SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities misidentified a deceased dog while investigating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-death-things-to-know-daa7e41aca0bb85af3af5b1b358df22e">deaths of actor Gene Hackman</a>&nbsp;and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, according to a pet care specialist.

The couple's German shepherd, named Bear, survived along with a second dog named Nikita, but their kelpie mix, Zinna, died, according to Joey Padilla, owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility that is involved in the surviving dogs' care.

The dog that died “was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship,” Padilla said in an email statement Tuesday. “Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”

Authorities have been searching for answers after the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered on Feb. 26 at their Santa Fe home. Hackman and Arakawa may have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-found-dead-f6c106e92987aeaaab7b35c1b956a5c8">died up to two weeks earlier</a>, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.

Authorities did not perform a necropsy on Zinna, who was found in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, a sheriff's office spokesperson said. Investigators initially noted the discovery of a “deceased brown in color German-Shepard canine.”

Avila acknowledged that sheriff’s deputies initially misidentified the breed of the deceased dog.

“Our deputies, they don’t work with canines on a daily basis,” she said.

USA Today first reported on the mistaken identification of the dead dog.

Arakawa’s body was found with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the bathroom countertop, while Hackman’s remains were found in the home’s entryway.

The two bodies both have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-dead-investigation-f77231a7a04bb7eff5de3c391d56a031">tested negative for carbon monoxide</a>, a colorless and odorless gas that is a byproduct of fuel burned in some home appliances and can be fatal in poorly ventilated homes. No gas leaks were discovered in or around the home.

On Tuesday, the sheriff's office also said that a more extensive utility company inspection found that one burner on a stove in the house had a miniscule leak that could not be lethal.

Authorities retrieved personal items from the home, including a monthly planner and two cellphones that will be analyzed. Medical investigators are still working to clarify the cause of deaths but the results of toxicology reports aren't expected for weeks. ___

This story has been updated to correct the definition of carbon monoxide.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities misidentified a deceased dog while investigating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-death-things-to-know-daa7e41aca0bb85af3af5b1b358df22e">deaths of actor Gene Hackman</a>&nbsp;and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, according to a pet care specialist.The couple's German shepherd, named Bear, survived along with a second dog named Nikita, but their kelpie mix, Zinna, died, according to Joey Padilla, owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility that is involved in the surviving dogs' care.The dog that died “was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship,” Padilla said in an email statement Tuesday. “Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”Authorities have been searching for answers after the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered on Feb. 26 at their Santa Fe home. Hackman and Arakawa may have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-found-dead-f6c106e92987aeaaab7b35c1b956a5c8">died up to two weeks earlier</a>, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.Authorities did not perform a necropsy on Zinna, who was found in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, a sheriff's office spokesperson said. Investigators initially noted the discovery of a “deceased brown in color German-Shepard canine.”Avila acknowledged that sheriff’s deputies initially misidentified the breed of the deceased dog.“Our deputies, they don’t work with canines on a daily basis,” she said.USA Today first reported on the mistaken identification of the dead dog.Arakawa’s body was found with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the bathroom countertop, while Hackman’s remains were found in the home’s entryway.The two bodies both have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-dead-investigation-f77231a7a04bb7eff5de3c391d56a031">tested negative for carbon monoxide</a>, a colorless and odorless gas that is a byproduct of fuel burned in some home appliances and can be fatal in poorly ventilated homes. No gas leaks were discovered in or around the home.On Tuesday, the sheriff's office also said that a more extensive utility company inspection found that one burner on a stove in the house had a miniscule leak that could not be lethal.Authorities retrieved personal items from the home, including a monthly planner and two cellphones that will be analyzed. Medical investigators are still working to clarify the cause of deaths but the results of toxicology reports aren't expected for weeks. ___This story has been updated to correct the definition of carbon monoxide.___

Mystery deepens in death of Gene Hackman, his wife and dog 

TOPEKA —On Tuesday,&nbsp; Kansans gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate Equality Day. The rotunda was packed for the event.

"Kansas has a long tradition of standing on the right side of history, Governor Laura Kelly wrote on her social media account. "We must ensure our state remains a place that embraces everyone and protects the dignity and rights of all people."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741114448017.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly at Equality Day at the Kansas Statehouse" />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly at Equality Day at the Kansas Statehouse</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —On Tuesday,&nbsp; Kansans gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate Equality Day. The rotunda was packed for the event.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FEqualityKansas%2Fvideos%2F1822755748264207%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=40" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Packed rotunda for <a href="https://twitter.com/EqualityKansas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EqualityKansas</a> Equality Day in Topeka 🏳️‍🌈 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/Girv6ZNNqT">pic.twitter.com/Girv6ZNNqT</a>&mdash; Kansas House Democrats (@KSHouseDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSHouseDems/status/1896958501395828893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"Kansas has a long tradition of standing on the right side of history, Governor Laura Kelly wrote on her social media account. "We must ensure our state remains a place that embraces everyone and protects the dignity and rights of all people."

🎥Governor attends Equality Day event at the Kansas Statehouse

WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday rejected a Trump administration push to rebuke a federal judge who imposed a quick deadline to release billions of dollars in foreign aid.

By a 5-4 vote, the court told U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the Republican administration to release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-funding-freeze-musk-lawsuit-67e4c708955a652e5e4d39ce157d6113">nearly $2 billion in aid</a>&nbsp;for work that had already been done.

Although the outcome is a short-term loss for President Donald Trump’s administration, the nonprofit groups and businesses that sued are still waiting for the money they say they are owed. One of the organizations last week was forced to lay off 110 employees as a result, according to court papers.

It’s the second time the new administration has sought and failed to persuade the Supreme Court to immediately rein in a lower-court judge in legal fights over actions taken by Trump.

Justice Samuel Alito led four conservative justices in dissent, saying Ali lacks the authority to order the payments. Alito wrote that he is stunned the court is rewarding “an act of judicial hubris and imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers.”

The court’s action leaves in place Ali’s temporary restraining order that had paused the spending freeze, Ali is holding a hearing Thursday to consider a more lasting pause.

The majority noted that the administration had not challenged Ali’s initial order, only the deadline, which in any event passed last week.

The court told Ali to “clarify what obligations the government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines.”

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, two conservatives, joined the three liberal justices to form a majority.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined Alito’s dissent.

The Trump administration has argued that the situation has changed because it has replaced a blanket spending freeze with individualized determinations that led to the cancellation of 5,800 U.S. Agency for International Development contracts and another 4,100 State Department grants totaling nearly $60 billion in aid.

The federal government froze foreign aid after an executive order from Trump targeting what he called wasteful programs that do not correspond to his foreign policy goals.

The lawsuit that followed claimed that the pause breaks federal law and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-funding-freeze-musk-lawsuit-67e4c708955a652e5e4d39ce157d6113">shut down funding</a>&nbsp;for even the most urgent life-saving programs abroad.

