Europe lashes out over Trump auto tariffs and the economic threat to both continents

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European automakers, already struggling with tepid economic growth at home and looming Chinese competition, on Thursday decried the U.S. import tax on cars as a new, heavy burden that would hurt companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. The stakes are huge for the European auto industry and for the overall economy. In 2023 European car makers exported 56 billion euros worth of vehicles and parts to the US, making the U.S. the No. 1 export destination for the industry and leaving it highly vulnerable to the Trump tariff. The industry supports 13.8 million jobs, or 6.1% of total EU employment.

Trump says Signal chat isn't 'really an FBI thing.' The FBI has a long history of such inquiries

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel may not have been part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans. But that didn’t spare Patel from being questioned by lawmakers this week about whether the nation’s premier law enforcement agency would investigate. Patel made no such commitments during two days of Senate and House hearings, instead testifying he had not reviewed text messages inadvertently shared with the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic. Even as President Donald Trump insisted “it’s not really an FBI thing,” the reality is the FBI and the Justice Department for decades have been responsible for enforcing Espionage Act statutes governing the mishandling of national defense information.

New US airstrike campaign targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels more intense than last, AP review finds

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Associated Press review finds a new American airstrike campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels appears more intense and more extensive. The U.S. is moving from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in city neighborhoods. The pattern under U.S. President Donald Trump reflects a departure from the Biden administration. Under Joe Biden, strikes were limited as Arab allies tried to reach a separate peace with the group. The new campaign comes after the Iran-backed Houthis threatened to resume attacking “any Israeli vessel” over the country’s refusal to allow aid into the Gaza Strip. The U.S. military said it would continue to strike the Houthis to "restore freedom of navigation and restore American deterrence.”

Tourist submarine sinks off Egypt's coast, leaving 6 dead, officials say, while 38 are rescued

CAIRO (AP) — A tourist submarine taking dozens of people, mainly Russians, to see the Red Sea's coral reefs sank off the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada, leaving six people dead and others injured, two municipal officials said Thursday. Emergency crews were able to rescue at least 38 Russians, the Russian consul in Hurghada told the country’s state news agency RIA Novosti. The report said 14 of them were hospitalized and the rest returned to their hotel. Russian and Egyptian officials did not immediately say what caused the submarine to sink.

Department of Health and Human Services will cut 10,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will eliminate 10,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring plan. The agency made the announcement Thursday. The agency is responsible for monitoring infectious diseases, inspecting foods and hospitals and overseeing health insurance programs for nearly half the country. The agency says it will decrease its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 positions. The cuts include layoffs, early retirements and voluntary separations, encouraged through buyout offers from the Trump administration. Layoffs are 10,000 workers, and the other 10,000 are early retirements and buyouts.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are still targets of hatred 5 years after pandemic surge

It was five years ago this month that COVID-19-fueled incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders became so frequent that a reporting center was formed. Stop AAPI Hate legitimized fears of a concurrent pandemic of xenophobia. Their data contributed to key legislation including the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. That time was also a turning point that galvanized groups and young people to engage in more activism within the Asian American community. Now, supporters of fighting anti-Asian hate are worried it will only intensify in a political climate of anti-immigrant policies, English-only laws and DEI rollbacks. So Stop AAPI Hate has expanded its focus beyond being a data hub to become a source of education on these issues.

French president says not all European allies agree on a proposed force for Ukraine

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says that France and Britain will continue to forge ahead with plans to deploy troops in Ukraine to secure an eventual peace deal with Russia, but he says that only some other nations want to take part. Macron was speaking after a summit of leaders of nearly 30 countries plus NATO and European Union chiefs who have been mulling the proposal. “These reassurance forces are a French-British proposal,” Macron said. “It is desired by Ukraine and noted by several member states that have expressed their willingness to join. It is not unanimous. That is known. Besides, we do not need unanimity to achieve it.”

Paris prosecutor calls for 18-month suspended sentence for Gérard Depardieu in sexual assault case

PARIS (AP) — Paris’ public prosecutor has requested that French actor Gérard Depardieu be found guilty and given a 18-month suspended prison sentence on the last day of the four-day trial over accusations by two women of sexual assault on a film set. The 76-year-old actor is accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021 of the movie “Les Volets Verts” or “The Green Shutters”. He denies the accusations. The actor faces up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000) if convicted. The verdict is expected at a later date.

Turkish student at Tufts University is latest Palestinian supporter swept up in US crackdown

BOSTON (AP) — A Turkish student ambushed by federal police as she walked on the streets of a Boston suburb is the latest supporter of Palestinian causes to be swept up in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants who have expressed their political views. U.S.. government lawyers said Thursday that 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, had been moved out of Massachusetts by the time her lawyer went to court and a judge ordered her to be kept in the state. The lawyers said that Ozturk, who was detained Tuesday, is in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Basile, Louisiana. They said her lawyer spoke with her Wednesday night.

Flyers fire coach John Tortorella in midst of another losing season

The Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Tortorella with nine games left in another losing season for a franchise that hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2020. The Flyers are last in the Metropolitan Division at 28-36-9 for 65 points under the notoriously brusque Tortorella. The Flyers suffered their sixth straight loss Tuesday 7-2 to Toronto. The Flyers named Brad Shaw the interim coach, starting with Thursday’s game against Montreal.