News

By HUIZHONG WU

BANGKOK (AP) — How do you persuade a population to have more babies after generations of limiting families to just one?

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A decade after ending China’s longtime one-child policy, the country’s authorities are pushing a range of ideas and policies to try to encourage more births — tactics that range from cash subsidies to taxing condoms to eliminating a tax on matchmakers and day care centers.

The efforts haven’t paid off yet. At least, that’s what population figures released Monday show for what is now the world’s second-most populous nation. China’s population of 1.4 billion continued to shrink, marking the fourth straight year of decrease, new government statistics show. The total population in 2025 stood at 1.404 billion, which was 3 million less than the previous year.

Measured another way, the birth rate in 2025 — 5.63 per 1,000 people — is the lowest on record since 1949, the year that Mao Zedong’s Communists overthrew the Nationalists and began running China. Figures before that, under the previous Nationalist government, were not available.

China was long the world’s most populous nation until 2023, when it was surpassed by regional neighbor and sometime rival India. Monday’s statistics illustrate the stark demographic pressures faced by the country as it tries to pivot from a problem it is working hard to overcome: status as a nation with a growing but transitional economy that, as is often said, is “getting old before it gets rich.”

Is a snake involved?

The number of new babies born was just 7.92 million in 2025, a decline of 1.62 million, or 17%, from the previous year. The latest birth numbers show that the slight tick upward in 2024 was not a lasting trend. Births declined for seven years in a row through 2023.

People catch a sight of the snow-covered Forbidden City from a pavilion with lantern decorations at the Jingshan Park a day after the snow fall, in Beijing, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Most families cite the costs and pressure of raising a child in a highly competitive society as significant hurdles that now loom larger in the face of an economic downturn that has impacted households struggling to meet their living costs.

Across the region, “it’s these big structural issues which are much harder to tackle, whether it’s housing, and work and getting a job and getting started in life and expectations around education…,” said Stuart Gietel-Basten, director of the Center for Aging Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “It’s gonna be difficult to make a major change in those number of births until those are addressed.”

Another potential factor in the numbers, at least for 2025: Last year in China was the year of the snake, considered one of the least favored years for having a child under the Chinese zodiac. The government’s official Xinhua News Agency, however, did say early last year — perhaps optimistically — that the snake “is shaking off its negative connotations.”

Like many other countries in Asia, China has faced a declining fertility rate, or the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. While the government does not regularly publish a fertility rate, last saying it was 1.3 in 2020, experts have estimated it is now around 1. Both figures are far below the 2.1 rate that would maintain the size of China’s population.

For decades, the Chinese government barred people from having more than one baby and often sanctioned those who did — a policy that produced more than two generations of only children. In 2015, the government raised the permitted amount of offspring to two and then, facing demographic pressure, further revised the limit to three in 2021.

Economics are behind the decision

The push for more births is about the economy. China now has 323 million people over 60, or 23% of the entire population. That number has continued to rise, while the working-age population is shrinking, meaning there are fewer workers to support the older population.

A visitor uses a smartphone to film the snow-covered Forbidden City from a pavilion at the Jingshan Park a day after the snow fall, in Beijing, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

This demographic shift is happening while China is in the process of trying to transition away from labor-intensive industries like farming and manufacturing into a consumer-driven economy built with high-tech manufacturing.

While China’s rapid development in manufacturing with high-tech and robotics can reduce the impact of a shrinking labor force, “the bigger concern is whether economic growth can stay afloat with a shrinking population,” said Gary Ng, senior economist for Asia Pacific at French investment bank Natixis.

China reported a 5% annual economic growth for 2025 on Monday, based on official data. But some analysts expect growth to slow over the next few years.

To cope with these massive changes, China will eventually need to reform its pension system, Ng said, as well as broaden the tax base to cope with the higher government expenditure.

People catch a sight of the snow-covered Forbidden City from a pavilion with lantern decorations at the Jingshan Park a day after the snow fall, in Beijing, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Officials have had limited success with policy changes to incentivize families to have more children. In July, the government announced cash subsidies of 3,600 yuan ($500) per child to families.

Coupling incentives with other attempts to mold behavior, the government also has started taxing condoms. China removed contraceptives, including condoms, from a value-added tax exemption list in 2025, meaning condoms are now being hit with a 13% tax that kicked into effect Jan. 1.

To further promote child-rearing, kindergartens and daycares have been added to the tax-exemption list, along with matchmaking services.

Researchers like Gietel-Basten say that young women want policies, especially in the workplace, that ensure they are not penalized for taking time off to have children, and that this is up to private companies to change. “It shouldn’t be this massive penalty,” he said.

Shihuan Chen in Beijing, Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong and Fu Ting in Washington contributed to this report.

SoundGround Homes Enhances Home Inspection Services in Northern California  beaconjournal.com

A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another high-speed train in southern Spain on Sunday, killing at least 21 people and injuring at least 73 others in the country’s deadliest train accident since at least 2013, authorities said.

The regional emergency services agency said 24 of the injured people were in serious condition. Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalusia government, said the death toll was expected to rise.

The trains collided at around 7:45 p.m. in Adamuz, near the city of Córdoba, along the main high-speed rail line connecting southern Spain with Madrid, the country’s landlocked capital.

The rear cars of the first train left the tracks and spilled onto the opposite track where another train was passing, causing the front two cars of the second train to also derail, Transport Minister Óscar Puente said.

The cause of the initial derailment was not immediately clear. Puente said the first train was just a few years old and that the section of track where the accident occurred had recently been renovated.

“The accident is extremely strange,” he said. “It happened on a straightaway. All the experts we have consulted are extremely baffled.”

The first train, operated by the private company Iryo, was traveling to Madrid from Málaga, on the country’s southern coast. The second train, operated by Spain’s national rail company, Renfe, had departed from Madrid and was bound for the southern city of Huelva, west of Seville.

Iryo said about 300 passengers were on board the first train at the time of the accident. Renfe has not said how many passengers the second train was carrying.

Spain ranks second worldwide in high-speed rail network length, behind China, according to the International Union of Railways.

Here’s what else to know:

— Rail suspensions: Rail traffic between Madrid and several major cities in southern Andalusia — including Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Huelva — will be suspended Monday, Spain’s state-owned rail infrastructure agency said in a statement.

