Mitchell invited to Portsmouth Invitational

Police detained around 100 people taking part in a rally Monday by a Jewish organization that promotes Palestinian rights, an AFP correspondent saw, with Chelsea Manning among those held.

Gathering under the banner of the group Jewish Voice for Peace, the detainees were part of a group of about 200 protesters who blocked a major avenue in Manhattan for just under an hour to protest US military support for Israel. 

They had gathered near the offices of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his colleague Kirsten Gillibrand, whom they accuse of voting against a measure aimed at blocking US arms sales to Israel.

Manning is the army intelligence analyst who leaked documents to WikiLeaks, and had her 35-year sentence commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017. She now campaigns for pro-Palestinian causes.

"Our actions matter in shaping the course of history. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have repeatedly supported weapons sales to Israel that are being used to commit atrocities across Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran. We call on Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to follow the will of New Yorkers and vote to block weapons and bulldozer sales to Israel," she said in a statement issued by JVP.

Police confirmed to AFP there were "multiple arrests" but could not immediately give a number.

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Athletes from Russia and Belarus are free to participate under their own flags in senior World Aquatics events after the global governing body on Monday lifted a ban on them competing.

Competitors from Russia and Belarus had been banned from international competition following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine although since September 2023 they have been allowed to compete as neutrals.

"Following a decision of the World Aquatics bureau, and in consultation with the aquatics integrity unit (AQIU) and the World Aquatics athletes' committee, the guidelines for athlete participation in aquatics events during a period of political conflict will no longer apply to senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality," a World Aquatics statement read.

"Senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will be permitted to compete in World Aquatics events in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities, with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems."

Russian and Belarusian athletes will only be permitted to compete once they have successfully passed at least four successive anti-doping controls, World Aquatics said.

"Over the last three years, World Aquatics and the AQIU have successfully helped ensure that conflict can be kept outside the sporting competition venues," World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam said in a statement.

"We are determined to ensure that pools and open water remain places where athletes from all nations can come together in peaceful competition." 

World Aquatics has followed the International Paralympic Committee which allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own national flags at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina in February.

Russia's sport minister Mikhail Degtyarev "welcomed" the decision. He said it followed a meeting with Al-Musallam in January at the Olympic Council of Asia in Tashkent.

"We discussed the rights of Russian athletes," Degtyarev said on Telegram.

"I am grateful to Mr Al-Musallam for his firm stance on the issue. 

"It is very important that the international sport dialogue is bearing fruits and contributing to the systematic restauration of sport ties."

Degtyarev also commented on Ukraine's refusal to play Russia in a World Cup water polo match in Malta, saying the Ukrainians were hurting themselves after being handed a technical defeat on Monday.

The next world swimming championships will take place in Budapest in 2027.

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US oil giant Chevron and the government of Venezuela signed two deals Monday that will expand oil production in the country, as the country seeks to boost private investment in the sector.

A signing ceremony took place at Miraflores Palace, where interim president Delcy Rodriguez was joined by Chevron Venezuela president Mariano Vela and a number of US dignitaries, including Charge D'affaires Laura Farnsworth Dogu and Assistant Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit.

The deals see Chevron increasing its stake in a joint venture it has with the Venezuelan state oil company, known as PDVSA, that extracts oil from the Orinoco Oil Belt -- one of the world's largest oil deposits, according to the US Geological Survey.

In return, Chevron will hand over some rights to offshore gas extraction and reduce a stake in other ventures.

Since the stunning capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by US forces in early January, the Trump administration has worked closely with Rodriguez to drum up foreign investment in the country's petroleum sector.

The push has been met with a mixed reaction, as some companies have felt skeptical about the heavy investment needed in infrastructure.

Rodriguez shepherded a reform of the country's petroleum regulations in late January, unwinding decades of state control over the oil sector.

In return, the United States eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry, expanding the ability of US companies to operate in the country.

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Azzi Fudd was chosen by the Dallas Wings with the number one overall pick in the WNBA draft on Monday in a move that will see the University of Connecticut star reunited on court with girlfriend and former college teammate Paige Bueckers.

Fudd, 23, was chosen by Dallas after leading the UConn Huskies to the final four of the national collegiate championship earlier this month, where they were beaten by South Carolina.

