comment from the AP.Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out attacks with bomb-carrying drones across the wider Middle East.The exchange of strikes came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-iran-diplomatic-relations-middle-east-d78f3ceac0561f4fb20301e4f32eef88">Saudi Arabia and Iran</a>&nbsp;have been working toward reopening embassies in each other’s countries. The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-syria-restore-relations-192c4b2086b34288bdd530e06fc4a32a">reopen a Saudi embassy in Syria</a>, whose embattled President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country’s long war.U.S. Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the head of the American military’s Central Command, warned that its forces could carry out additional strikes if needed. “We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks,” Kurilla said in a statement.Addressing the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, Kurilla warned lawmakers that the “Iran of today is exponentially more militarily capable than it was even five years ago.” He pointed to Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles and bomb-carrying drones.“What Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies,” Kurilla said.According to officials, Iran has launched 80 attacks against U.S. forces and locations in Iraq and Syria since January 2021. The vast majority of those have been in Syria.Diplomacy to deescalate the exchange appeared to begin immediately. The foreign minister of Qatar spoke by phone with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan as well as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Qatari state news agency report. Doha has been an interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. recently amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.Austin said he authorized the retaliatory strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden.“As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. “No group will strike our troops with impunity.”The U.S. under Biden has struck Syria previously over tensions with Iran — in February and June of 2021, as well as August 2022.Dareen Khalifa, a senior Syria analyst with the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said that while Thursday’s exchange of strikes comes at a sensitive political moment due to the “overall deterioration of U.S.-Iran relations and the stalling of the nuclear talks,” she does not expect a significant escalation.“These tit-for-tat strikes have been ongoing for a long time,” Khalifa said, although she noted that they usually do not result in casualties.While “the risk of an escalatory cycle is there,” she said, “I think the Biden administration won’t be eager to escalate in Syria now and will instead have a relatively measured response.”Since the U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Iran has sought “to make life difficult for U.S. forces stationed east of the Euphrates,” said Hamidreza Azizi, an expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.“Iran increased its support for local proxies in Deir el-Zour while trying to ally with the tribal forces in the area,” Azizi wrote in a recent analysis. “Due to the geographical proximity, Iraqi groups also intensified their activities in the border strip with Syria and in the Deir el-Zour province.”The strikes come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Syria’s war began with the 2011 Arab Spring protests that roiled the wider Middle East and toppled governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. It later morphed into a regional proxy conflict that has seen Russia and Iran back Assad. The United Nations estimates over 300,000 civilians have been killed in the war. Those figures do not include soldiers and insurgents killed in the conflict; their numbers are believed to be in the tens of thousands.--------------BEIRUT (AP) — A strike Thursday by a suspected Iranian-made drone killed a U.S. contractor and wounded five American troops and another contractor in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said. American forces said they retaliated soon after with "precision airstrikes" in Syria targeting facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, with activist groups saying they killed at least four people.The attack and the U.S. response threaten to upend recent efforts to deescalate tensions across the wider Middle East, whose rival powers have made steps toward détente in recent days after years of turmoil.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the American intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin, but offered no other immediate evidence to support the claim."The airstrikes were conducted in response to today's attack as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria" by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, Austin said.Iran relies on a network of proxy forces through the Mideast to counter the U.S. and Israel, its arch regional enemy.The Pentagon said two of the wounded service members were treated on-site, while three others and the injured contractor were transported to medical facilities in Iraq.Overnight, videos on social media purported to show explosions in Syria's Deir el-Zour, a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. Iran-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which also has seen suspected airstrikes by Israel in recent months allegedly targeting Iranian supply routes.Iran and Syria did not immediately acknowledge the strikes, nor did their officials at the United Nations in New York respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.The activist group Deir Ezzor 24 put the death toll from the American strikes at four people. Deir Ezzor 24, which covers news in Deir el-Zour province, said the strikes hit the city of Deir el-Zour as well as militiamen posts near Mayadeen and Boukamal. It said the strikes also wounded people, including Iraqis.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, reported that the American strikes killed six Iranian-backed fighters at an arms depot in the Harabesh neighborhood in the city of Deir el-Zour. The Observatory, which relies on a network of local contacts in Syria, said U.S. bombing at a post near the town of Mayadeen killed two fighters.A separate American strike hit a military post near the town of Boukamal along the border with Iraq, killing another three fighters, the Observatory said.The AP could not immediately independently confirm the activist reports.Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out attacks with bomb-carrying drones across the wider Middle East.In recent months, Russia has begun using Iranian drones in its attacks on sites across Ukraine as part of its war on Kyiv. Iran has issued a series of conflicting denials about its drones being used in the war, though Western nations and experts have tied components in the drones back to Tehran.The exchange of strikes came as Saudi Arabia and Iran have been working toward reopening embassies in each other's countries. The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to reopen a Saudi embassy in Syria, whose embattled President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country's long war.U.S. Army Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the head of the American military's Central Command, warned that American forces could carry out additional strikes if needed. "We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks," Kurilla said in a statement.Addressing the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, Kurilla warned lawmakers that the "Iran of today is exponentially more militarily capable than it was even five years ago." He pointed to Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles and bomb-carrying drones.Kurilla also alleged that Iran had launched some 78 attacks on U.S. positions in Syria since January 2021."What Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies," Kurilla said.Diplomacy to deescalate the crisis appeared to begin immediately around the strikes. Qatar's state-run news agency reported a call between its foreign minister and Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser. Doha has been an interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. recently amid tensions over Tehran's nuclear program.Qatar's foreign minister also spoke around the same time with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.Austin said he authorized the retaliatory strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden."As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing," Austin said. "No group will strike our troops with impunity."The U.S. under Biden has struck Syria previously over tensions with Iran. In February and June of 2021, as well as August 2022, Biden launched attacks there.U.S. forces entered Syria in 2015, backing allied forces in their fight against the Islamic State group. The U.S. still maintains the base near Hasakah in northeast Syria where Thursday's drone strike happened. There are roughly 900 U.S. troops, and even more contractors, in Syria, including in the north and farther south and east.Since the U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Iran has sought "to make life difficult for U.S. forces stationed east of the Euphrates," said Hamidreza Azizi, an expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs."Iran increased its support for local proxies in Deir el-Zour while trying to ally with the tribal forces in the area," Azizi wrote in a recent analysis. "Due to the geographical proximity, Iraqi groups also intensified their activities in the border strip with Syria and in the Deir el-Zour province."The strikes come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Syria's war began with the 2011 Arab Spring protests that roiled the wider Middle East and toppled governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. It later morphed into a regional proxy conflict that has seen Russia and Iran back Assad. The United Nations estimates over 300,000 civilians have been killed in the war. Those figures do not include soldiers and insurgents killed in the conflict; their numbers are believed to be in the tens of thousands.__Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Kesten reported from Washington.