Ali ordered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-judge-f995a8ccf69fc62826f69442196e94ed">the funding</a>&nbsp;temporarily restored on Feb. 13, but nearly two weeks later he found the government was giving no sign of complying and set a deadline to release payment for work already completed.

The administration appealed, calling Ali’s order “incredibly intrusive and profoundly erroneous” and protesting the timeline to release the money.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741188785146.png" alt="President Trump greets members of the U.S. Supreme Court after his address to Congress Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump greets members of the U.S. Supreme Court after his address to Congress Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;MARK SHERMANWASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday rejected a Trump administration push to rebuke a federal judge who imposed a quick deadline to release billions of dollars in foreign aid.By a 5-4 vote, the court told U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the Republican administration to release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-funding-freeze-musk-lawsuit-67e4c708955a652e5e4d39ce157d6113">nearly $2 billion in aid</a>&nbsp;for work that had already been done.Although the outcome is a short-term loss for President Donald Trump’s administration, the nonprofit groups and businesses that sued are still waiting for the money they say they are owed. One of the organizations last week was forced to lay off 110 employees as a result, according to court papers.It’s the second time the new administration has sought and failed to persuade the Supreme Court to immediately rein in a lower-court judge in legal fights over actions taken by Trump.Justice Samuel Alito led four conservative justices in dissent, saying Ali lacks the authority to order the payments. Alito wrote that he is stunned the court is rewarding “an act of judicial hubris and imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers.”The court’s action leaves in place Ali’s temporary restraining order that had paused the spending freeze, Ali is holding a hearing Thursday to consider a more lasting pause.The majority noted that the administration had not challenged Ali’s initial order, only the deadline, which in any event passed last week.The court told Ali to “clarify what obligations the government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741189044026.png" alt="President Trump with Justice Amy Coney Barrett before his Address to Congress on Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump with Justice Amy Coney Barrett before his Address to Congress on Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, two conservatives, joined the three liberal justices to form a majority.Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined Alito’s dissent.The Trump administration has argued that the situation has changed because it has replaced a blanket spending freeze with individualized determinations that led to the cancellation of 5,800 U.S. Agency for International Development contracts and another 4,100 State Department grants totaling nearly $60 billion in aid.The federal government froze foreign aid after an executive order from Trump targeting what he called wasteful programs that do not correspond to his foreign policy goals.The lawsuit that followed claimed that the pause breaks federal law and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-funding-freeze-musk-lawsuit-67e4c708955a652e5e4d39ce157d6113">shut down funding</a>&nbsp;for even the most urgent life-saving programs abroad.Ali ordered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-judge-f995a8ccf69fc62826f69442196e94ed">the funding</a>&nbsp;temporarily restored on Feb. 13, but nearly two weeks later he found the government was giving no sign of complying and set a deadline to release payment for work already completed.The administration appealed, calling Ali’s order “incredibly intrusive and profoundly erroneous” and protesting the timeline to release the money.

Supreme Court rejects Trump demand to freeze foreign aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — A president’s speech to Congress — even without the formal gloss of a State of the Union address — is typically a time for a call to national unity and predictable claims about the country being strong.

But that wasn’t President Donald Trump’s plan.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speech-congress-immigration-tariffs-guests-93f6107ede260854f90c65c4bde60de8">His speech on Tuesday night</a>&nbsp;was relentlessly partisan, boasting about his election victory and criticizing Democrats for failing to recognize his accomplishments.

The hard edge reflected Trump’s steamroller approach to his second term, brushing aside opposition and demanding loyalty throughout the federal government.

Trump airs grievances and inflates achievements

Trump set a tone of division almost from his first words, calling his predecessor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;the worst president in history and chiding Democrats as so stinting in their praise of him they would not even grant him perfunctory applause.

He placed himself alongside the country’s first president, George Washington, when discussing what he said were the flood of early achievements of his second term.

He was speaking to a house divided. Republicans stood and cheered. For Democrats, it was silence, with occasional shouts of protest, with the only applause when he announced that Ukraine wanted to restart peace negotiations.

Trump leaned hard into cultural flashpoints — his opposition to affirmative action, diversity programs and transgender rights.

He inflated the scale of his victory in November, the margin of which was actually among the smallest in American history. The tenor was more that of a campaign speech than an address to Congress.

In a stunning breach of protocol and a measure of the fractious politics, one Democrat, Rep. Al Green of Texas, stood up and shouted at Trump, gesturing toward the president with his cane. He refused to sit when asked by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who ordered him removed.

Trump described Democrats as a lost cause. “There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy,” he said.

Trump warms on Zelenskyy after days of hammering the Ukrainian leader

Trump has been unsparing in his criticism of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

But towards the end of his address, Trump read from a letter from Zelenskyy he had received earlier in the day.

“The letter reads Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Trump said. “Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians ... My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”

It remains to be seen if the letter will mark a detente in the long-complicated Trump-Zelenskyy relationship.

Late last week, Trump and Vice President JD Vance used an Oval Office meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">to rip Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;for being insufficiently grateful for the billions of dollars in U.S. aid poured into Ukraine. Trump then abruptly ended the White House meeting where the deal —designed to give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s deposits of titanium, lithium, manganese and more — was supposed to be signed.

On Monday, Trump ordered a “pause” in U.S. assistance to Ukraine as he looked to dial up the pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia.

Trump blames the soaring price of eggs on Biden, not bird flu

The president gave voice to a frustration of many Americans over rising costs of groceries — particularly the skyrocketing cost of eggs, but blamed Biden instead of the bird flu.

“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control — and we are working hard to get it back down,” Trump said.

His agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/record-egg-prices-usda-bird-flu-virus-92e9f5fbc4e0a792be484a4aee5b9c16">egg prices could still soar</a>&nbsp;more than 40% this year.

The main reason egg prices have increased to a record average of $4.95 per dozen this month is that more than 166 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the spread of bird flu that has overwhelmed flocks around the country.

The administration announced the USDA will invest another $1 billion on top of the roughly $2 billion it has already spent battling bird flu since the outbreak began in 2022.

Trump lavished praise on Elon Musk, the billionaire who he has tasked with overhauling the federal government and work force. Democrats tried to verbally fact check the president by shouting “false” at some of his assertions of success.

Musk, seated in the gallery above, stood when Republicans applauded him. Democrats held signs that said “Musk steals.”

The president said that Musk has found “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud,” vastly overstating his team’s accomplishments. For example, many canceled contracts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-federal-contracts-canceled-musk-trump-cuts-a65976a725412934ad686389889db0df">were already fully paid</a>, meaning the government received no savings.

He was dressed more formally than usual, wearing a dark suit with a blue tie rather than a black t-shirt that says “tech support.”

Musk has vast influence as a presidential adviser, leading Trump’s efforts to overhaul and downsize the federal government. Thousands of workers have been laid off, with many more expected to follow.

The president has long viewed the stock market as a lodestar. But he ignored Wall Street losses that wiped out gains since the November election.

