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First on Fox: Democrats launch billboards targeting House Republicans amid town hall showdowns

First on Fox: Democrats launch billboards targeting House Republicans amid town hall showdowns

EXCLUSIVE: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is putting up billboards in nine competitive House districts that call out Republican representatives whom the Democrats charge are refusing to hold town halls with their constituents. The launch of the billboards, shared first with Fox News on Wednesday, comes as the DNC teams up with the Association of State Democratic Committees and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to host what they are calling “People’s Town Halls.”  The in-person public events are being held this week during the Congressional recess in House districts with Republican representatives the Democrats consider vulnerable in next year’s midterm elections, when Democrats aim to win back the majority in the chamber. The DNC says the billboards will appear in the districts of Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) of Arizona, Gabe Evans (CO-08) of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) of Florida, Zach Nunn (IA-03) of Iowa, John James (MI-10) of Michigan, Ann Wagner (MO-02) of Missouri, Don Bacon (NE-02) of Nebraska, and Ryan MacKenzie (PA-07) and Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) of Pennsylvania. TOWN HALL HELD BY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TURNS HEATED The moves this month by the Democrats follow the outbreak last month of eruptions and protests at town halls held by some Republican lawmakers. The outbursts were in reaction to sweeping and controversial moves by President Donald Trump in the opening weeks of his second tour of duty in the White House, which included a massive upending and downsizing of the federal government’s workforce. HEATING UP: THE EARLY MOVES ARE UNDERWAY IN THE 2028 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE Trump and Republican leaders have blamed the protests on Democratic activists and voters who showed up at the town halls, in what the GOP claims is an attempt to amplify the unrest. The president charged the outbursts were the work of “paid troublemakers” and that “it’s all part of a game for the Democrats.” House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed the eruptions were ignited by “professional protesters.” In response, Johnson and the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s campaign arm, urged GOP lawmakers to avoid in-person gatherings with voters when possible and instead hold virtual town halls. The DNC, in their release, claimed the GOP lawmakers “are hiding from voters” and that “it’s time for Republicans across the country to stand up” and “face the music” over what Democrats call an “unpopular agenda.” Recently-elected DNC Chair Ken Martin, in a statement to Fox News, argued that “Republicans are refusing to meet with their constituents after voting to take away health care and make it harder for families to put food on the table. This isn’t surprising, over the last few months, one word has come to describe Republicans: cowards.” “If Republicans won’t show up, then Democrats will,” Martin emphasized. “We are hosting events in Republican-held districts and we are pasting Republican representatives’ phone numbers on billboards across their district because working families deserve  to be heard.”

Trump administration ends program to track kidnapped Ukrainian children in Russia, lawmakers say

Trump administration ends program to track kidnapped Ukrainian children in Russia, lawmakers say

The U.S. State Department has ended funding for tracking thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, and a U.S. database with information on the victims may have been deleted, according to a letter U.S. lawmakers plan to send to Trump administration officials on Wednesday. A group of Democratic U.S. lawmakers penned the letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, urging the administration to restore the program that helps track the abducted Ukrainian children. The administration has ended a government-funded initiative led by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab that tracked the mass deportation of children from Ukraine, meaning researchers have lost access to a significant amount of information — including satellite imagery — on roughly 30,000 children kidnapped from Ukraine. “We have reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted. If true, this would have devastating consequences,” the letter, led by Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, said. PRESIDENT TRUMP TOUTS ‘GREAT’ PHONE CALL WITH RUSSIA’S VLADIMIR PUTIN News of the letter came on Tuesday, the same day U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stopped short of agreeing to a 30-day truce in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. A person familiar with the tracking program said the canceled State Department contract led to the deletion of $26 million in war crimes evidence. “They took $26 million of U.S. taxpayers money used for war crimes data and threw it into the woodchipper, including the dossiers on all the children,” the person told Reuters. “If you wanted to protect President Putin from prosecution, you nuke that thing. And they did it. It’s the final court-admissible version with all the metadata,” the person added. The letter to administration officials also calls for sanctions to punish officials in Russia and its ally Belarus who are involved in abducting children. “These egregious, openly acknowledged violations of the rights of children afforded under international law demand consequences,” the letter said. Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab also no longer has access to the satellite imagery needed to track the abducted children, according to the lawmakers. “Our government is providing an essential service – one that does not require the transfer of weapons or cash to Ukraine – in pursuit of the noble goal of rescuing these children. We must, immediately, resume the work to help Ukraine bring these children home,” the letter said. RUSSIA WANTS ‘IRONCLAD’ GUARANTEE THAT UKRAINE WILL BE BARRED FROM NATO: OFFICIAL Ukraine has described the abductions of tens of thousands of its children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without parental consent as a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide. Russia has claimed it has been evacuating people voluntarily to protect vulnerable children from being caught in the crossfire. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Lvova-Belova and Putin in connection with the abduction of Ukrainian children, a move Russia denounced as “outrageous and unacceptable.” Eurojust, Europe’s agency for criminal cooperation, said on Tuesday it learned the U.S. government was ending its support for the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which was collecting evidence to prosecute Putin and others. The U.S. special prosecutor at Eurojust, Jessica Kim, would leave as part of the move. Reuters contributed to this report.