🎥US airstrikes on Iran facilities in Syria after drone kills US worker

Cause of death undetermined despite report of ‘suspected’ suicide note

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/24/lincoln-businessman-implicated-in-nebraska-bank-fraud-scandal-died-of-drug-overdose/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Lincoln businessman, 
implicated in Nebraska’s largest case of bank fraud, died of a drug 
overdose, according to a state death certificate filed Friday.

But the manner of Aaron Marshbanks’ death “could not be determined,” 
the certificate stated, which means it could not be resolved if he 
committed suicide or died of other reasons, including accidentally or 
due to natural causes.

Marshbanks, 45, was found unresponsive in his car Nov. 2 in a downtown Lincoln parking garage.

That was more than a month before <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/25/judge-tells-parties-seeking-funds-from-marshbanks-estate-to-work-it-out/">it was revealed</a> that he had obtained<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/12/iowa-banks-lawsuit-claims-financial-statements-were-fabricated-as-part-of-loan-scheme/"> more than $50 million in loans</a> fraudulently from a number of financial institutions in Nebraska and Iowa.

The loans, often obtained by providing phony statements listing 
millions in non-existent investment accounts as collateral, were used to
 purchase dozens of rental homes in the Omaha and Lincoln areas, and in 
Louisiana, and for general business expenses.

The official death certificate, obtained by the Examiner, had been 
delayed for several months awaiting tests from an out-of-state lab. It 
stated that Marshbanks died of a combination of fentanyl, pentobarbital 
and metocholpramide toxicity.

Daniel Zieg, chief deputy Lancaster County attorney, signed the death
 certificate attesting to the “manner of death” as undetermined. He did 
not return a phone message immediately Friday about that determination.