The stock market has been tumbling as Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">enacts tariffs on Canada and Mexico</a>, critical trading partners that have been retaliating with their own levies. The dispute threatens to increase costs for American consumers even as the president promises to bring down prices.

Trump showed no interest in backing off, describing tariffs as integral to his political agenda.

“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening and it will happen rather quickly. There will be a little disturbance, but we’re ok with that.”

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she plans to announce retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. on Sunday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier on Tuesday diagnosed Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports as simply “a very dumb thing to do.”I

For rich foreigners, he talked up his plan to introduce a $5 million “gold card,” giving the wealthy preferred immigration status.

“We will allow the most success for job-creating people from all over the world to buy a path to U.S. citizen,” Trump said. “It’s like the green card, but better and more sophisticated.”

He also made his case that he’s for the everyman, redoubling on campaign promises to pursue three legislative efforts that could have huge impact on working Americans.

“I’m calling for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors,” Trump said.

At another point, he gushed that his trade policies will be a boon for the agriculture industry, even as farm-state senators have warned that tariffs could hurt them.

The president has always reveled in his reputation for tough talk. But a look back at 2017, when Trump gave his first speech to Congress in his first term, shows how Trump has only become more of a hardliner.

Eight years ago, he talked about working with Canada’s Trudeau to support women entrepreneurs in both countries. He paid homage to “our nation’s path towards civil rights.” He said “real and positive immigration reform is possible.” There was no reference to Barack Obama, who he replaced in the White House.

Now Trump is feuding with Trudeau over tariffs. He used his speech to criticize diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which he’s been swiftly eliminating across the federal government. His remarks on immigration focused on deporting criminals. And he repeatedly derided Biden.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741141441531.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A president’s speech to Congress — even without the formal gloss of a State of the Union address — is typically a time for a call to national unity and predictable claims about the country being strong.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Addresses Joint Session of Congress, March 4, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/5NSLncn9nK">https://t.co/5NSLncn9nK</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1897105699085410663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But that wasn’t President Donald Trump’s plan.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speech-congress-immigration-tariffs-guests-93f6107ede260854f90c65c4bde60de8">His speech on Tuesday night</a>&nbsp;was relentlessly partisan, boasting about his election victory and criticizing Democrats for failing to recognize his accomplishments.The hard edge reflected Trump’s steamroller approach to his second term, brushing aside opposition and demanding loyalty throughout the federal government.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Length of Presidents first address to Joint Session of Congress. <a href="https://t.co/NB522vfSjb">pic.twitter.com/NB522vfSjb</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1897138885244686817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143295073.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley enter the House chamber ahead of the address-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley enter the House chamber ahead of the address-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Here are key takeaways from the speech:<h2>Trump airs grievances and inflates achievements</h2>Trump set a tone of division almost from his first words, calling his predecessor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;the worst president in history and chiding Democrats as so stinting in their praise of him they would not even grant him perfunctory applause.He placed himself alongside the country’s first president, George Washington, when discussing what he said were the flood of early achievements of his second term.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143424839.png" alt="Image cortesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image cortesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>He was speaking to a house divided. Republicans stood and cheered. For Democrats, it was silence, with occasional shouts of protest, with the only applause when he announced that Ukraine wanted to restart peace negotiations.Trump leaned hard into cultural flashpoints — his opposition to affirmative action, diversity programs and transgender rights.He inflated the scale of his victory in November, the margin of which was actually among the smallest in American history. The tenor was more that of a campaign speech than an address to Congress.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143349954.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepAlGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepAlGreen</a> (D-TX) is removed from the Joint Session of Congress. <a href="https://t.co/GJVHJpZHGc">pic.twitter.com/GJVHJpZHGc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1897112970221531409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a stunning breach of protocol and a measure of the fractious politics, one Democrat, Rep. Al Green of Texas, stood up and shouted at Trump, gesturing toward the president with his cane. He refused to sit when asked by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who ordered him removed.Trump described Democrats as a lost cause. “There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143322340.png" alt="Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of the address-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of the address-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump warms on Zelenskyy after days of hammering the Ukrainian leader</h2>Trump has been unsparing in his criticism of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.But towards the end of his address, Trump read from a letter from Zelenskyy he had received earlier in the day.“The letter reads Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Trump said. “Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians ... My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”It remains to be seen if the letter will mark a detente in the long-complicated Trump-Zelenskyy relationship.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">First time Pres. Trump calls Sen. Elizabeth Warren &quot;Pocahontas&quot; directly while in same room ... <a href="https://t.co/504wEaBKAN">pic.twitter.com/504wEaBKAN</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1897134570111427064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Late last week, Trump and Vice President JD Vance used an Oval Office meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">to rip Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;for being insufficiently grateful for the billions of dollars in U.S. aid poured into Ukraine. Trump then abruptly ended the White House meeting where the deal —designed to give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s deposits of titanium, lithium, manganese and more — was supposed to be signed.On Monday, Trump ordered a “pause” in U.S. assistance to Ukraine as he looked to dial up the pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143729627.png" alt="First Lady Melania Trump enters the House Chamber -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>First Lady Melania Trump enters the House Chamber -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump blames the soaring price of eggs on Biden, not bird flu</h2>The president gave voice to a frustration of many Americans over rising costs of groceries — particularly the skyrocketing cost of eggs, but blamed Biden instead of the bird flu.“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control — and we are working hard to get it back down,” Trump said.His agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/record-egg-prices-usda-bird-flu-virus-92e9f5fbc4e0a792be484a4aee5b9c16">egg prices could still soar</a>&nbsp;more than 40% this year.The main reason egg prices have increased to a record average of $4.95 per dozen this month is that more than 166 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the spread of bird flu that has overwhelmed flocks around the country.The administration announced the USDA will invest another $1 billion on top of the roughly $2 billion it has already spent battling bird flu since the outbreak began in 2022.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143377190.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The looming presence of Elon Musk</h2>Trump lavished praise on Elon Musk, the billionaire who he has tasked with overhauling the federal government and work force. Democrats tried to verbally fact check the president by shouting “false” at some of his assertions of success.Musk, seated in the gallery above, stood when Republicans applauded him. Democrats held signs that said “Musk steals.”The president said that Musk has found “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud,” vastly overstating his team’s accomplishments. For example, many canceled contracts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-federal-contracts-canceled-musk-trump-cuts-a65976a725412934ad686389889db0df">were already fully paid</a>, meaning the government received no savings.He was dressed more formally than usual, wearing a dark suit with a blue tie rather than a black t-shirt that says “tech support.”Musk has vast influence as a presidential adviser, leading Trump’s efforts to overhaul and downsize the federal government. Thousands of workers have been laid off, with many more expected to follow.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741145611962.png" alt="New HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the address -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>New HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the address -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump presses forward with tariff fight</h2>The president has long viewed the stock market as a lodestar. But he ignored Wall Street losses that wiped out gains since the November election.The stock market has been tumbling as Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">enacts tariffs on Canada and Mexico</a>, critical trading partners that have been retaliating with their own levies. The dispute threatens to increase costs for American consumers even as the president promises to bring down prices.Trump showed no interest in backing off, describing tariffs as integral to his political agenda.“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening and it will happen rather quickly. There will be a little disturbance, but we’re ok with that.”Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she plans to announce retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. on Sunday.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier on Tuesday diagnosed Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports as simply “a very dumb thing to do.”I<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143803910.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump offers something for everyone</h2>For rich foreigners, he talked up his plan to introduce a $5 million “gold card,” giving the wealthy preferred immigration status.“We will allow the most success for job-creating people from all over the world to buy a path to U.S. citizen,” Trump said. “It’s like the green card, but better and more sophisticated.”He also made his case that he’s for the everyman, redoubling on campaign promises to pursue three legislative efforts that could have huge impact on working Americans.“I’m calling for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors,” Trump said.At another point, he gushed that his trade policies will be a boon for the agriculture industry, even as farm-state senators have warned that tariffs could hurt them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143905878.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>That was then, this is now</h2>The president has always reveled in his reputation for tough talk. But a look back at 2017, when Trump gave his first speech to Congress in his first term, shows how Trump has only become more of a hardliner.Eight years ago, he talked about working with Canada’s Trudeau to support women entrepreneurs in both countries. He paid homage to “our nation’s path towards civil rights.” He said “real and positive immigration reform is possible.” There was no reference to Barack Obama, who he replaced in the White House.Now Trump is feuding with Trudeau over tariffs. He used his speech to criticize diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which he’s been swiftly eliminating across the federal government. His remarks on immigration focused on deporting criminals. And he repeatedly derided Biden.