— The victims: The Andalusia government set up an advanced medical post at the crash site to treat victims, and the Córdoba city government issued an urgent appeal for doctors to help treat the injured.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

General Daily Insight for January 19, 2026

Fresh air moves through our connections tonight. Early on, Mercury trines Uranus, which helps us test smaller changes or unique solutions. The headlining act for the day is the Sun swanning into Aquarius at 8:44 PM EST, turning our attention toward building teamwork and preparing for the future. We’re a social species, and we know it! Plus, once caring Venus conjoins transformative Pluto, we’ll be better equipped to discuss those ideal futures. We can begin building our dreams as a team.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Leap first, look later! Sometimes that attitude can get you in trouble, but with the Sun stepping into your 11th House of Hope, optimism can carry you far. Support from Mercury and Uranus could inspire you to pitch a unique solution to a complicated problem. When you plan ahead and stay willing to adapt along the way, you can do amazing things. While you’re moving quickly, though, try not to bowl over anyone who can’t keep up! Keep moving forward in your fast lane.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Recognition grows when you keep promises. Your 10th House of Honor opens its doors to receive the impactful Sun, kicking off a phase where you’ll potentially have to take a leadership position or manage a family duty. Someone in charge may demand details, but as long as you stay calm, you should be able to set more realistic expectations and deliver polished results without strain. Don’t hesitate to take breaks as needed to maintain your energy and keep making consistent progress.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Analyzing the big picture will be essential. With the enthusiastic Sun loping into your 9th House of Mental Expansion, curiosity is about to become your best guide. You might sign up for a class, yet the deeper win could come from more casual explorations of thoughtful ideas. Make a point of looking at things from fresh angles. Share a story with a trusted peer, allowing your minds to wander together in a way that strengthens your bond. Let questions lead you down satisfying paths.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

One conversation could change everything. Witty Mercury and unconventional Uranus initially empower your efforts to speak with those you care about on lighter topics. Then, the Sun entering your intense 8th house gifts you the strength to bring up something deeper — whether it’s an issue you have with this person or something you want their input on. Do your best to read the room before bringing up controversial subjects, especially if you’re talking in public. You can tell the truth without being unkind.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Leo, share your spotlight with care. Your 7th House of Connections opens as the life-giving Sun begins a fresh cycle there, asking you to balance bold expression with generous listening. A heartfelt conversation invites you to state needs clearly and honor theirs with matching warmth. You shine brightest when you make room for someone else to shine, because shared recognition strengthens bonds and smooths small power struggles right now. Choose generosity, stay curious, and let kindness lead, since partnerships truly flourish with steady warmth.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Quiet focus can unlock amazingly efficient rhythms. Your 6th House of Health gets a cosmic refresh as the Sun settles in, steering you toward habits that make many other tasks less tough to handle. You may reorganize some clutter, adjust your wake-up routine, or tailor your daily look to be more functional. Others may attempt to impose upon your time, but you’re allowed to refuse their demands. There’s no need to feel guilty about setting up your life in the way that works for you.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Intense feelings won’t capsize your boat today — though they may rock it. With Venus, Pluto, and the Sun all active in your charming 5th house, expressing yourself will be key to handling powerful emotions. Create something heartfelt! You could also work on an ongoing passion project. Your end goal should reflect your real taste, no matter what others think of it. That said, it might be fun to invite nonjudgmental pals to work alongside you on their own undertakings. Invite playful closeness without pressure.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Home feels safer as plans align. The sparkling Sun turns on the lights in your 4th House of Nesting, inviting you to fortify your base with practical moves. If you’ve got the time, look for a room that could use a little rearranging. Too busy for much? Try something small, like putting on a clean pillowcase or setting out your breakfast prep before bed. Even minor efforts can increase comfort and reduce friction in the home. Stabilize your private world before tackling public goals.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Morning news carries curious sparks forward. The majestic Sun parades into your 3rd House of Messages, inspiring friendly outreach that connects you with people who can brighten your day. A compliment from a stranger can drastically lift your mood — and, in turn, you can bring joy to others by complimenting them. People should appreciate others noticing things they’ve actively chosen, so praising someone’s vibrant accessories will probably have more meaning than praising their eye color. Radiate the kind of energy you want to receive!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Capricorn, step forward with fresh confidence. The Sun is trotting into your 2nd House of Manifestation — this is your phase to prepare for next month, when the Sun will enter your sign. Make plans to tackle your goals, keeping a careful eye on anything that needs preparation in advance. For example, if a major purchase is nearing, start saving extra ASAP. You’re the agent of change in your life, and the Sun is just here to deliver the energy to incite those changes.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

New light warms your personal sky. The Sun is marching into your sign, beginning Aquarius Season with the unique verve your sign is known for. This boosts your introductions, allowing you to step into rooms with fresh purpose. Set bold intentions, then follow through with vigor. When others see your sincerity, you attract supportive allies. You can ask for what you need without apology, then return the favor to others in need. Your example uplifts everyone right now, so take the wheel!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Something is tugging at your conscience today. Tender closure beckons as the Sun leaves your sign, instead empowering your intimate 12th house. This invites compassion for stories that tug at your heart. A private ritual, such as journaling, should help you release pressure. You can breathe easier as forgiveness grows and clarity returns in waves. Because your empathy runs strong, you may want to avoid people who drain you. Rest without guilt so your dreams are better able to restore your energy. Give yourself space.

MIAMI — As the Miami Heat took flight Sunday for Monday night’s start of their five-game western swing against the Golden State Warriors, the most intriguing aspect might have been what was under lock and key.

Because no sooner did the Heat shock the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 122-120 Saturday night at Kaseya Center, than guard Norman Powell noted a super-secret stat that he said provided the motivation to bounce back from Thursday night’s discouraging home loss to the Boston Celtics from 19 up.

“We have a goal in mind,” Powell said, “Coach gave us a stat from last year, and we want to reach that. Definitely felt a little let down after the Boston game. But the way we came together in between the games and talked about it, watched film, I thought we came out and set the right tone and played to our identity.”

And that stat from Erik Spoelstra was?

“That’s between us,” Powell said. “That’s internal, something that we want to reach for.”

A logical place would be the possession game. The Heat closed Saturday night’s victory over the defending-champion Thunder with 111 shots from the field to 77 for the Thunder, a statistic built on committing only four turnovers while forcing 15 and a 33-9 edge on second-chance points, with 21 offensive rebounds to the Thunder’s five.

“We were able to sustain our identity offensively, defensively, throughout the course of the game,” Powell said, perhaps offering his own hint.

It is an approach that works only when the buy-in is complete.