Lincoln police have said a “suspected” suicide note was found in Marshbanks’ car.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid — 50-100 times more potent than 
morphine — that is used medically as a pain reliever but is also highly 
addictive. It was used as part of a cocktail of drugs in the last lethal
 injection execution in Nebraska in 2018.

Pentobarbital, a powerful sedative, is used by several states in carrying out a death sentence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679685596064.png" alt="This Lincoln home, at 11700 E. Van Dorn St., as well as a guest cottage and a “barndominium,” were part of a residential complex being built by Aaron Marshbanks, a recently deceased Lincoln businessman being investigated for alleged loan fraud. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>This Lincoln home, at 11700 E. Van Dorn St., as well as a guest cottage and a “barndominium,” were part of a residential complex being built by Aaron Marshbanks, a recently deceased Lincoln businessman being investigated for alleged loan fraud. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Cause of death undetermined despite report of ‘suspected’ suicide note</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/24/lincoln-businessman-implicated-in-nebraska-bank-fraud-scandal-died-of-drug-overdose/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Lincoln businessman, 
implicated in Nebraska’s largest case of bank fraud, died of a drug 
overdose, according to a state death certificate filed Friday.But the manner of Aaron Marshbanks’ death “could not be determined,” 
the certificate stated, which means it could not be resolved if he 
committed suicide or died of other reasons, including accidentally or 
due to natural causes.Marshbanks, 45, was found unresponsive in his car Nov. 2 in a downtown Lincoln parking garage.That was more than a month before <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/25/judge-tells-parties-seeking-funds-from-marshbanks-estate-to-work-it-out/">it was revealed</a> that he had obtained<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/12/iowa-banks-lawsuit-claims-financial-statements-were-fabricated-as-part-of-loan-scheme/"> more than $50 million in loans</a> fraudulently from a number of financial institutions in Nebraska and Iowa.<h2>Financial statements fabricated</h2>The loans, often obtained by providing phony statements listing 
millions in non-existent investment accounts as collateral, were used to
 purchase dozens of rental homes in the Omaha and Lincoln areas, and in 
Louisiana, and for general business expenses.The official death certificate, obtained by the Examiner, had been 
delayed for several months awaiting tests from an out-of-state lab. It 
stated that Marshbanks died of a combination of fentanyl, pentobarbital 
and metocholpramide toxicity.Daniel Zieg, chief deputy Lancaster County attorney, signed the death
 certificate attesting to the “manner of death” as undetermined. He did 
not return a phone message immediately Friday about that determination.<h2>Suspected suicide note</h2>Lincoln police have said a “suspected” suicide note was found in Marshbanks’ car.Fentanyl is a powerful opioid — 50-100 times more potent than 
morphine — that is used medically as a pain reliever but is also highly 
addictive. It was used as part of a cocktail of drugs in the last lethal
 injection execution in Nebraska in 2018.Pentobarbital, a powerful sedative, is used by several states in carrying out a death sentence.Metocholpramide, according to the National Institutes of Health, is 
used to treat nausea and vomiting in patients with chronic acid reflux 
&nbsp;and is sold under the brand name Reglan.Ed Hotz, <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/11/omaha-lawyer-named-to-sort-out-estate-of-lincoln-businessman-involved-in-40-million-bank-fraud-case/">the Omaha attorney assigned</a>
 to sort out whether assets remain to pay back unsecured loans and other
 debts incurred by Marshbanks, said Friday that the finalization of the 
death certificate will be helpful. He said it will allow him unfreeze 
some assets and to determine whether life insurance exists to repay the 
more than two dozen banks, savings and loans and credit unions that have
 filed claims against the estate.<h2>Some debts resolved</h2>Some banks, which had rental properties posted as collateral, and at 
least one business partner have been able to reclaim their debts by 
selling the homes.A Lincoln police investigator told the Lincoln Journal Star that 
police responded to a parking garage at 13th and M Streets on Nov. 2 
after Marshbanks sent a “concerning email” saying he would be found in 
his Audi Q5.Among the items found in the car was a “suspected suicide note,” the newspaper reported.Life insurance policies often include a “suicide exclusion,” which 
prevents someone from taking their own life and then providing a 
generous payoff to survivors.State law, however, prohibits such suicide exclusions to extend more 
than two years, according to Robert Bell of the Nebraska Insurance 
Federation.Hotz said the life insurance policies he has seen in the Marshbanks 
case are at least 10 years old, so such an exclusion likely doesn’t 
apply.