🎥Highlights of President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 6800 block of North Madison on a check the welfare call for service, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Officers were directed to a home on North Madison and located an adult male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. &nbsp;They also located an adult female victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Both parties were pronounced deceased on scene.

This is being investigated as a homicide, according to DiMartino

 Detectives are not looking for any suspects at this time. Investigators and crime scene personnel are working to determine what led up to the shooting.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 6800 block of North Madison on a check the welfare call for service, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Officers were directed to a home on North Madison and located an adult male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. &nbsp;They also located an adult female victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Both parties were pronounced deceased on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide, according to DiMartino Detectives are not looking for any suspects at this time. Investigators and crime scene personnel are working to determine what led up to the shooting.

Homicide: Man and woman found dead in Kansas City home

NEW YORK (AP) — A cybercrime crew stole then resold more than 900 digital tickets to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-numbers-2-billion-118a7f5ea4609c5d3072a29152e387bb">Taylor Swift concerts</a>&nbsp;and other pricey events on StubHub, according to prosecutors in New York.

The international scam involved people working in Jamaica for a firm contracted by the online ticket marketplace, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Monday.

The contractors stole the URLs of tickets purchased on StubHub and emailed them to others in New York, who then downloaded and resold them on StubHub at exorbitant prices, she said.

The crew raked in more than $600,000 in profits over roughly a year between June 2022 and July 2023, according to prosecutors.

The majority of the stolen tickets were for Swift’s Eras Tour, but the thieves also boosted ones for Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.

Katz added that investigators are still determining the extent of the operation, including other potential co-conspirators.

Two of those involved, Tyrone Rose and Shamara Simmons, were arrested and charged last Thursday with grand larceny, computer tampering and conspiracy charges, Katz's office said.

Rose, 20, was among those in Jamaica who re-directed purchased tickets to the emails of Simmons, 31, and another accomplice based in the New York City borough of Queens, according to prosecutors.

Rose was apprehended while he was visiting New York and was ordered to surrender his passport, Katz's office said Tuesday. He and Simmons pleaded not guilty and were released pending their next court date Friday.

The public defender's office representing Rose declined to comment, and lawyers for Simmons didn't immediately respond Tuesday.

StubHub said Tuesday that it had discovered the criminal scheme and reported it to authorities and its third-party customer service vendor.

The company said it has since terminated its relationship with the vendor and strengthened its security measures. All ticket orders so far identified as impacted by the theft have also been replaced or fully refunded, according to StubHub.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723064189320.png" alt="Taylor Swift in concert at Arrowhead Stadium-photo&nbsp; Kathryn Unruh" />
 <figcaption>Taylor Swift in concert at Arrowhead Stadium-photo&nbsp; Kathryn Unruh</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A cybercrime crew stole then resold more than 900 digital tickets to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-numbers-2-billion-118a7f5ea4609c5d3072a29152e387bb">Taylor Swift concerts</a>&nbsp;and other pricey events on StubHub, according to prosecutors in New York.The international scam involved people working in Jamaica for a firm contracted by the online ticket marketplace, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Monday.The contractors stole the URLs of tickets purchased on StubHub and emailed them to others in New York, who then downloaded and resold them on StubHub at exorbitant prices, she said.The crew raked in more than $600,000 in profits over roughly a year between June 2022 and July 2023, according to prosecutors.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733776996717.png" alt="File ph oto Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour" on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)" />
 <figcaption>File ph oto Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour" on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)</figcaption>
 </figure>The majority of the stolen tickets were for Swift’s Eras Tour, but the thieves also boosted ones for Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.Katz added that investigators are still determining the extent of the operation, including other potential co-conspirators.Two of those involved, Tyrone Rose and Shamara Simmons, were arrested and charged last Thursday with grand larceny, computer tampering and conspiracy charges, Katz's office said.Rose, 20, was among those in Jamaica who re-directed purchased tickets to the emails of Simmons, 31, and another accomplice based in the New York City borough of Queens, according to prosecutors.Rose was apprehended while he was visiting New York and was ordered to surrender his passport, Katz's office said Tuesday. He and Simmons pleaded not guilty and were released pending their next court date Friday.The public defender's office representing Rose declined to comment, and lawyers for Simmons didn't immediately respond Tuesday.StubHub said Tuesday that it had discovered the criminal scheme and reported it to authorities and its third-party customer service vendor.The company said it has since terminated its relationship with the vendor and strengthened its security measures. All ticket orders so far identified as impacted by the theft have also been replaced or fully refunded, according to StubHub.

Cybercrime crew stole then resold hundreds of tickets to Swift concerts

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused in the fatal shooting of his 1-year-old daughter in Wichita made a court appearance Tuesday.

Michael Tejeda, 25 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder, two counts of aggravated endangering a child and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 8:30p.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting inside a home in the 2200 block of S Santa Fe in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders discovered a 1-year-old girl who had sustained a gunshot wound to the upper body. 