“We’ve got to be a team that’s collectively making plays to help win us the game,” Powell said. “Some nights it’s not going to be yours and some nights it is. But as long as we’re pulling in the right direction, pouring encouragement and confidence into everybody that’s coming in the game and everybody is making winning plays and sacrifice plays, that’s what it’s about.

“And I think we found a blueprint, and we know the blueprint, and it’s on us to sustain it.”

So far, little has been sustained on the road, with the Heat in the midst of a season-worst three-game road losing streak, at 7-13 away from Kaseya Center.

With Saturday night’s victory, the Heat have now defeated the leaders in both the East (Detroit Pistons) and West (Thunder) this season, while also losing to the worst in the East (Indiana Pacers) and second-worst in the West (Sacramento Kings, a team the Heat face on Tuesday night on the second night of the trip).

“The thing about this team,” Powell said, “is we can beat anybody and we can lose anybody. It’s all about our mentality and our approach and being collective.”

The victory over the Thunder concluded a three-game homestand that opened with a victory over the resurgent Phoenix Suns, featured that competitive game against the Celtics, and then Saturday’s stunner.

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With the Heat at 22-20, Spoelstra is not overstating where his team stands. But he is optimistic.

“All three of these games,” Spoelstra said of the homestand, “you see a Miami Heat competitive collective will out there. And that for sure, we’ll build on. It’s a great opportunity in front of us. We have a whole second half of the season to go. This should set up to be a lot of fun.”

Center and team captain Bam Adebayo said no matter the stats being preached by Spoelstra, it’s just as much about a matter of will.

“He’s a maniac,” he playfully said of Spoelstra’s drive. “He’s not going to stop. He’s going to keep saying it until, like, everybody buys in. And you want a coach like that. He cares about the small details. He cares about the way our offense looks. He cares about how we give effort on defense.

“And when you buy in, you get gratifying wins like this. This is not because we played a certain game. It’s really because we bought into what he was preaching.”

Herro stays back

Guard Tyler Herro, who missed Saturday’s game with a rib contusion, did not travel with the team Sunday.

Asked about Herro having already missed 31 games this season, Spoelstra said Saturday, “There’s going to be daily stuff that happens with everybody. We can’t necessarily look at because you missed the first part of the year that you’re not going to have your normal things that happen in an NBA season. This shouldn’t be long-term. We’ll just continue to treat him and see how he responds.”

Davion Mitchell (shoulder) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. appear tracking toward a Monday return, with both upgraded to probable for Monday.

It’s hard to say what’s stranger: The University of Miami actually plays in Monday night’s national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium or it has forfeited any rights of being a good and surprising story to the Indiana Cinderellas.

All national odes are to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti for his good work. All praise is for a Hoosier team with no five-star recruits and only two, four-star recruits among its starters. Indiana, true to its sad-sack history, was a 100-to-1 betting longshot at season’s start to reach this championship game.

“No one gave us a chance but us,” Cignetti said.

Excuse me, can we stop right there?

Cinderella is a neat and dandy storyline for Indiana, as everyone keeps repeating. But Cinderella also is an overbearing, 7 1/2-point favorite to win this game.

That’s the second-largest spread in the 12-year history of the College Football Playoff championship. It’s more than a touchdown. It’s the kind of spread that says Vegas expects Indiana to win in a borderline rout, and so should you if you want to cash in.

Can the glass slipper really fit Goliath?

Because the only thing crazier than the cheapest ticket to the game being $3,708.90 on Ticketmaster as of Sunday afternoon is this notion that the Hurricanes don’t have every right to feel just as warm and fuzzy about their season, too.

Did anyone expect Miami to reach this night?

Anyone at all?

Miami is doing this with: quarterback Carson Beck, who Georgia dumped after a debilitating elbow injury last season; a freshman sensation in Malachi Toney, who was 17 at season’s start; and with a star edge rusher in Rueben Bain Jr., who keeps being told his arms by are too short.

“This again?” he said Saturday when his arms were mentioned.

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Texas A&M said it before Miami’s playoff win. Ohio State repeated it before Miami’s playoff win. And now here it is a topic of media conversation before Monday so …

“I was told I was too light my whole career,” said Jason Taylor, Bain’s defensive line coach and Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer. “How’d that work out?”

There are heartwarming tomes written about the rise of Cignetti and his staff from Podunk U. to college football’s biggest stage. But how about Miami coach Mario Cristobal’s first head coaching job being at Florida International University — where he was fired?

“Best thing that could’ve happened to me,” Cristobal said.

Miami’s defensive coordinator, Corey Hetherman, has a background that’s a tour of small-college football: Fitchburg State (Mass.), Kings (Pa.), Springfield (Ga.), Northeastern, Western New England, Old Dominion Pace, Maine …

“You learn every step of the way,” he said.

At Maine and later at James Madison, Hetherman coached under Cignetti and became best friends with Bryant Haines, the current Indiana defensive coordinator. Haines was best man in Hetherman’s wedding.

“I learned a lot of football from him — he’s incredibly smart,” Hetherman said.

Miami has the history of five national championships so long ago. But Indiana has been a wagon this season in going undefeated. Miami lost two games to unranked teams. Indiana won the Big Ten, beating defending national champion Ohio State in the conference championship game.

Miami didn’t even make the ACC championship game thanks to its second loss of the season, against SMU.

“I think you really find out everything you’re about and what your people are all about in those moments,” Cristobal said. “As you look across the country, several teams, after a loss or two, pack their bags and that’s it, it was over.

“Let’s call it what it is; everyone was throwing dirt on our grave already and buried us, and that’s good. It’s good for the soul. It’s good for you from a mentality standpoint so you understand and recognize more than ever that all that matters are the people inside the building.”

Sure, Miami sounds like a good, football story more than a classic underdog story. It will never out warm and fuzzy Indiana anyway in this game. But it was a 35-to-1 long shot at season’s start to be in this title game.

Cinderella goes to the ball Monday night as an 7.5-point favorite. It’s fit for the glass slip no matter what happens. And that’s fine with Miami.

“We’re not a fairy tale kind of team,” as one Miami official said.

Give Indiana the glass slipper. Miami wants the crown.

By Tony Capaccio, Margi Murphy and Jeff Stone, Bloomberg News

The U.S. is taking steps to vastly increase the number of law enforcement agents and potentially send military personnel to Minneapolis, where immigration agents have tangled with residents protesting their tactics.

