News And Current Events

(Reuters) - One year after California introduced a first-of-its-kind $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers, an increase of up to 70 cents is slated for a vote.

California's Fast Food Council, comprised of fast-food workers, restaurant owners and state officials, approved a motion Wednesday to consider a cost-of-living-adjustment at an upcoming meeting.

The Council's next meeting, expected to take place in April or May, will be for further discussion and not see a vote taken on a decision about it.

Before the vote, the Council heard scores of public comments.

Business owners said not enough time has passed since the $20 minimum wage went into effect to study the effects, which they say has already led to higher consumer prices and less jobs for workers.

Workers and labor advocates said the increase was needed to address rising costs of living in one of the country's most expensive states to live.

Veronica Gonzales, a fast-food worker, spoke remotely from a room full of workers organized under the California Fast Food Workers Union’s San Jose chapter. Through a translator, she said in Spanish that the cost of her rent and her medicine has gone up.

“I cannot live with this wage,” she said.

The possibility of a wage increase, which would be the first for the Council since the state created it last year alongside the $20 fast-food minimum wage, has become a flashpoint in a growing debate about California’s unique effort to regulate the fast-food industry.

MIAMI (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he “better move fast” to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or risk not having a nation to lead.

The rhetoric from Trump toward Ukraine comes amid an escalating back-and-forth between the two presidents and rising tensions between Washington and much of Europe over Trump’s approach to settling the biggest conflict on the continent since World War II.

Trump’s harsh words for Zelenskyy drew criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans in the United States, where Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression has had bipartisan support. Zelenskyy said Trump was falling into a Russian disinformation trap — and was quickly admonished by Vice President JD Vance about the perils of publicly criticizing the new president.

Trump, who is trying to bring the fighting to a close on terms that Kyiv says are too favorable to Moscow, used an extended social media post on his Truth Social platform to lash out at Zelenskyy and call the Ukrainian a “dictator without elections.”

“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Trump said of Zelenskyy, who was a popular television star in Ukraine before running for office.

Experts from Yale University have discovered an alarming syndrome linked to the mRNA Covid vaccines.

The previously-unknown condition - dubbed 'post-vaccination syndrome' - appears to cause brain fog, dizziness, tinnitus and exercise intolerance.

Some sufferers also show distinct biological changes, including differences in immune cells and the presence of coronavirus proteins in their blood, years after taking the shot.

The condition also appears to reawaken a dormant virus in the body called Epstein-Barr which can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and nerve issues.

The full results of the small study have not yet been published, and the Yale experts emphasized the results 'are still a work in progress.'

Yet the findings, from a well-respected institution, suggest more research on post-vaccination syndrome is needed, independent experts said.

The next phase of the research will be to ascertain how widespread the condition is and who is most at risk.

A potential forthcoming peace agreement “cannot be a dictate” imposed on Ukraine against its wishes, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Feb. 17, following the European leaders' summit in Paris.

According to The Guardian, the chancellor stated that Europe must continue to support Ukraine and maintain a united stance with the United States on security issues.

Scholz emphasized his support for peace negotiations but insisted they should not be imposed.

“We welcome negotiations on a peace agreement, but for us, it is clear that this cannot be a dictate,” he said.

He added that Ukraine should be able to defend itself and continue its path toward the European Union. According to Scholz, this should not be a subject of negotiations.

At the same time, Scholz described the proposal of deploying European troops in Ukraine as “speculative” and the discussions on this matter premature.

Elon Musk threatened to claw back $59 million he said the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent “last week to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants” – a claim that City Hall officials rebutted Monday.

The world’s richest man said in an early morning post on X that the funds were “just discovered” by his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE– even as President Trump called for a complete overhaul of FEMA that could even see it shuttered.

Trump last month signed an executive order to create a council to review FEMA as he expressed concerns over “serious concerns of political bias” in the agency.

Musk’s threat could put Mayor Eric Adams in an awkward position, as Hizzoner has desperately pleaded for funding help from the federal government during the years-long migrant crisis that has cost the city $7 billion.

“Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” Musk wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza, as Israel’s army was ordered to prepare plans for large numbers of Palestinians to leave the territory.

Trump’s plan triggered an enormous backlash, with leaders from the Middle East and beyond rejecting it as unworkable and illegal.

But Netanyahu insisted the plan - which Trump said would involve sending Gaza’s residents to neighboring countries and taking “long-term ownership” of the enclave - was a “remarkable idea.”