Djokovic-led tennis players’ union files lawsuit against professional tours

Djokovic-led tennis players’ union files lawsuit against professional tours

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has filed a lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies, accusing them of anti-competitive practices and a disregard for player welfare. The PTPA, an independent players’ union co-founded by Novak Djokovic in 2019, said on Tuesday that after years of good-faith efforts to reform professional tennis, it had been forced to take legal action to end “monopolistic control” of the sport. It said in a statement that, along with more than a dozen players, the PTPA had filed papers in a New York court against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). “Tennis is broken,” Ahmad Nassar, executive director of the PTPA, said in the statement. “Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardises their health and safety. “We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn’t about disrupting tennis, it’s about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come.” Advertisement In response, the ATP accused the PTPA of choosing “division and distraction” and having no meaningful role in the sport. “We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position,” the ATP said in a statement. “ATP remains committed to working in the best interests of the game – towards continued growth, financial stability, and the best possible future for players, tournaments, and fans.” The WTA defended its record of growing women’s tennis, describing the lawsuit as “baseless”. “Every decision taken at the WTA Board level includes the input of players via their elected Board representatives, and athletes receive substantial financial rewards and other benefits from participation in the WTA,” the organisation said. Today marks a pivotal moment in the battle for fairness and integrity in tennis. I take pride in standing alongside a group of fellow players, both men and women, as one of the named plaintiffs in a comprehensive lawsuit targeting the ATP and WTA Tours, the ITIA, and the ITF. The… https://t.co/XohSsD38vB — Vasek Pospisil (@VasekPospisil) March 18, 2025 ‘A big day for tennis’ Meanwhile, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios believes the lawsuit marks a “special moment” and that it was high time players’ voices were heard. Former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, who is among 12 current and former players listed as plaintiffs along with the PTPA in the suit, said the group was determined to do something for the future of the game. Advertisement “I know that myself and many of the players aren’t happy with the structures and everything that’s going on in tennis at the moment,” Kyrgios told Sky Sports. “This will be a special moment in tennis, for sure. “Things needed to change. It’s a big day for tennis.” The PTPA was formally established by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil in 2019 to advocate for players. Pospisil said the PTPA had spoken to more than 250 players and had plenty of support, including from the top players. “The ATP/WTA has spread so much fear over the years that it’s not easy to put your name on this publicly. Player support for this initiative is undeniable,” he added. While player associations are common in professional sports, tennis is different in that the players operate as independent contractors. “We’re the only sport in the world that doesn’t have a players’ association. That was the PTPA’s first goal, to get the players to be heard,” Kyrgios said. “The ATP just had so much power, they don’t have to show anything to anyone. Now things will have to change, they’ll have to show things, how things operate and that’s when people really realise that it hasn’t really been done correctly. “I don’t think players ultimately have been very happy with what they earn on the tour compared to other sports and I think that’s definitely one of the main reasons.” Describing the various governing bodies as ‘a cartel’, the PTPA, which has also begun legal action in the United Kingdom and the European Union, accuses them of paying “artificially low compensation to professional tennis players” and imposing a “draconian” ranking system that forces them to compete in certain tournaments. Advertisement The lawsuit calls the schedule unsustainable, says players are made to play in extreme heat and often in the early hours of the morning, that tennis balls chosen by the tournaments are a factor in chronic injuries, and that players’ privacy rights are being abused by random drug tests. Before filing the lawsuit, the PTPA said it met more than 250 players across the tours, including the majority of the men’s and women’s top 20. Adblock test (Why?)