EMS transported the child to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:27p.m.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Following an investigation, police arrested 25-year-old Michael Tejeda, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=244063&amp;currentInmatesOnly=True">as identified from sheriff's arrest records</a>. He is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

Another child in the home at the time of the incident was placed in police protective custody, according to Ford. Police interviewed the mother of the children and she was released.&nbsp; &nbsp;Tejeda remains jailed on a $500,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1740922571690.png" alt="Tejeda photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Tejeda photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused in the fatal shooting of his 1-year-old daughter in Wichita made a court appearance Tuesday.Michael Tejeda, 25 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder, two counts of aggravated endangering a child and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 8:30p.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting inside a home in the 2200 block of S Santa Fe in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders discovered a 1-year-old girl who had sustained a gunshot wound to the upper body. EMS transported the child to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:27p.m.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.Following an investigation, police arrested 25-year-old Michael Tejeda, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=244063&amp;currentInmatesOnly=True">as identified from sheriff's arrest records</a>. He is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.Another child in the home at the time of the incident was placed in police protective custody, according to Ford. Police interviewed the mother of the children and she was released.&nbsp; &nbsp;Tejeda remains jailed on a $500,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. dad charged in death of  1-year-old has history of crime

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LAURA%20UNGAR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LAURA UNGAR AP Science Writer</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-vaccines-who-840dbec753bef775aa043da3948b1f45">Measles</a>&nbsp;is not often seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">rural West Texas</a>.

Last week, an unvaccinated child died in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccinations-mennonites-4880035d6fd53cc029b531f5adda95ad">outbreak</a>, which involves more than 150 cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the last confirmed measles death in the United States was in 2015. The agency on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CDCgov/status/1896952684626006021">posted a message</a>&nbsp;on X saying that “CDC is on the ground in TX,” indicating that the state had requested federal assistance in investigating and controlling the outbreak.

Here’s what to know about the measles and how to protect yourself.

Where have measles cases been reported in the U.S.?

Besides Texas, which has had the most measles cases of any U.S. state this year, there are also nine cases in New Mexico. The state health department there has said there is no direct connection to the outbreak in Texas.

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Three measles clusters have qualified as outbreaks in 2025, the agency said. In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.

It's a respiratory disease caused by one of the world’s most contagious viruses. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.

“On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” said Scott Weaver, a center of excellence director for the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. “There’s only a few viruses that even come close to that.”

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

People who have had measles once can’t get it again, health officials say.

It usually doesn’t kill people, but it can.

Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. But about 1 in 5 unvaccinated Americans who get measles are hospitalized, the CDC said. Pregnant women who haven’t gotten the vaccine may give birth prematurely or have a low-birthweight baby.

Among children with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, the CDC said, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis — which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.

It’s deadly “in a little less than 1% of cases, mainly in children,” said Weaver, who works at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Children develop the most severe illness. The cause of death in these kinds of cases is usually pneumonia and complications from pneumonia.”

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

“Before a vaccine was developed in the 1960s, everybody got” measles, Weaver said. "But then when the vaccine came along, that was a complete game-changer and one of the most successful vaccines in the history of medicine.”

There is “great data” on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, he said, because it's been around for decades.

“Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” he said. “If we can maintain 95% of people vaccinated, we’re not going to see this happening in the future. And we’ve slipped well below that level in many parts of the country.”

Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners</a>&nbsp;— the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.

Do you need a booster if you got the MMR vaccine a while ago?

Health care professionals are sometimes tested for antibodies to measles and given boosters if necessary, Weaver said — even if they’ve already had the standard two doses as a child.

He said people at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may also want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

“But I don’t think everyone needs to go and run out to their doctor right now if they did receive two doses as a child,” he said. "If people would just get the standard vaccination, none of this would be happening.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740583865667.png" alt="A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LAURA%20UNGAR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LAURA UNGAR AP Science Writer</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-vaccines-who-840dbec753bef775aa043da3948b1f45">Measles</a>&nbsp;is not often seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">rural West Texas</a>.Last week, an unvaccinated child died in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccinations-mennonites-4880035d6fd53cc029b531f5adda95ad">outbreak</a>, which involves more than 150 cases.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the last confirmed measles death in the United States was in 2015. The agency on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CDCgov/status/1896952684626006021">posted a message</a>&nbsp;on X saying that “CDC is on the ground in TX,” indicating that the state had requested federal assistance in investigating and controlling the outbreak.Here’s what to know about the measles and how to protect yourself.<h2>Where have measles cases been reported in the U.S.?</h2>Besides Texas, which has had the most measles cases of any U.S. state this year, there are also nine cases in New Mexico. The state health department there has said there is no direct connection to the outbreak in Texas.Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Three measles clusters have qualified as outbreaks in 2025, the agency said. In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.<h2>What is measles?</h2>It's a respiratory disease caused by one of the world’s most contagious viruses. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.“On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” said Scott Weaver, a center of excellence director for the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. “There’s only a few viruses that even come close to that.”Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.People who have had measles once can’t get it again, health officials say.<h2>Can measles be fatal?</h2>It usually doesn’t kill people, but it can.Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. But about 1 in 5 unvaccinated Americans who get measles are hospitalized, the CDC said. Pregnant women who haven’t gotten the vaccine may give birth prematurely or have a low-birthweight baby.Among children with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, the CDC said, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis — which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.It’s deadly “in a little less than 1% of cases, mainly in children,” said Weaver, who works at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Children develop the most severe illness. The cause of death in these kinds of cases is usually pneumonia and complications from pneumonia.”<h2>How can you prevent measles?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.“Before a vaccine was developed in the 1960s, everybody got” measles, Weaver said. "But then when the vaccine came along, that was a complete game-changer and one of the most successful vaccines in the history of medicine.”There is “great data” on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, he said, because it's been around for decades.“Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” he said. “If we can maintain 95% of people vaccinated, we’re not going to see this happening in the future. And we’ve slipped well below that level in many parts of the country.”Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners</a>&nbsp;— the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.<h2>Do you need a booster if you got the MMR vaccine a while ago?</h2>Health care professionals are sometimes tested for antibodies to measles and given boosters if necessary, Weaver said — even if they’ve already had the standard two doses as a child.He said people at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may also want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.“But I don’t think everyone needs to go and run out to their doctor right now if they did receive two doses as a child,” he said. "If people would just get the standard vaccination, none of this would be happening.”___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

9 states report measles cases as outbreaks grow

By FATIMA HUSSEIN &nbsp;Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The people spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose the plans.

The layoffs are part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency by closing agencies, laying off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection and offering buyouts to almost all federal employees through a "deferred resignation program" to quickly reduce the government workforce.

A reduction in force of tens of thousands of employees would render the IRS "dysfunctional," said John Koskinen, a former IRS commissioner.

The federal tax collector employs roughly 90,000 workers total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data. People of color make up 56% of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65%.

Already, roughly 7,000 probationary IRS employees with roughly one year or less of service were laid off from the organization in February.

The organization also offered IRS employees — along with almost all federal employees across the government — "deferred resignation program" buyouts, though IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told earlier this month that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until mid-May, after the taxpayer filing deadline.