“The actual idea of allowing first Gazans who want to leave to leave, I mean, what is wrong with that?” he told Fox News Wednesday, adding that those who leave the strip “can come back.”

“This is the first good idea that I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued, and done because I think it will create a different future for everyone,” added Netanyahu.

Trump announced his proposal in a joint news conference at the White House with Netanyahu on Tuesday, setting off a maelstrom of criticism from rights groups who say the plan’s implementation would break international law – and would amount to ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

Western allies of Washington rejected the idea of displacing people from Gaza, while leaders in the Middle East, including Gazan officials, reaffirmed their position advocating for Palestinian statehood.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Wednesday that Arab nations were planning to reconstruct Gaza while Palestinians remain in the enclave. Meanwhile, Jordan’s King Abdullah left for a visit to the United Kingdom and the US, with his country having announced it firmly opposes the plan.

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On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare a plan “to enable the voluntary departure of Gaza residents,” according to a Defense Ministry statement.

“I welcome the bold initiative of US President Trump, which could allow a large portion of Gaza’s population to relocate to various destinations worldwide,” a statement read.

Katz said Trump’s plan “will take many years,” during which Palestinians would be integrated “into host countries while facilitating long-term reconstruction efforts in a demilitarized and threat-free Gaza in a post-Hamas era.”

The Israeli minister said countries including Spain, Ireland and Norway – who have all accused Israel of breaking international law during its military campaign in Gaza – are “legally obligated to accept any Gazan resident who wishes to enter their territory.”

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Most of the two million people living in Gaza won’t want to leave, analysts have said, raising the question of whether they could be forcefully removed – which is prohibited under international law.

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Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said recently that each time Israel has completed military operations in Gaza and pulled back, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge.

“We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war,” he said.

Trump's post also drew criticism due to the fact RFK Jr has previously endorsed debunked theories that vaccines cause autism.

But a growing body of recent research suggests other external factors cannot be dismissed as conspiracies.

Some studies have shown growing pollution and chemical contamination in food and water may allow toxins to infiltrate the bloodstream of pregnant mothers and travel to the brain of the developing fetus, causing inflammation that impairs nerve signals that lead to autism.

Some experts have also speculated a surge in pesticide use may also be responsible for lower IQs and delays in children.

Additionally, more babies are surviving being born prematurely than in decades past, making them more vulnerable to developmental delays and autism.

This could be related to the fact women are having children older than ever, or other changes to do with parents, such as the rising prevalence of obesity.

However, the increased prevalence of autism may not be a uniquely American phenomenon.

In the UK, a record 200,000 Brits in 2024 were reportedly waiting to be screened for autism, a nine-fold increase from 2019, data from the country's National Health Service shows.

The top Republican on the Senate's chief health committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., indicated Thursday during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s second confirmation hearing of the week that his vote for Trump's nominee to head Health and Human Services was not a lock, noting that he was "struggling" to confirm Kennedy over his inability to admit vaccines are safe and don't cause autism.

Kennedy faced two separate hearings in front of Senate lawmakers this week in his bid to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was probed frequently over his views on vaccines, which have been a sticking point for many senators as they figure out whether to vote in favor of Kennedy's nomination or not.

During the hearings, Kennedy refused to reject claims he has posited publicly in the past that vaccines cause autism and argued he is not anti-vaccine but rather "pro-safety." Kennedy added during the hearings that his plan as HHS secretary would be to "follow the science," noting that if the science says he is wrong on vaccines, he will publicly apologize.

But senators, like Cassidy, have suggested during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that the science says vaccines are safe — and they don't cause autism.

"My responsibility is to learn, try and determine, if you can be trusted to support the best public health," Cassidy, a former physician, said during his closing remarks at Kennedy's Thursday confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). "A worthy movement called ‘MAHA,’" Cassidy continued, "to improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence, and never accepting the evidence that is there … That is why I've been struggling with your nomination."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called on Congress to reimburse the State for more than $11.1 billion spent on border security. The governor said Texas taxpayers footed the bill for border security “due to the Biden Administration’s refusal to do its job for the last four years.”

“President Biden’s policies left Texas and the rest of America defenseless against an unprecedented infiltration of violent criminals, known terrorists, and other hostile foreign actors, like the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua,” Abbott’s letter reads. “I launched Operation Lone Star (OLS) to combat these threats to all Americans. Over the past four years, OLS efforts successfully reduced illegal immigration into Texas by 87%, demonstrated the ongoing effectiveness of President Donald Trump’s border measures, and shone a spotlight on a national crisis.”