‘I nearly died’: Taba, the tobacco drug Gambian women share in secret

‘I nearly died’: Taba, the tobacco drug Gambian women share in secret

Banjul, The Gambia – On a humid March afternoon on the outskirts of Banjul, a woman known only as Saf* carries a basket of plants from her garden. Moving with urgency to avoid prying eyes, she makes her way to a hidden location, where the air is thick with the earthy scent of raw, unprocessed tobacco leaves waiting to be turned into the popular drug taba. Suddenly, her phone rings. A customer. She smiles knowingly. “She’s one of my favourites because she keeps coming back,” says Saf, whose name is a code word that means “sweet” in Wolof. Secrecy is important, says the 68-year-old taba seller, who for decades has made and discretely sold the substance to women. Taba, a local Mandinka word for powdered tobacco, has been consumed in The Gambia for generations, usually through smoking, snuffing and chewing. But in recent years, taba, modified by adding other substances to the tobacco powder, is being used for different purposes. Sellers like Saf take regular taba and mix it with potent chemicals to enhance its intoxicating effect. Many women then use it intravaginally, believing it enhances sexual pleasure. Advertisement Meanwhile, others, including some traditional healers, insist its intravaginal use has medicinal properties – from helping treat genital infections and headaches to conditions like epilepsy, hypertension and infertility – though these remain medically unproven. Though taba is not illegal, health authorities, doctors and activists in The Gambia warn of its dangers and caution against its use. But many women continue to seek it out. For Fatmata*, 36, “taba works wonders.” Married for a decade, Fatmata’s husband left for Europe just three years into their marriage. Struggling with his absence, a close friend introduced her to taba. “I don’t want to have extra-marital affairs for religious reasons, so I resort to taba,” she says, shyly. Due to its taboo nature, intravaginal taba is not sold publicly in The Gambia, but in secret among women [Kaddy Jawo/Al Jazeera] ‘Worst mistake of my life’ For others, the effects have been less favourable. The first time Rose*, 28, used taba after a friend suggested she try it, she felt an overwhelming sense of dizziness and nausea before violently vomiting. She continued trying, but the third time she used it, she says she nearly lost her life. “I remember the burning sensation, the excruciating pain, and how my body reacted as if my insides were on fire,” she says. “I could barely breathe and thought I was going to die.” The pain was intense but brief, she says. Afterwards, she fell asleep, and when she woke up, there was an uncomfortable ache between her legs. But she did not seek medical help, fearing it would expose her as a taba user at a time was the government was warning against it. Advertisement After her ordeal, she pledged never to touch taba again. “It is dangerous, and women need to stop inserting it into their genitals before it’s too late,” she warns. Taraba*, 28, and Isatu*, 42, began using taba to address health concerns. “Taba damaged my system,” says Taraba, who initially took it in an attempt to cure gonorrhoea. “At first, I only used it for that purpose. But a month later, I began inserting it into my vagina for pleasure. That was the worst mistake of my life.” What followed was excruciating. “It felt like fire burning inside me, and my whole body became [temporarily] paralysed.” Unlike Rose, whose pain was brief, hers lasted for an entire week. Isatu also first used it as a supposed remedy for gonorrhoea. “I first heard about this powder three years ago from a colleague. She told me she had used it in her vagina to relieve a bad headache, and it worked.” But when Isatu tried it, “I was bleeding profusely; I nearly died.” Neither Taraba nor Isatu sought medical help, choosing instead to endure their pain in silence. Isatu says she remains traumatised from the experience. Regular user Fatmata, however, insists that taba has no harmful effects on her health and claims most women use it with no complaints. Taba seller Saf agrees, saying most of her customers have been buying from her for years. “If it was harmful, they wouldn’t keep coming back.” Saf, a taba seller, works with freshly processed tobacco powder [Kaddy Jawo/Al Jazeera] ‘Intravaginal taba is harmful’ Little is known about the health consequences of intravaginal taba, according to the peer-reviewed journal, Tobacco Control. But it is “likely to have negative health effects” based on what is known about the use of other smokeless tobacco, said the authors of a 2023 paper on taba. Advertisement “Intravaginal taba is harmful,” insists Dr Karamo Suwareh, a gynaecologist at Kanifing General Hospital, the second largest public hospital in the country. “It causes irritation, infections, burning sensations, itching, foul-smelling discharge, and bleeding during intercourse,” he tells Al Jazeera. Dr Suwareh warns that taba contains carcinogens, and says research is needed to see whether it could lead to cervical and vaginal cancers. During pregnancy, the nicotine and other unknown substances may increase the risks of preterm labour, foetal growth restriction, and stillbirth. “Taba disrupts vaginal pH, making women more vulnerable to STIs like gonorrhoea, syphilis, and HIV. It damages tissue instead of healing it.” Gambia’s Ministry of Health has been vocal about the potential health risks of using taba intravaginally, cautioning that it could pose an increased risk of cancer or life-threatening complications during childbirth. Some women use it in an attempt to ease labour pains, but medical experts warn that it can cause severe harm instead. The ministry has used social media to educate the public on the risks, and in a video that went viral, Minister of Health Lamin Samateh was seen addressing a gathering in a local language to warn about its harmful effects. “Taba is dangerous, and women should reject it,” said Minister Samateh in the video that first emerged online in 2022. Women’s rights organisations have also been raising awareness about the harmful effects of taba. Advertisement “No

Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 14 Palestinians overnight

Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 14 Palestinians overnight

Attacks follow Israeli air raids that killed more than 400 Palestinians on Tuesday, breaking a months-long ceasefire. At least 14 Palestinians have been killed in overnight and early morning Israeli attacks on Gaza, a day after more than 400 were killed across the besieged enclave. The deadly Israeli attacks early on Wednesday targeted Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, as well as Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood in the north. Tents housing forcibly displaced people were also hit, killing a mother and a child. The Israeli army claimed in a statement that it struck a “Hamas military site” in northern Gaza overnight. The attacks come after at least 404 Palestinians, many of them children, were killed as Israel resumed its full-fledged bombing of Gaza on Tuesday, shattering a fragile ceasefire with Hamas that had been in place since January 19. Mourners pray next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, March 19, 2025 [Hussam al-Masri/Reuters] In central Gaza, Palestinians reported an attack on a home near a mosque in the Deir el-Balah area, while Israeli helicopter fire and artillery shelling were reported east of the Bureij refugee camp on Wednesday. Advertisement Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said people in Gaza were left “terrified, helpless and devastated” following the attacks amid the Israeli blockade of aid and electricity cuts. “People are starving. They do not have access to food. The water desalination plant that was providing water for 500,000 Palestinians is not working [due to Israel cutting off electricity],” she said. “With all this happening, Palestinians wake up to a massive series of attacks in different areas of Gaza.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday the renewed bombing of Gaza was “only the beginning” and that Israel would press ahead until it achieves all of its war aims — destroying Hamas and freeing all the captives. Global condemnation Tuesday’s attacks attracted widespread condemnation, including from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who said he was “outraged by the Israeli air strikes in Gaza”. China’s European envoy Fu Cong regretted the “harm done to the hard-won ceasefire”. Several lawmakers in the United States also condemned the Israeli attacks, with Senator Bernie Sanders calling for an end to US military aid to Israel. Protests erupt in Israel Israel’s opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid called on the public to rally against Netanyahu’s government, accusing it of having “no red lines” after resuming war in Gaza. The entire nation must “come together and say: ‘Enough!’”, wrote Lapid in a post on X on Wednesday. “I’m calling on all of you – this is our moment, this is our future, this is our country. Take to the streets!” he added. Advertisement Thousands of Israelis packed a Tel Aviv square on Tuesday evening to demand the government resume negotiations for a captive deal. The main group representing the families of the captives held in Gaza accused the government of “deliberately dismantling” the ceasefire. “Today Netanyahu did not open the gates of hell on Hamas. He opened the gates of hell on our loved ones,” said Einav Zangauker, whose son is among the captives. Adblock test (Why?)