In addition to the planned layoffs, the Trump administration intends to lend IRS workers to the Department of Homeland Security to assist with immigration enforcement. In a letter sent in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to borrow IRS workers to help with ongoing immigration crackdown efforts.

Koskinen and six other former IRS Commissioners wrote in the New York Times earlier this month: "Aggressive reductions in the I.R.S.'s resources will only render our government less effective and less efficient in collecting the taxes Congress has imposed."

According to a White House memo sent to federal agencies in late February, agencies are to develop a report by March 13 on its reduction in force plans — but it is unclear whether the White House will approve the IRS' reorganization plan and over what period of time it would be implemented.

Representatives for the White House, the Treasury Department and IRS did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. The New York Times first reported the deliberations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690229574211.png" alt="File Photo AP" />
 <figcaption>File Photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>By FATIMA HUSSEIN &nbsp;Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, according to two people familiar with the situation.The people spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose the plans.The layoffs are part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency by closing agencies, laying off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection and offering buyouts to almost all federal employees through a "deferred resignation program" to quickly reduce the government workforce.A reduction in force of tens of thousands of employees would render the IRS "dysfunctional," said John Koskinen, a former IRS commissioner.The federal tax collector employs roughly 90,000 workers total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data. People of color make up 56% of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65%.Already, roughly 7,000 probationary IRS employees with roughly one year or less of service were laid off from the organization in February.The organization also offered IRS employees — along with almost all federal employees across the government — "deferred resignation program" buyouts, though IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told earlier this month that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until mid-May, after the taxpayer filing deadline.In addition to the planned layoffs, the Trump administration intends to lend IRS workers to the Department of Homeland Security to assist with immigration enforcement. In a letter sent in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to borrow IRS workers to help with ongoing immigration crackdown efforts.Koskinen and six other former IRS Commissioners wrote in the New York Times earlier this month: "Aggressive reductions in the I.R.S.'s resources will only render our government less effective and less efficient in collecting the taxes Congress has imposed."According to a White House memo sent to federal agencies in late February, agencies are to develop a report by March 13 on its reduction in force plans — but it is unclear whether the White House will approve the IRS' reorganization plan and over what period of time it would be implemented.Representatives for the White House, the Treasury Department and IRS did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. The New York Times first reported the deliberations.

Trump administration working to cut IRS workforce in half

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — First-term Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin accused President Donald Trump of driving up costs while pushing for an “unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends” in Tuesday night's Democratic response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speech-congress-immigration-tariffs-guests-93f6107ede260854f90c65c4bde60de8">his first joint congressional address</a>&nbsp;of his second term.

Slotkin, just months into her first term in the U.S. Senate after winning an open Michigan seat despite Trump carrying the state, said Trump “has not laid out a credible plan” to address rising everyday expenses for Americans. She said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">tariffs that went into effect</a>&nbsp;early Tuesday would only worsen the economy.

Slotkin spoke from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit, after Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history. In her opening, Slotkin acknowledged that “America wants change. But there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way.”

“We can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy,” said Slotkin.

In a speech that lasted an hour and 40 minutes, Trump claimed credit for “swift and unrelenting action” in reshaping the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy within his first weeks in office. The Republican-controlled House and Senate have done little to check the president’s agenda.

In her rebuttal, which lasted a little more than 10 minutes, Slotkin told Americans that “change doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe" and warned of the dangers of Trump's economic approach.

“For those keeping score, the national debt is going up, not down,” Slotkin said. “And if he’s not careful, he could walk us right into a recession.”

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst with an extensive background in national security, said the meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week must have had former President Ronald Reagan "rolling in his grave.”

Her remarks came as Democrats struggle to find a unified message to counter Trump. That was evident Tuesday night in the House chamber, where some Democratic members held placards with various messages. Some Democrats chose not to attend the speech at all while others sat in silence. Some shouted criticism at Trump, and one House member, Texas Rep. Al Green, was escorted from the chamber after repeatedly interrupting him.

Slotkin focused on economic issues after Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">Monday announcement</a>&nbsp;that 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada would begin Tuesday reignited fears of a North American trade war, which has already shown signs of driving up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gdp-economy-government-spending-lutnick-7414ba1bd441bd4bf64620bfd66923b2">inflation and stalling growth</a>.

“President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends,” she said. "He’s on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life.

“Grocery and home prices are going up, not down — and he hasn’t laid out a credible plan to deal with either.”

She also warned that democracy, which “has been the aspiration of the world,” is at risk.

“It’s at risk when the president decides to pick and choose what rules you want to follow, when he ignores court orders and the Constitution itself, or when elected leaders stand by and just let it happen,” Slotkin said.

Her team said her guest for the Trump address was Marine veteran Andrew Lennox, who recently spoke out after losing his job at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Ann Arbor due to cuts implemented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">Department of Government Efficiency</a>, or DOGE, led by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-emails-a3e7e9ab82f45bb15ef22bddab01f25e">Elon Musk</a>.

The 48-year-old Slotkin is seen as a leading figure in the party’s next generation. She first ran for office in 2018, defeating a two-term incumbent Republican. After redistricting, she consistently won one of the nation’s most competitive House seats, earning a reputation as one of the party’s top fundraisers. In 2023, she announced a run for Michigan's open Senate seat after Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-politics-debbie-stabenow-michigan-afb0e42225f76bd8def5eab701ae1297">Debbie Stabenow</a>&nbsp;announced she would not seek a fifth term.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — First-term Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin accused President Donald Trump of driving up costs while pushing for an “unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends” in Tuesday night's Democratic response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speech-congress-immigration-tariffs-guests-93f6107ede260854f90c65c4bde60de8">his first joint congressional address</a>&nbsp;of his second term.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">WATCH: Complete Democratic Response from Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin <a href="https://t.co/luPxKm02DB">pic.twitter.com/luPxKm02DB</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1897154192327761952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Slotkin, just months into her first term in the U.S. Senate after winning an open Michigan seat despite Trump carrying the state, said Trump “has not laid out a credible plan” to address rising everyday expenses for Americans. She said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">tariffs that went into effect</a>&nbsp;early Tuesday would only worsen the economy.Slotkin spoke from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit, after Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history. In her opening, Slotkin acknowledged that “America wants change. But there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way.”“We can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy,” said Slotkin.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741190728489.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>In a speech that lasted an hour and 40 minutes, Trump claimed credit for “swift and unrelenting action” in reshaping the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy within his first weeks in office. The Republican-controlled House and Senate have done little to check the president’s agenda.In her rebuttal, which lasted a little more than 10 minutes, Slotkin told Americans that “change doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe" and warned of the dangers of Trump's economic approach.“For those keeping score, the national debt is going up, not down,” Slotkin said. “And if he’s not careful, he could walk us right into a recession.”Slotkin, a former CIA analyst with an extensive background in national security, said the meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week must have had former President Ronald Reagan "rolling in his grave.”Her remarks came as Democrats struggle to find a unified message to counter Trump. That was evident Tuesday night in the House chamber, where some Democratic members held placards with various messages. Some Democrats chose not to attend the speech at all while others sat in silence. Some shouted criticism at Trump, and one House member, Texas Rep. Al Green, was escorted from the chamber after repeatedly interrupting him.Slotkin focused on economic issues after Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">Monday announcement</a>&nbsp;that 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada would begin Tuesday reignited fears of a North American trade war, which has already shown signs of driving up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gdp-economy-government-spending-lutnick-7414ba1bd441bd4bf64620bfd66923b2">inflation and stalling growth</a>.“President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends,” she said. "He’s on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life.“Grocery and home prices are going up, not down — and he hasn’t laid out a credible plan to deal with either.”She also warned that democracy, which “has been the aspiration of the world,” is at risk.“It’s at risk when the president decides to pick and choose what rules you want to follow, when he ignores court orders and the Constitution itself, or when elected leaders stand by and just let it happen,” Slotkin said.Her team said her guest for the Trump address was Marine veteran Andrew Lennox, who recently spoke out after losing his job at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Ann Arbor due to cuts implemented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">Department of Government Efficiency</a>, or DOGE, led by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-emails-a3e7e9ab82f45bb15ef22bddab01f25e">Elon Musk</a>.The 48-year-old Slotkin is seen as a leading figure in the party’s next generation. She first ran for office in 2018, defeating a two-term incumbent Republican. After redistricting, she consistently won one of the nation’s most competitive House seats, earning a reputation as one of the party’s top fundraisers. In 2023, she announced a run for Michigan's open Senate seat after Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-politics-debbie-stabenow-michigan-afb0e42225f76bd8def5eab701ae1297">Debbie Stabenow</a>&nbsp;announced she would not seek a fifth term.