Fudd had been chasing a second consecutive national college title after playing alongside romantic partner Bueckers in the Huskies 2025 title triumph.

Like Fudd, Bueckers was chosen by Dallas with the number one pick in the draft last year.

"I'm excited to play again with Paige," Fudd said on Monday after her selection at the WNBA ceremony in New York. "She's an incredible person, incredible player and it's gonna be a lot of fun."

Fudd enters the WNBA after an impressive final season in college basketball where she averaged 17.3 points per game, including 117-of-262 three-pointers.

In other draft moves on Monday, the Minnesota Lynx swooped for  with the second pick.

The Seattle Storm meanwhile opted for towering Spanish star Awa Fam with the third pick, the 6ft 4in (1.93 meters) 19-year-old from Valencia becoming only the seventh international player in WNBA history to be chosen in the top three of the draft.

"I'm super excited and a little bit nervous," Fam said. "I want to try my best, representing Spain is a little bit special. Being with the national team is always special, and being here in the WNBA was my dream since I was 12."

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JD Vance had two jobs last week: get an Iran deal and keep Hungary's Viktor Orban in power. Neither happened for the US vice president.

The 41-year-old Vance looked exhausted as he left Pakistan on Sunday after 21 hours that failed to produce an agreement with Tehran to end a war he had never wanted to begin with.

At a terse press conference in Islamabad, Vance delivered the "bad news" and took just three questions before getting on a plane for the long flight back home. 

But just before landing there was more bad news.

Days after he rallied with Orban on stage in Budapest, the long-serving Hungarian prime minister had conceded defeat in elections despite an all-out effort by Donald Trump's administration to save him.

It was a double reality check for the ambitious Vance, who is widely tipped as a frontrunner in the race to being named heir to Trump in the 2028 US presidential election.

On Hungary, Vance insisted that it was still worth the Trump administration backing a man it views as its MAGA disciple in Europe.

"It wasn't a bad trip at all, because it's worth standing by people even though you don't win every race," Vance told Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Monday.

"We didn't go because we expected him to cruise to an election victory. We went because we thought it was the right thing to do."

As one of the administration's most fervent supporters of far-right parties in Europe, Vance was the ideal person to go and support Orban, on paper.

In Budapest, Vance hailed Orban, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as to Trump, as a "model" for Europe.

But Vance's appearance alongside Orban means the White House effectively owned the defeat of one of its closest allies -- and the first major setback for its official national security strategy of backing European anti-immigration parties.

- 'Things went wrong' -

In Pakistan, Vance faced a very different, and arguably even tougher, challenge.

The former Ohio senator built his political brand around his anti-interventionism, and was among the most vocal opponents of the Iran war in Trump's cabinet behind the scenes.

Yet Vance then found himself leading the delegation in the highest-level talks with Tehran for half a century, as he sought to negotiate a way out of one of the foreign wars he had long railed against.

Vance's frustration was clear as he addressed the media after the marathon talks that went through the night in Islamabad but failed to produce a deal to turn a two-week ceasefire into lasting peace.

"We go back to the United States having not gone come to an agreement," he told reporters in the Pakistani capital on Sunday morning.

But a day later, Vance was casting things in a more positive light.

"I wouldn't just say that things went wrong, I also think things went right," Vance told Fox. "We made a lot of progress." 

The fate of the US-Iran talks remains up in the air, with Trump saying that Iranian representatives had called and still wanted to make a deal -- even as Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iran's ports.

Vance said the "ball is in Iran's court" when it comes to further talks but did not rule them out.

The effect on Vance's political ambitions also remains unclear.

The battle for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination will begin in earnest after November's US midterm elections, with Vance expected to face off against Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

But while a vice president's role provides increased visibility for a potential candidate, it can also tie them to the outgoing president's policies -- which in Trump's case are increasingly unpopular.

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(The Center Square) - Nevada has prepared a lawsuit to combat the voter ID legislation Congress is considering, the Nevada secretary of state told The Center Square.

Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and other Democratic leaders in Nevada have spoken out against the potential law. They plan to sue the Trump administration if the bill is passed.

The SAVE America Act would aim to further block noncitizens from voting by mandating in-person voter registration and requiring most citizens to present a passport or birth certificate upon registration.

“I think it's a false perspective. Noncitizens voting in Nevada is not an issue,” Aguilar told The Center Square. “It’s a message developed by the [Trump] administration to create fear in voters, but also to intimidate people not to participate in our democratic process.”