“In total, Texas has spent over $11.1 billion to protect the nation and secure the border,” the governor continued. “Accordingly, I am formally requesting that the federal government reimburse Texas for these costs in full.”

Abbott sent the letters to the U.S. Congressional Leadership and the entire Texas Congressional Delegation. The letters followed Governor Abbott’s meeting with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson nearly one week ago. During the meeting, the governor discussed the continuing Biden border crisis and the State’s efforts to undo the damage caused by the Biden administration.

Former Ru Paul's Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne has died, friends confirmed on Sunday.

The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, won the first series of the UK version of the drag contest in 2019, before returning for the US All Stars Winners season in 2022.

News of the talented drag artist's death was announced across social media. A cause is yet to be established.

Tributes poured in for the star, who was born in Wales, including from their ex-husband David Lufton, as well as Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and co-star Tia Kofi as they shared their heartbreak at their passing.

Confirming the news on Instagram, The Vivienne's publicist Simon Jones wrote: 'It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams - The Vivienne, has passed this weekend.

'James was an incredibly loved, warmhearted and amazing person. Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle.

'They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career. We will not be releasing any further details.

When the police asked her where she was going, she simply replied: "With my mom and dad" and when they asked her where they were, she simply answered: "United States"

A migrant girl from El Salvador, only two years old, was found alone on the border between the United States and Mexico, holding a piece of paper with a name and a phone number, according to the authorities of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) through social networks.

The discovery occurred on Sunday in Maverick County, Texas, where a group of more than 200 migrants, including 60 unaccompanied minors, were detained after crossing the border irregularly. Among them, the minor, dressed in a bright pink jacket, drew attention because of her young age and because she was traveling completely alone.

In a video released by DPS, the girl answered questions from an officer. When questioned about her fate, she said she was looking for her parents: "With my mom and dad," she said. When asked about his location, he replied, "The United States."

The minor showed a small piece of yellow paper on which a name and a telephone number were written. The authorities have not reported whether they have already managed to locate the girl's parents or identify the person to whom the contact corresponds written on the paper.

Chris Olivarez, a lieutenant and spokesman for DPS, said on social media that the girl's case was a clear example of the "precarious journey" that children make from their country of origin "and how criminal organizations traffic them across the southern border and into the interior."

"Regardless of political opinions, it is unacceptable for a child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks," Olivarez said in his X (formerly Twitter) post.

The spokesman added that there is a "record number" of unaccompanied children and another "hundreds of thousands" who are missing, likewise, there is no one to guarantee their safety, except for "the men and women who are on the front line every day." Similarly, he commented that "many children" suffer from exploitation and trafficking "and nothing is ever heard from them again."

"DPS has rescued more than 900 children during Operation Lone Star from abandonment and human trafficking," Olivarez said.

Attached to the information of the discovery of the two-year-old girl, the DPS spokesman shared a series of images and videos of unaccompanied minors, highlighting that of a Salvadoran infant who was heading to Washington state.

In the same clip, a group of unaccompanied minors of different ages can be seen, some from El Salvador, others from countries such as Guatemala and Honduras with destinations as varied as California, North Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The youngest of all those interviewed in the videos shared by Olivarez was a 9-year-old boy who claimed to be from El Salvador and who was looking to go to California.

On the other hand, the department's agent attached a clip in which an exclusive row of underage women was interviewed. It was found that some came from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and other countries, highlighting the discovery of a four-year-old girl and a seven-year-old girl.

Five days before the snap elections in France, the far-right National Rally (RN) leads the polls on 36%, followed by the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (27%). French President Macron's party is trailing, polling at 20%. Follow our live blog below.

As the campaign for the snap legislative election enters its final week, President Emmanuel Macron has been increasing his public interventions despite warnings from his allies and his fall in popularity.

On Monday, the French leader said the programmes of the “extremes” could lead “to civil war."

His plea came a day before the 28-year-old leader of the far-right National Rally, Jordan Bardella, unveiled a more detailed plan of his proposals if his party were to win.

Planet Fitness critics are saying "go woke, go broke," calling on the top fitness chain to receive the "Bud Light" treatment after an uproar over its transgender locker room policy created a social media stir.

The chain saw a $400 million dive in valuation from $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion just days after revoking an Alaska woman's membership for snapping photos of a transgender woman, who was biologically male, shaving in the women's locker room, according to a Daily Mail report.

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Silva claimed a 12-year-old girl who was in the locker room was also uncomfortable with the biological male's presence.

Planet Fitness confirmed Silva's membership was canceled after taking photos and/or videos in the locker room –—a policy violation.