The Pentagon has ordered 1,500 U.S. troops based in Alaska to prepare to deploy to Minnesota as a precautionary measure in case the administration decides to send them, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The unit of the 11th Airborne Division is a cold-weather unit nicknamed “The Arctic Angels.”

At the same time, the FBI is sending messages to its agents nationwide seeking volunteers to temporarily transfer to Minneapolis. It wasn’t immediately clear what the FBI would ask agents who volunteered to travel to Minneapolis to do. FBI agents have traditionally focused on national security-related tasks such as counter-terrorism, organized crime and high-profile violent offenses, not street patrols or immigration-related enforcement.

These actions come as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mobilized the state’s National Guard to support local law enforcement and emergency management agencies. Minneapolis has become a focal point of anti-ICE protests since an officer shot and killed Renee Good on Jan. 7 while she was in her car.

“They are not deployed to city streets at this time, but are ready to help support public safety, including protection of life, preservation of property and supporting the rights of all who assemble peacefully,” the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said in a post on X regarding the mobilization.

Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have denounced the crackdown by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, accusing the Trump administration of sowing chaos and violence through the operations and demanding that the federal personnel leave.

The Washington Post first reported the Pentagon’s preparations for possible troop deployment.

FBI involvement

FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday visited the city, according to a post shared on Patel’s X account. Patel said in the post that the FBI was “cracking down on violent rioters and investigating the funding networks supporting the criminal actors with multiple arrests already.”

Roughly one-quarter of agents within the bureau were assigned to work on immigration-related duties, according to data that Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, shared with media outlets in October.

President Donald Trump last week threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy military troops on U.S. soil, though he backed away from that move a day later. The 1807 act permits the president to assume control of a state’s National Guard — as he did in California and elsewhere last year — or deploy active-duty troops to quell a rebellion.

The last time the power was invoked was when President George H.W. Bush deployed troops to quell the looting and burning of Los Angeles during violent protests against police brutality in 1992 following the verdict in the Rodney King case.

“We have to send more officers and agents just to protect our officers to carry out their mission,” ICE Director Todd Lyons said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “The majority of those are there to protect the men and women who are already there. Now we need 10-15 officers per arrest to protect each other” against protesters.

Social media is filled with residents’ recordings of ICE agents using extraordinary force against people yelling at them, including arresting them, spraying chemical agents, or pushing them to the ground.

Blanche, speaking on Fox News Sunday, denied that agents were acting with undue harshness. “These blatant accusations that they’re violating the First Amendment or somehow committing crimes are not only completely false, but they’re doing real damage to our law enforcement officers around the country.”

U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez last week ordered ICE agents not to retaliate against peaceful protesters and banned the use of pepper spray or other “crowd dispersal tools,” as well as ordering federal agents not to stop protesters in vehicles, like Good, who were not directly interfering with their immigration work.

Minneapolis Mayor Frey insisted that any increase in law enforcement in the city was unnecessary, and called the possible use of the Insurrection Act, a “shocking step.”

Noting that crime is down across the city, Frey said the unrest is caused by the presence of “thousands of ICE agents and border control and apparently military, even, potentially on our streets.”

_____

(With assistance from María Paula Mijares Torres.)

_____

©2026 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

National championship: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana

When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens

TV: ESPN

Coaches: Mario Cristobal 35-18 at UM, (97-78 overall); Curt Cignetti 26-2 at Indiana (145-37 overall)

Line: Indiana is favored by 7.5 points

Weather: 62 degrees, 0 percent chance of precipitation

Quick slant: Neither of these teams were likely national champions at the start of the season, and they took different paths to get to this game. UM overcame two midseason losses and had to beat two top SEC teams and the reigning national champions to reach the title game. Indiana, which entered the season as the losingest Division I program in the nation, has gone undefeated en route to Monday’s title game.

About No. 10 Miami (13-2): The Hurricanes snuck past Ole Miss in the semifinals, scoring a last-minute touchdown and surviving a desperate drive from the Rebels. UM has won five national championships, but has not played in a title game since the 2002 season.

About No. 1 Indiana (15-0): The Hoosiers have not seen much success in the program’s 139-year history. Indiana won its third Big 10 championship by beating Ohio State, and the Hoosiers routed Alabama and Oregon in the playoffs before facing UM.

Three things to watch

1. The Hurricanes will have to slow down Hoosiers Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Miami native has thrown more touchdown passes (eight) than incompletions (five) in the playoffs. Miami will have to find a way to contain him even though it is short on cornerbacks: Xavier Lucas will miss the first half of the game after being called for targeting penalty against Ole Miss, Damari Brown has missed every playoff game due to a foot injury and is questionable for Monday, and OJ Frederique Jr. has been banged up, playing just five snaps against Ole Miss.

2. Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck will have to avoid turnovers against the Hoosiers. Indiana has 18 interceptions this season, including D’Angelo Ponds‘ game-opening pick-six against Oregon. Indiana is the No. 1 team in the nation in turnover margin (21 more takeaways than giveaways), so UM will need to be careful with the ball.

3. Miami will have to play mistake-free football against Indiana. The Hoosiers capitalize on other teams’ mistakes, and UM has been prone to errors this season. The Hurricanes are 85th nationally with 57.1 penalty yards per game. After having only four penalties for 30 yards in its first two playoff games, Miami had 10 penalties for 74 yards against Ole Miss in the semifinals.

MIAMI — Miami Hurricanes special teams analyst Ferras Isa is the guardian of the unit’s secret weapon.

One of his tasks is to prepare small shots of Cuban-style espresso for the staff and for the special teams players, who do a quick shot of cafecito before each game.

“Ferras makes the best coffee on the staff,” said UM coach and Miami native Mario Cristobal. “It’s part of his obligations and duties as an assistant coach. And he does, he makes the best one. In terms of the other ones, I don’t want to get into a competitive warfare in Miami as to who makes the best coffee, but it’s certainly an offseason project that I look forward to delving into.”

The Hurricanes’ special teams players have been caught on camera, drinking Isa’s coffee as they get ready for each game.

“He likes to call himself the Cafecito Coordinator,” UM special teams coach Danny Kalter told The Athletic.

Miami things

The Canes took shots of cafecito before the semis

MIAMI BEACH — The play continued, but Carson Beck knew he was done.

A Texas defender strip-sacked Beck, who was the Georgia starting quarterback in the SEC title game, and Beck landed in a heap on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field.

“Obviously, I felt my arm. I felt everything,” Beck said. “It was one of the lowest moments of my life.”