The Silver State received three individual votes found to have been illegally cast by noncitizens out of 1.1 million in the 2016 election, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Similar findings have been reproduced across many states in recent years. A January 2026 statewide citizenship review by the state of Utah found one noncitizen in the voter database – 99.9% of Utah voters were verifiable U.S. citizens.

But many voters have backed the effort to further prevent noncitizen voting, with a February Harvard survey of 1,999 registered voters finding 71% of registered voters supported the SAVE America Act, including 50% of Democrats.

“This is about restoring trust in our elections, not disenfranchising voters,” Arizona state Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, previously told The Center Square, answering questions by email. “This is an 80/20 issue with overwhelming public support. There is no excuse it has not passed.”

Aguilar said Nevada regularly does voter roll maintenance to check if voters are active and accurate, including a recent inactivation of over 100,000 voters who did not respond to a state notice. “The voter registration process does have proof of identity in it. You have to prove who you are to register to vote in Nevada.”

Two Nevada Democrats - U.S. Reps. Steven Horsford and Susie Lee - hosted a public discussion with Aguilar last week on the SAVE America Act, election security and a recent executive order by President Donald Trump to restrict mail-in voting. Nevada and 22 other states and the District of Columbia have since sued to block Trump's order.

“We're going to fight it. We're already preparing for litigation against the bill , which will delay the implementation of the bill,” Aguilar said. “The intent of that is really to push it past the election cycle so we can get through this cycle of elections in a way that is fair, that is consistent, and that also gives confidence to voters to know that they can participate without fear of penalty.”

The bill passed 218-213 in February by the U.S. House, with just one Democrat voting with Republicans. It now goes to the Senate, with only months before midterm elections in November. The Senate needs 60 votes. Assuming the entire 53 Republican-member majority votes for the SAVE America Act, the legislation wouldn't pass unless seven Democrats or independents also voted for it.

Aguilar expressed doubt the bill would ultimately pass, but argued many Latino voters would already have been discouraged to vote by the news of the bill. 

“The damage has already been done,” added Aguilar. “The myths and disinformation have been circling around this bill to create chaos among voters, because now voters are asking a bunch of questions like, 'Do I need to reregister?' 'What do I need to do to be able to participate?'”

President Donald Trump said in late March that the bill had little chance of passing the Senate, but has continued to press on the issue since.

Aguilar told The Center Square he had spoken with Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo about the SAVE America Act and the planned lawsuit if it were passed. He did not elaborate on their conversations, and the Republican governor's office has not responded to questions from The Center Square.

Aguilar added that the bill could spur a special legislative session.

“If it does pass, there are probably some things that will have to be changed legislatively,” said Aguilar. “So we'll have to potentially look at a special session, which I don't think is ideal.”

Nevadans will next cast ballots in the June 9 primary.

(The Center Square) - U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said on Monday he will file documents to retire from Congress Tuesday amid allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a staffer. 

"There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all," Gonzales wrote on social media, announcing his retirement. "It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas."

Lawmakers have increasingly called on Gonzales to resign amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer who committed suicide. 

"The American people deserve someone worthy of their trust," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote. 

Gonzales' retirement would further narrow Republicans' majority in the U.S. House. Republicans hold a 219-214 majority after Clay Fuller won the seat vacated by Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

However, with Gonzales' departure, the majority would slim to 218. At the same time, though, House Democrats will lose a representative after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he would resign amid sexual assault allegations. 

Texas law requires the governor to call a special election in the wake of a vacancy, but does not specify a certain time frame for the election. Once the governor calls for an election, it must occur within 36 days of the order. 

Mizzou men's basketball secured its first acquisition of the transfer portal season with the commitment of forward Jaylen Carey from Tennessee. 

After dealing with a number of departures through both graduation and entry into the transfer portal, the Tigers have made their first addition for next season with Carey. 

He comes to the Tigers having spent each of his first three seasons in college basketball with three different teams, making stops at James Madison and Vanderbilt before playing for Tennessee this past season. 

Carey, a 6-foot-8 junior, appeared in 37 games for the Volunteers last season. He averaged 7.4 points, 6 rebounds and 1.3 assists, coming off the bench in all but eight games. 