🎥Democrat response: Senator Slotkin assails Trump, offers a way to fight back

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took credit for “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy Tuesday in an address to Congress and the American people about his turbulent first weeks in office, as Democratic legislators immediately registered their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out ’lies,” and one legislator’s ejection.

Trump's joint address to Congress was the latest marker in Trump’s takeover of the nation's capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">slash the size of the federal government</a>&nbsp;and remake America’s place in the world. With a tight grip on his party, Trump has been emboldened after overcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-impeachments-acquittals-320809e943345d0a9ce57314f93d94af">impeachments</a>&nbsp;in his first term and criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations to take sweeping actions that have featured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-reshaping-america-democracy-musk-executive-power-0e8b6724d45fcdb3e6f0cef05ae7b952">a dismantling of the federal government</a>, tensions with America’s allies and a trade war compounding economic uncertainty.

“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”

Trump, who has billionaire adviser Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy" and threatened federal workers anew with firings if they resist his agenda.

Musk, who was seated in the House gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as Trump exaggerated and shared false claims about alleged government “abuse” uncovered by the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his team of disrupters.

Trump repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-payments-deceased-false-claims-doge-ed2885f5769f368853ac3615b4852cf7">false claims</a>&nbsp;that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!”

Trump spoke at a critical juncture in his presidency, as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos. All the gains the S&amp;P 500 have made since Election Day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-trump-1ca865fa6abcca716b5e7c9281ea6e07">are now gone</a>, while consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening. For a president who believes that announcements of corporate investments can boost attitudes about the economy, the speech was suddenly a test of his ability to rebuild confidence in his economic leadership.

“Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families,” Trump said. He promised to organize the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, blaming his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for the situation and offering scant details of his own plans.

Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the U.S. illegally.

The backdrop was the new economic uncertainty unleashed after the president opened the day by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">placing stiff tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports from the country’s neighbors and closest trading partners. A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early Tuesday — ostensibly to secure greater cooperation to tackle fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trade-war-mexico-trump-9cefdded035a0b35e700a7ba0bfc34b4">triggering immediate retaliation</a>&nbsp;and sparking fears of a wider trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%.

Trump seemed prepared to double down on his trade war, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers.

“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump said.

Republicans were boisterous as Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers. The GOP lawmakers were jubilant, having won a trifecta of the White House, Senate and House in the elections. However, they face a high-stakes task of delivering on Trump’s agenda as well as avoiding a government shutdown later this month.

Across the aisle, out-of-power Democrats set the tone early, with most remaining seated without applauding or making eye contact with Trump as he was introduced in the chamber.

After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Texas Rep. Al Green removed from the chamber.

Other Democrats held up signs criticizing like “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans” during Trump’s remarks, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of Trump’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority.

Other Democrats in attendance chose to highlight the impact of Trump's actions by inviting fired federal workers as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. They also invited guests who would be harmed by steep federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs.

“It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Green told reporters after being thrown out of the chamber.

Trump used his speech to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-trump-ukraine-3bea1df50167ac0a91f8c419b58c4b97">his proposals</a>&nbsp;for fostering peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he has unceremoniously upended the policies of the Biden administration in a matter of just weeks. On Monday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-a15a459c9a3a393d040478ebbe250a9e">ordered a freeze to U.S.</a>&nbsp;military assistance to Ukraine, ending years of staunch American support for the country in fending off Russia’s invasion.

Trump was tightening the screws after his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-ukraine-russia-blowup-8aa63e55c859e8fea963911478c376ee">explosive Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the U.S. leader tries to pressure the erstwhile American ally to embrace peace talks with its invader.

Many Democratic lawmakers wore blue and yellow ties and scarves in a show of support for Ukraine.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who was wearing a blue and yellow tie Tuesday, accused Trump and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vance-zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-war-c095188d261f33f8ec1034ab76d517d9">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;of “bullying a statesman last week on behalf of a thug.”

In the Middle East, negotiations to extend a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled, with Trump floating the permanent displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and a U.S. “takeover” of the territory, straining partnerships with countries in the region and undoing longtime American support for a two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump were joined in the motorcade to the Capitol by billionaire presidential adviser Elon Musk, who is orchestrating Trump's efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government. Musk was seated in the House gallery overlooking where Trump spoke.

The whole scene for Trump's speech was a marked contrast to his final State of the Union address in his first term. Five years ago, Trump delivered his annual address just after the Senate had acquitted him during his first impeachment trial and before the COVID-19 pandemic had taken root across society.

As he finished, then-House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-michael-pence-politics-f8edd0389a1a8ba41322e0e34098aafb">Nancy Pelosi</a>, a Democrat, stood and dramatically ripped up a copy of Trump's speech.

Trump's Tuesday’s address, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-it-not-state-of-union-3bf88c02395141a6d9148a8f7c1e6e78">not referred to as a State of the Union</a>&nbsp;because he is still in the first year of his new term, will be received very differently, said Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-budget-republicans-health-care-4a13fc3528d7bf20ea52db4a5551c8bf">Johnson</a>.