Beck returned for one final play — to hand the ball off on the game-winning touchdown replacement Gunner Stockton had to come off the field — but his Bulldogs career was over, too.

Fast forward a year, and Beck is now the starting quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes as they get ready to play Indiana on Monday in the program’s first national title game since 2003. Beck got Miami to this point, running in the game-winning touchdown against Ole Miss in the playoff semifinal.

“Running into the end zone at Ole Miss, that was one of the highest moments of my life, one of the better memories that I’ll always hold onto and cherish,” Beck said. “Obviously, it’s been a crazy year of ups and downs, but to be able to get back to this point, it’s really awesome.”

Beck’s season-long tenure at Miami has come with its own ups and downs. He started off on a high, helping lead the Hurricanes to an upset victory over Notre Dame in the season-opener. But the lows came soon after. Beck threw four interceptions in a loss to Louisville.

“This is when I knew that, really, we were going to be fine because I went up to the office the next day, and he was extremely positive,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “I was probably more down than he was. But he was very positive, very move-on type approach.”

Beck did throw two more interceptions in a second loss to SMU (though one bounced off a receiver’s hands), but as the Hurricanes surged into the playoffs in the season’s final month, Beck was a major reason why. In UM’s last seven wins — including the program’s first three playoff victories — Beck has completed 74.4 percent of his passes for 1,634 yards. Most importantly, he had 15 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.

“His superpower is understanding football,” Dawson said. “He dissects the game very quickly in the run and pass game. In the run game, he does things that are next level, as far as getting people moved around and targeted up. Our run-game system has grown over time, and it takes a guy to understand where the fits are, especially with receivers and how their safeties are fitting or who the extra fitter is. So he’s really elite at that. And in the pass game, he takes care of the football.”

UM coach Mario Cristobal, who recruited Beck to Miami, has called Beck “misunderstood.” He said Beck is locked in on winning and helping people around him.

“His experience, both good and bad, has allowed him to come in and establish himself very quickly as a leader and one that has helped groom leadership within the team itself,” Cristobal said. “It starts with the fact that he’s an unselfish person. Tons of gratitude to him. He wants to win and he wants to see people around him do really, really well. He has absolutely zero interest in personal accolades and all that attention. He wants to do right by people.”

Beck’s Miami and college career will end in either celebration or dejection on Monday night. Beck won a pair of national titles as a backup at Georgia, but now he will try to win one as the starting quarterback.

“Obviously, it feels awesome,” Beck said. “To finally be the guy and the quarterback, a part of a team that has done this and gone through a season and eventually earned the opportunity to play in a national championship, obviously it’s a dream of mine.”

MIAMI BEACH — When D’Angelo Ponds left South Florida, he was a fringe prospect listed as the No. 1,966 recruit in the 2023 class. He was headed to James Madison University, a Sun Belt team one year removed from playing in the FCS division.

Ponds, a Chaminade-Madonna alum, is back in South Florida now, looking to beat his hometown team, the Miami Hurricanes, and win a championship with Indiana at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night.

“It’s definitely a full circle moment for me,” Ponds said. “Just going to a stadium that I drove past every day — I live probably like five minutes away from the stadium — it’s just definitely a full-circle moment. Just watching the teams play in that stadium as well, and being my hometown, it’s definitely a blessing.”

Ponds was not expected to become a star player. Ponds, who was a South Florida Sun Sentinel All-County second-team pick as a senior, is 5 foot 9, which is considered short for a cornerback. But then-James Madison coach Curt Cignetti did not care about that.

“He was a guy who didn’t look at the size. He looked at the film,” Ponds said. “He was a guy who actually watched the film and (saw) how it affects the game instead of looking at size and letting that dictate me as a player. He was a guy who is going to play the best player on the field no matter how old you are or anything like that.”

Ponds rewarded Cignetti’s faith immediately.

“You saw it in camp right away,” Cignetti said. “First week of camp, he’s out there, he was holding a little bit, but he cleaned that up and became a starter. When he became my starter my last year at JMU, I think it was down at Troy … they had won the Sun Belt the year before, and we beat them at Troy. He started and he made plays right off the bat, first series that impacted the game, and he’s been a great player ever since.”

Ponds ended his first season with 51 tackles, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus gave him an 89.6 defensive grade, which was eighth in the nation. He was named a Sun Belt All-Conference second-team selection and an FWAA Freshman All-American.

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“He’s been a great player,” said UM wide receiver Jojo Trader, who was teammates with Ponds in high school. “He’s been doubted his whole life because he’s small and stuff like that. But he’s got grit and he’s just hungry.”

When Cignetti left for Indiana after the 2023 season, Ponds deliberated on his future. After going through spring football at James Madison, Ponds opted to follow Cignetti to Indiana.

“He might be the best player I’ve ever coached that was with me throughout his entire career, in terms of consistency, production,” Cignetti said.

Ponds’ play has not slipped since he arrived in the Big 10. In 2024, he was a second-team All-American. He had another strong season in 2025, making 56 tackles with two interceptions — one of which was a game-opening pick-six against Oregon in the playoff semifinals.

“It’s been a blessing, honestly, … taking advantage of all my opportunities that I’ve gotten, not letting any doubters or naysayers affect me at all, and just to keep going and see how far I came,” Ponds said. “It’s just a blessing just to honestly prove everybody wrong and let the smaller guys know that they can do it, too, as well. I feel like a lot of those guys, they look up to me, and I feel like I’m just letting them know that they can do it.

Although the hometown Hurricanes overlooked him in his recruitment, Ponds said there are no hard feelings. He just wants to win on Monday.

“It’s just another game to me, honestly,” Ponds said. “It’s a national championship, an important one, but we’re just here to win a game.”

MIAMI — On one side of Monday’s national title game is the ultimate Cinderella story: Indiana was the losingest program in Division I history until this season. The Hoosiers are now one win away from an undefeated season en route to the program’s first championship.

On the other side, a Cinderella story in its own right: a Miami team that has not won a championship in nearly a quarter of a century. UM needed to sneak into the playoffs with two losses and beat two top SEC teams as well as last year’s national champions to get to Monday’s title bout, which is being played in their home stadium.

So what would it mean for these teams to hoist the championship trophy?

“It would mean we’re the national champion,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said at the coaches’ press conference on Sunday morning.

Cristobal nodded. “It would mean we’re the national champions,” he said.