He is the first acquisition of what will surely be a busy offseason for coach Dennis Gates. Carey now joins a roster of just six returners and three incoming freshman. Gates will have several roster spots to fill via the portal as the offseason continues. 

(The Center Square) - U.S. Rep. Eric Swallwell, D-Calif., said Monday he will resign from Congress after multiple allegations of sexual assault. 

Swalwell dropped out of California's gubernatorial race, in which he was regarded as a front runner. A former member of Swalwell's staff told the San Francisco Chronicle that the congressman sexually asssaulted her. Three more women accused Swalwell of making sexual advances and sending explicit photos. 

"I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past," Swalwell wrote in a statement. "I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility for the mistakes I did make."

The U.S. House Ethics Committee announced Monday it opened an investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell. 

"The mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred," committee leaders wrote in a statement. 

Swalwell cited efforts to begin an "immediate expulsion vote" against him in Congress. He criticized House leadership for attempting a vote without due process. 

"It's wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties," Swalwell wrote in the statement. 

California's 14th Congressional District, where Swalwell represents in the East Bay Area near San Francisco, will hold a special election in his place. In California, the governor is responsible for calling a special election within 14 days of a vacancy. 

Swalwell won his last election, in 2024, by 30 points in a traditionally Democratic district. The candidate to replace Swalwell would need to run again in California's June 2 primary and Nov. 3 general election. 

"I will work with my staff in the coming days to ensure they are able, in my absence, to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district," Swalwell wrote. 

Swalwell was among leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates. A recent University of California, Berkeley poll showed him tied with former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County, with each at 13% of the support. Republican candidates Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, led the poll with 17% and 16% respectively. Tom Steyer, a Democratic billionaire who funded the successful campaign to pass congressional redistricting in California, has 10%, according to the poll, which listed 5% or less for each of the five other Democratic candidates.

Swalwell's name will remain on the June 2 gubernatorial primary ballot, despite the fact he quit the race. The deadline has already passed to withdraw a name from the ballot.

Southwest Regional Editor Dave Mason contributed to this story.

(The Center Square) – A strike could happen Tuesday in the Los Angeles Unified School District unless an agreement is reached with all three unions.

The unions currently on board with a tentative agreement are United Teachers Los Angeles and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Teamsters.

LAUSD, the nation's second-largest school district, was still negotiating with Service Employees International Union Local 99 as of Monday afternoon.

“Members are hoping to avert a strike. But after two years of negotiations with no movement from the district, they are ready to take strong action to improve their livelihoods and the student services they provide,” said Blanca Gallegos, communications director for SEIU Local 99.

“SEIU Local 99 members are asking for wages that will lift them above poverty, increased hours to ensure students have the services they need, more staffing for student services, and an end to the subcontracting of work to for-profit corporations that have no accountability to the district or community," Gallegos told The Center Square on Monday.

Gina Gray, a high school English teacher and UTLA member, said if SEIU Local 99 does not reach a tentative agreement, her union will stand in solidarity with their “brothers and sisters” at Local 99.

“We will not cross their lines,” Gray told The Center Square.

The tentative agreement reached with UTLA would increase their members’ salary scales by 11.65%. The tentative agreement would also increase the beginning salary for a teacher to $77,00 per year.

Gray called it a step in the right direction, adding that UTLA is "happy with the tentative agreement."

In March, Gray told The Center Square that unions were “demanding” that the district invest in schools, salaries, students, and communities. According to Gray, LAUSD has the money, but schools have been “suffering” due to underinvestment.

“We have evidence that shows where our district has been investing in private equity and in tech,” said Gray. “We know our district has the funds. It’s just about the priorities now.”

Gray said more staff support would mean a lot amid the affordability crisis in Los Angeles. 

She noted 21% of full-time faculty and staff would qualify for affordable housing in California.

“We have many teachers, new teachers who can’t afford to live and work in the communities they serve,” said Gray in March.

Pointing to the tentative agreement with LAUSD, Gray said Monday that UTLA has been sharing it in area meetings. She applauded union officials for their hard work.

“The bargaining team was at it until the wee hours of the morning,” Gray said Monday. “It was a hard battle, but we're happy.’ 

After being contacted by The Center Square, LAUSD pointed to a statement on its website saying that it will continue to meet with labor partners “with the intent to reach additional agreements” that would allow schools to remain open on Tuesday.