“We will not be ripping up the speech tonight," the Republican said. “I would like to frame it in gilded gold.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741141522647.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took credit for “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy Tuesday in an address to Congress and the American people about his turbulent first weeks in office, as Democratic legislators immediately registered their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out ’lies,” and one legislator’s ejection.&nbsp; Click below to watch the replay.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump Addresses Joint Session of Congress, March 4, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/5NSLncn9nK">https://t.co/5NSLncn9nK</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1897105699085410663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump's joint address to Congress was the latest marker in Trump’s takeover of the nation's capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">slash the size of the federal government</a>&nbsp;and remake America’s place in the world. With a tight grip on his party, Trump has been emboldened after overcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-impeachments-acquittals-320809e943345d0a9ce57314f93d94af">impeachments</a>&nbsp;in his first term and criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations to take sweeping actions that have featured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-reshaping-america-democracy-musk-executive-power-0e8b6724d45fcdb3e6f0cef05ae7b952">a dismantling of the federal government</a>, tensions with America’s allies and a trade war compounding economic uncertainty.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741138448346.png" alt="President Trump and the First lady leave the White House for the Capitol-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and the First lady leave the White House for the Capitol-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”Trump, who has billionaire adviser Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy" and threatened federal workers anew with firings if they resist his agenda.Musk, who was seated in the House gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as Trump exaggerated and shared false claims about alleged government “abuse” uncovered by the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his team of disrupters.Trump repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-payments-deceased-false-claims-doge-ed2885f5769f368853ac3615b4852cf7">false claims</a>&nbsp;that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!”Trump spoke at a critical juncture in his presidency, as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos. All the gains the S&amp;P 500 have made since Election Day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-trump-1ca865fa6abcca716b5e7c9281ea6e07">are now gone</a>, while consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening. For a president who believes that announcements of corporate investments can boost attitudes about the economy, the speech was suddenly a test of his ability to rebuild confidence in his economic leadership.“Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families,” Trump said. He promised to organize the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, blaming his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for the situation and offering scant details of his own plans.Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the U.S. illegally.The backdrop was the new economic uncertainty unleashed after the president opened the day by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">placing stiff tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports from the country’s neighbors and closest trading partners. A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early Tuesday — ostensibly to secure greater cooperation to tackle fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trade-war-mexico-trump-9cefdded035a0b35e700a7ba0bfc34b4">triggering immediate retaliation</a>&nbsp;and sparking fears of a wider trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%.Trump seemed prepared to double down on his trade war, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers.“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump said.Republicans were boisterous as Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers. The GOP lawmakers were jubilant, having won a trifecta of the White House, Senate and House in the elections. However, they face a high-stakes task of delivering on Trump’s agenda as well as avoiding a government shutdown later this month.Across the aisle, out-of-power Democrats set the tone early, with most remaining seated without applauding or making eye contact with Trump as he was introduced in the chamber.After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Texas Rep. Al Green removed from the chamber.Other Democrats held up signs criticizing like “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans” during Trump’s remarks, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of Trump’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority.Other Democrats in attendance chose to highlight the impact of Trump's actions by inviting fired federal workers as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. They also invited guests who would be harmed by steep federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs.“It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Green told reporters after being thrown out of the chamber.Trump used his speech to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-trump-ukraine-3bea1df50167ac0a91f8c419b58c4b97">his proposals</a>&nbsp;for fostering peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he has unceremoniously upended the policies of the Biden administration in a matter of just weeks. On Monday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-a15a459c9a3a393d040478ebbe250a9e">ordered a freeze to U.S.</a>&nbsp;military assistance to Ukraine, ending years of staunch American support for the country in fending off Russia’s invasion.Trump was tightening the screws after his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-ukraine-russia-blowup-8aa63e55c859e8fea963911478c376ee">explosive Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the U.S. leader tries to pressure the erstwhile American ally to embrace peace talks with its invader.Many Democratic lawmakers wore blue and yellow ties and scarves in a show of support for Ukraine.Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who was wearing a blue and yellow tie Tuesday, accused Trump and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vance-zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-war-c095188d261f33f8ec1034ab76d517d9">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;of “bullying a statesman last week on behalf of a thug.”In the Middle East, negotiations to extend a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled, with Trump floating the permanent displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and a U.S. “takeover” of the territory, straining partnerships with countries in the region and undoing longtime American support for a two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict.Trump and first lady Melania Trump were joined in the motorcade to the Capitol by billionaire presidential adviser Elon Musk, who is orchestrating Trump's efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government. Musk was seated in the House gallery overlooking where Trump spoke.The whole scene for Trump's speech was a marked contrast to his final State of the Union address in his first term. Five years ago, Trump delivered his annual address just after the Senate had acquitted him during his first impeachment trial and before the COVID-19 pandemic had taken root across society.As he finished, then-House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-michael-pence-politics-f8edd0389a1a8ba41322e0e34098aafb">Nancy Pelosi</a>, a Democrat, stood and dramatically ripped up a copy of Trump's speech.Trump's Tuesday’s address, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-it-not-state-of-union-3bf88c02395141a6d9148a8f7c1e6e78">not referred to as a State of the Union</a>&nbsp;because he is still in the first year of his new term, will be received very differently, said Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-budget-republicans-health-care-4a13fc3528d7bf20ea52db4a5551c8bf">Johnson</a>.“We will not be ripping up the speech tonight," the Republican said. “I would like to frame it in gilded gold.”Trump said he had ended a “weaponized government” that he said Democrats had wielded against him, referring to his legal troubles over the years, claiming they were political persecution.The president also used his high-profile moment to press his efforts to reshape the country’s approach to social issues, as he looked to continue to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the country and to roll back some public accommodations for transgender individuals.Trump said he ended the “tyranny” of diversity, equity and inclusion policies that he rolled back for the federal government and military, along with pushing similar moves in the private sector. “Our country will be woke no longer,” he declared.Watching from the gallery with the first lady were guests including 15-year-old Elliston Berry, of Aledo, Texas, who was the victim of an explicit deepfake image sent to classmates.Other White House guests included Stephanie Diller, the widow of New York Police Department Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in March 2024; Marc Fogel, the Pennsylvania teacher who came home last month after years of detention in Russia, and his 95-year-old mother, Malphine; and relatives of Corey Comperatore, the former Pennsylvania fire chief who was killed as he protected his family during an assassination attempt on Trump last summer.Trump was also expected to recognize additional guests in the room.The Democrats' guests also include at least one government watchdog dismissed by Trump in his bid to emplace loyalists across positions of influence.Republicans lawmakers, too, are trying to make a point with their invited guests.Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa hosted Scott Root, father of the late Sarah Root, who died on the night of her 2016 college graduation in a vehicle crash involving an immigrant who was in the country without legal authority.Outside Washington, the latest round of public protest against Trump and his administration also unfolded Tuesday. Loosely coordinated groups held demonstrations at parks, statehouses and public grounds as protesters gathered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.They condemned his presidency as dangerous and un-American, though they cited a wide variety of actions they wanted to push back against, including the government cuts, Trump's tariffs and his stance on Ukraine.