Neither coach is interested in narratives or outside noise, even if everybody else is. Both coaches are locked in on preparing their respective teams to kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.

“I don’t think the external stuff has ever been a motivator for our team,” Cristobal said. “I think it’s always been internal. I think our guys always want to prove themselves right. And I think the confidence and the trust in each other was something that just continued to build momentum throughout the course of the season. It was a matter of just finally just looking at each other, looking in the mirror and making a commitment to work out the details to allow us to win in the margins.”

Cristobal has been asked frequently about Miami teams in the past and whether the Hurricanes are finally “back.” He never dwells on the question. He will compliment those teams, but he says this year’s UM team is different from the championship teams of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He does not want to go “back.”

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“It’s nostalgia theater in this country,” Cristobal said on The Kevin Clark Show in September. “Everyone wants to go back, back, back. Well, we don’t want to go back. We want to go forward and take the principles of that brand of football and we want to take it forward.”

Cristobal reiterated Sunday that the Hurricanes are not getting caught up in sentimentality as they prepare for Monday’s game.

“Everyone is uniquely special and different and has brought something different to the lives of all the people around them,” Cristobal said. “But I don’t see us getting caught up in any nostalgic moments or whatnot. I just really sense that our team was really focused, that they were really intent on carrying out the rest of the day’s processes, knowing the tremendous opportunity that we have.”

Indiana has never played on this type of stage before, and the Hoosiers are the heavy favorites. But Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is demanding his team be locked in for the game on Monday, too. He said he saw an ESPN report that his team’s players were hugging each other and exchanging kind words after practice on Friday, and while that is nice, the time for that has passed.

“I think leading up to this game there’s been a lot of pro-Indiana hype, a lot of rat poison out there,” Cignetti said. “I happened to see Holly Rowe’s thing on social media this morning about our guys hugging each other at the end of practice. It is a close team, and I witnessed quite a bit of sentimentalism throughout the week from some of our seniors who we’ve been with quite a long time.

“I think it’s time to sharpen the saw now, throw those warm fuzzies out the door, that sentimentalism. It’s time to go play a game against a great opponent. We’ve got to have a sharp edge going into this game, and you don’t go to war with warm milk and cookies.”

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had three goals for his sixth career hat trick and first with Carolina, and the Hurricanes scored six times in the third period to cruise past the Florida Panthers 9-1 on Friday night.

Ehlers, who signed with Carolina in the offseason after playing 10 years with Winnipeg, also had an assist. Taylor Hall had two goals and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists. Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Eric Robinson also scored.

Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for the Hurricanes, who had four power-play goals and improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Uvis Balinskis had the lone goal for the Panthers, who gave up eight unanswered goals and had their two-game winning streak stopped. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed all nine of Carolina’s goals while stopping just 26 shots.

Ehlers gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first period. Balinskis tied it at 1:19 of the second — but it was all Carolina after that.

Jankowski put the Hurricanes up 2-1 at 13:10 of the second and Nikishin made it 3-1 with a power-play goal three minutes later.

Svechnikov, Ehlers and Hall also scored power-play goals in the third as Carolina pulled away.

Ehlers completed his hat trick on a one-timer off a pass from Stankoven to make it 7-1. Hall and Robinson capped the scoring.

Up next

Panthers: Play at Washington against the Capitals on Saturday night.

Hurricanes: Take on the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday night.

—

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

By AUDREY McAVOY and STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal officers in the Minneapolis-area participating in its largest recent U.S. immigration enforcement operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents, a judge in Minnesota ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez’s ruling addresses a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists. The six are among the thousands who have been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since last month.

Federal immigration officers stand outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building as tear gas is deployed Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Federal agents and demonstrators have repeatedly clashed since the crackdown began. The confrontations escalated after an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away from a scene in Minneapolis, an incident that was captured on video from several angles. Agents have arrested or briefly detained many people in the Twin Cities.

The activists in the case are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, which says government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

After the ruling, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying her agency was taking “appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

She said people have assaulted officers, vandalized their vehicles and federal property, and attempted to impede officers from doing their work.

“We remind the public that rioting is dangerous — obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony,” McLaughlin said.

A woman covers her face from tear gas as federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

The ACLU didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Friday night.

The ruling prohibits the officers from detaining drivers and passengers in vehicles when there is no reasonable suspicion they are obstructing or interfering with the officers.

Safely following agents “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop,” the ruling said.

Menendez said the agents would not be allowed to arrest people without probable cause or reasonable suspicion the person has committed a crime or was obstructing or interfering with the activities of officers.

Menendez is also presiding over a lawsuit filed Monday by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to suspend the enforcement crackdown, and some of the legal issues are similar. She declined at a hearing Wednesday to grant the state’s request for an immediate temporary restraining order in that case.

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“What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered,” state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter told her.

Menendez said the issues raised by the state and cities in that case are “enormously important.” But she said it raises high-level constitutional and other legal issues, and for some of those issues there are few on-point precedents. So she ordered both sides to file more briefs next week.

McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

The Hurricanes will be missing key tight end Elija Lofton when they play Indiana in the national championship game on Monday.

The sophomore tight end was listed as out on the initial availability report, which was released on Friday night. Lofton left the semifinal victory over Ole Miss with an injury and did not return.

Other players ruled out for the game are linebacker Malik Bryant, wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw and defensive lineman Donta Simpson (who transferred to Missouri).

Lofton has played in each Miami game this season, starting four of them and playing 451 offensive snaps. Lofton has 23 catches for 218 yards and three touchdowns this year. He has a 61.3 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus with a 58.1 run-blocking grade.

Lofton is the only key UM player ruled out for the entire game. However, the Hurricanes will also be without starting cornerback Xavier Lucas for the first half after he was called for targeting against Ole Miss.

Lucas has 45 tackles with eight pass deflections and one interception this season.

Miami also listed cornerback Damari Brown and defensive lineman Cole McConathy as questionable. Brown has missed each playoff game with an injury after being a key contributor during the regular season.

Here is the complete Miami availability report:

OUT

-LB Malik Bryant

-TE Elija Lofton

-WR Daylyn Upshaw

-DL Donta Simpson

OUT (for first half)

-DB Xavier Lucas

QUESTIONABLE

-DB Damari Brown

-DL Cole McConathy

 

 

By WILL WEISSERT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump issued a flurry of pardons in recent days, including for the father of a large donor to his super PAC, a former governor of Puerto Rico and a woman whose sentence he commuted during his first term but who ended up back in prison for a different scheme.

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Trump commuted the sentence of Adriana Camberos just before his first stint in the White House ended in 2021. That followed her being convicted as part of an effort to divert 5-Hour Energy drink bottles acquired for resale in Mexico and instead keep them in the U.S. Prosecutors said she and several co-conspirators attached counterfeit labels and filled the bottles with a phony liquid before selling them.

In 2024, she and her brother, Andres, were convicted in a separate case, this one involving lying to manufacturers to sell wholesale groceries and additional items at big discounts after pledging that they were meant for sale in Mexico or to prisoners or rehabilitation facilities. The siblings sold the products at higher prices to U.S. distributors, prosecutors said.

The Camberoses were among 13 pardons Trump issued Thursday, along with eight commutations. An additional pardon was announced Friday for Terren Peizer, a resident of Puerto Rico and California who headed the Miami-based health care company Ontrak.

Peizer had been convicted and sentenced to 42 months in prison, and fined $5.25 million, for engaging in an insider trading scheme to avoid losses exceeding $12.5 million, according to the Justice Department.

The president has issued a number of clemencies during the first year of his second term, many targeted at criminal cases once touted by federal prosecutors. They’ve come amid a continuing Trump administration effort to erode public integrity guardrails — including the firing of the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.

Also pardoned this week was former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez, who had pleaded guilty last August to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Her sentencing had been set for later this month.

Federal prosecutors had been seeking one year behind bars, something Vázquez’s attorneys opposed as they accused prosecutors of violating a guilty plea deal reached last year that saw previous charges including bribery and fraud dropped.

They had noted that Vázquez had agreed to plead guilty to accepting a promise of a campaign contribution that was never received.

Also involved in the case was banker Julio Herrera Velutini, whose daughter, Isabela Herrera, donated $2.5 million to Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC in 2024, and gave the group an additional $1 million last summer. The case’s third defendant was former FBI agent Mark Rossini, who was also pardoned by the president.

The recent wave of clemencies joins previous Trump pardons of Democratic former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Republican ex-Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two federal prison stints.

Trump also pardoned former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after a tax fraud conviction and made headlines for threatening to throw a reporter off a Capitol balcony over a question he didn’t like. Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who had been convicted of cheating banks and evading taxes, also got Trump pardons.

The president also pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar in a bribery and conspiracy case. He later expressed regret and frustration for having done so, however, when Cuellar announced he was seeking reelection without switching parties to become a Republican.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke about their commitments to the Jewish community and their respective parties’ plans to combat antisemitism and strengthen ties with Israel at an Israeli-American summit attended by thousands on Friday afternoon.

Speaking in front of a packed ballroom at a Hollywood beach resort, Bondi touted the Trump administration’s crackdown on antisemitic and anti-Israel acts, while Wasserman Schultz reassured attendees that the Democratic Party remains largely pro-Israel despite some far-left dissenters.

The Florida-bred elected officials spoke at the Israeli-American Council National Summit, touted as the largest pro-Israel Jewish conference of the year, during a segment about “Inspirational Role Models.” They were followed by a variety of speakers, including Israeli ambassadors, a former Hamas hostage, Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner and TV personality Siggy Flicker.

Go to Herald.com for the full report.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, speaks during the 2026 Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit at the Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

DETROIT (AP) — Chinese automakers have been making inroads around the world with growing sales of their high-tech, stylish and affordable electric vehicles. That has had competitors concerned even before Canada this week agreed to cut its tariffs on Chinese EVs in exchange for concessions on Canadian farm products.

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Experts now say an easier path into Canada could be a big boost for Chinese carmakers looking to dominate the global market — particularly as their domestic market weakens. That poses a threat to other auto manufacturers, particularly American companies.

U.S. officials acknowledged that in remarks at an assembly plant for Jeep-maker Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio on Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Chinese Communist Party invests in its auto industry to “control this industry.”

“Why? They want to take over the auto industry. They want to take away these jobs,” Duffy said. As far as the Canadian trade deal, he added: “They will live to regret the day they partner with China and bring in their vehicles.”

Others say the shift is inevitable.

“This is telling us that Chinese automakers continue to be really popular, and are doing better and better, and not just something that’s sold in global markets that are more marginal or less important to U.S. automakers,” said Ilaria Mazzocco, deputy director and senior fellow with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

What makes Chinese vehicles stand out?

Chinese-made vehicles are high-quality, stylish and inexpensive, experts say.

“It’s clear that the vehicles made by Chinese brands come at a very competitive cost, but are also technologically quite desirable,” Mazzocco said. “They tend to be connected vehicles, so they have a lot of additional software capabilities that consumers seem to like. But the price point and the competitiveness are really big selling points.”

These vehicles can cost as little as $10,000 to $20,000; in the U.S., new vehicles are running close to $50,000 on average, and EVs even more so.

Chinese companies also have unique advantages as far as auto manufacturing and production, efficiency and making vehicles lighter, which helps extend an electrified vehicle’s driving range.

“They’ve found a way to make small and mid-sized cars — cars that people want — at a reasonable price,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions. “These are the segments where GM and Ford and almost everybody else have abandoned.”

Many automakers have discontinued smaller vehicles in favor of higher-margin, large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks that are far more profitable.

So why are Chinese EVs such a threat to U.S. automakers and others?

Much of the global auto market is electrifying, an ideal opportunity for advanced Chinese automakers to capitalize on. China saw 17% growth in plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles in 2025, according to data released by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence this week, and Europe saw a 33% increase.

Meanwhile, U.S. sales of electrified cars grew just 1% last year. As the rest of the world advances, U.S. automakers have weakened their once-ambitious, multibillion dollar electrification plans, instead opting for more efficient hybrid electric and gasoline vehicles amid the Trump administration’s shift away from EV-friendly policy.

That shift threatens U.S. automakers’ competitive edge in the coming years. As is, Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker last year, delivering only 1.64 million vehicles in 2025 to Chinese rival BYD’s 2.26 million.

FILE – Tesla vehicles are displayed at the AutoMobility LA Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Trump administration policy slashing emissions rules at a time when Chinese companies are advancing quickly has experts worried for the future of American car manufacturers.

Chinese automakers will have to meet standards required for the Canadian auto market for the latest trade arrangement to be successful — standards that are similar to those in the U.S. — which is likely to incentivize Chinese auto manufacturing investment in Canada.

They’ll also have to establish which segment of the market they are targeting there: Higher-end vehicles, or less-expensive ones that sell at higher volumes.

Regardless, “It brings it home to what is needed to compete globally,” said Mark Wakefield, global automotive market lead at AlixPartners. The firm predicts Chinese brands will account for 30% of the global market by 2030.

“They’ve already started in Europe. They started in South America. Now Mexico and Canada,” Wakefield said. American carmakers “don’t want to end up as a Brazil with your ethanol-based cars that aren’t sellable anywhere else in the world and … like Britain or Australia that used to matter in the auto world, and no longer really matter.”

Why have others sought to regulate Chinese EV-makers’ expansion?

Countries have attempted to regulate Chinese EVs from entering their markets for several reasons.

“China has become this overwhelming machine making inexpensive vehicles. And the fear is that if you give them an inch, they’re going to take a mile,” Fiorani said. “The other issue is technology. These vehicles are data centers… and the idea that a state-owned company in China could have access to where a high portion of drivers are going gives them leverage for all kinds of outlets.”

The European Union hiked tariffs on Chinese EVs last year, though the two have been resolving that at the start of this year.

In 2024, former President Joe Biden set a 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars. Canada matched that import tax on the vehicles until this week. And even with an annual import cap, Canada cutting its tariffs this week means those companies are another step closer to U.S. soil. The Mexican auto market has welcomed Chinese EVs, with massive growth last year.

“The advance of Chinese manufacturers is inevitable. It will happen eventually. Everybody is negotiating to put up the roadblocks to figure out: What data is being processed, how much market share you’re going to allow Chinese manufacturers to have?” Fiorani added.

“There are a lot of guardrails that have to be put up, but eventually they’re going to make their way into all Western markets.”

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

By WILL WEISSERT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he was ready to restart U.S. mediation efforts between Egypt and Ethiopia with an eye toward resolving long-standing issues of water sharing from the ⁠Nile River.

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Washington-led mediations began during Trump’s first term, but they effectively collapsed in 2020, when Ethiopia withdrew — though some discussions later continued under the African Union.

Ethiopia formally inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, last fall. As Africa’s largest dam, it is located on the Blue Nile near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan and is meant to produce more than 5,000 megawatts, doubling Ethiopia’s electricity generation capacity.

Ethiopia sees the dam as a boon to its economy. But Egypt opposed its construction, arguing that it would reduce the country’s share of Nile River waters — which it almost entirely relies on for agriculture and to serve its more than 100 million people.

On Sept. 4, before the dam’s inauguration, Tamim Khallaf, spokesperson for the Egyptian foreign ministry, said Ethiopia built the dam “unilaterally without any prior notification, proper consultations, or consensus with downstream countries, thereby constituting a grave violation of international law and posing an existential threat.”

Trump posted on his social media site a letter he sent to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, saying: “I am ‍ready to ‍restart ⁠U.S. ‌mediation between ⁠Egypt ‍and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve the ⁠question of ‘The Nile Water Sharing’ once ‌and for all.”

“My team and I understand the significance of the Nile River to Egypt and its people,” Trump wrote.

The president frequently boasts about ending eight wars around the world, though that claim is exaggerated. Egypt and Ethiopia are already on his list of wars he resolved, with Trump maintaining he stopped a conflict that might have led to fighting over issues that included the dam known as GERD.

Trump recently told Fox News that one of the ongoing conflicts that has continued despite his claiming to have stopped it — between Thailand and Cambodia — should actually count more than once.

“I did put out eight wars, eight and a quarter, because, you know, Thailand and Cambodia started going at it again,” he told Sean Hannity last week. The implication was a flare-up in the conflict made it an extra 1/4 of a war — something to watch for as he pushes mediation efforts again in Ethiopia and Egypt.

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia since the country banned use of the platforms by those under 16, officials said.

“We stared down everybody who said it couldn’t be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters,” communications minister Anika Wells told reporters on Friday. “Now Australian parents can be confident that their kids can have their childhoods back.”

The figures, reported to Australia’s government by 10 social media platforms, were the first to show the scale of the landmark ban since it was enacted in December over fears about the effects of harmful online environments on young people. The law provoked fraught debates in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

Officials said the figure was encouraging

Under Australian law, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($33.2 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are exempt.

To verify age, platforms can either request copies of identification documents, use a third party to apply age estimation technology to an account holder’s face, or make inferences from data already available such has how long an account has been held.

About 2.5 million Australians are aged between 8 and 15, said the country’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, and past estimates suggested 84% of 8- to 12-year-olds held social media accounts. It was not known how many accounts were held across the 10 platforms but Inman Grant said the figure of 4.7 million “deactivated or restricted” was encouraging.

“We’re preventing predatory social media companies from accessing our children,” Inman Grant said.

The 10 biggest companies covered by the ban were compliant with it and had reported removal figures to Australia’s regulator on time, the commissioner said. She added that social media companies were expected to shift their efforts from enforcing the ban to preventing children from creating new accounts or otherwise circumventing the prohibition.

Meta removed 550,000 accounts

Australian officials didn’t break the figures down by platform. But Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, said this week that by the day after the ban came into effect it had removed nearly 550,000 accounts belonging to users understood to be under 16.

In the blog post divulging the figures, Meta criticized the ban and said smaller platforms where the ban doesn’t apply might not prioritize safety. The company also noted browsing platforms would still present content to children based on algorithms — a concern that led to the ban’s enactment.

The law was widely popular among parents and child safety campaigners. Online privacy advocates and some groups representing teenagers opposed it, with the latter citing the support found in online spaces by vulnerable young people or those geographically isolated in Australia’s sprawling rural areas.

Some said they had managed to fool age assessing technologies or were helped by parents or older siblings to circumvent the ban.

Other countries might follow

Since Australia began debating the measures in 2024, other countries have considered following suit. Denmark’s government is among them, saying in November that it had planned to implement a social media ban for children under 15.

“The fact that in spite of some skepticism out there, it’s working and being replicated now around the world, is something that is a source of Australian pride,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday.

Opposition lawmakers have suggested that young people have circumvented the ban easily or are migrating to other apps that are less scrutinized than the largest platforms. Inman Grant said Friday that data seen by her office showed a spike in downloads of alternative apps when the ban was enacted but not a spike in usage.

“There is no real long-term trends yet that we can say but we’re engaging,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said, the regulator she heads planned to introduce “world-leading AI companion and chatbot restrictions in March.” She didn’t disclose further details.