A commercial airliner was on final approach to San Franciscos international airport in November when the crew spotted a drone outside the cockpit window. By then it was too late to take evasive action, the pilots reported, and the quadcopter passed by their windshield, not 300 feet away.
A month earlier, a jetliner was flying at an altitude of 4,000 feet near Miamis international airport when its pilots reported a close encounter with a drone. In August, a drone came within 50 feet of clipping the left wing of a passenger jet as it departed Newark International Airport.
The incidents were all classified as near midair collisions any one of which could have had catastrophic consequences, according to aviation safety experts. They were also not isolated encounters.
An Associated Press analysis of an aviation safety database reveals that drones last year accounted for nearly two-thirds of reported near midair collisions involving commercial passenger planes taking off and landing at the country’s top 30 busiest airports. That was the highest percentage of such near misses since 2020, when air traffic dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first reports of near misses involving drones were logged in 2014, the AP found. The number of such encounters spiked the following year. Over the last decade, drones accounted for 51% 122 of 240 of reported near misses, according to AP’s analysis.
Passenger jets have long been subject to risks around airports whether from bird strikes or congested airspace as was made clear by the January collision between a military helicopter and commercial jet near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.
The threat has become more dire
The threat from drones has become more acute in the last decade as the use of quadcopters and remote-controlled planes has exploded in popularity. The FAA estimates that Americans are operating more than a million drones for recreational and commercial purposes.
If you have the money, you can go on the internet and buy a pretty sophisticated drone that can reach altitudes they really have no business being at, said William Waldock, a professor of safety science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The risk is most acute near airports because that is where the flight paths of drones and airplanes most overlap, experts said.
The incidents represent only a portion of such close calls because the database NASAs Aviation Safety Reporting System relies on voluntary submissions from pilots and other aviation workers. A separate FAA program, which includes reports from the public, tallied at least 160 sightings last month of drones flying near airports.
The FAA recognizes that urgency, and we all know additional changes need to be made to allow the airports to go out and detect and mitigate where necessary, said Hannah Thach, executive director of the partnership, known as Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence.
FAA says it is taking steps to improve safety
The FAA said it has taken steps to mitigate the risks of drones. It has prohibited nearly all drones from flying near airports without prior authorization, though such rules are difficult to enforce, and recreational users may not be aware of restrictions.
The agency requires registrations for drones weighing more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds), and such drones are required to carry a radio transponder that identifies the drones owner and broadcasts its position to help avert collisions. Additional rules govern commercial drone use.
The agency has also been testing systems to detect and counter drones near airports. Among the methods being examined: Using radio signals to jam drones or force them to land. Authorities are also weighing whether to deploy high-powered microwaves or laser beams to disable the machines.
Experts said the FAA and other authorities could do more. They suggested creating a system similar to speed cameras on roadways that could capture a drones transponder code and send its pilots a ticket in the mail.
They also said the FAA should consider regulations that require all manufacturers to program a drones GPS unit to prevent it from flying near airports and other sensitive areas, a method called geofencing.
Drone manufacturer ends mandatory “geofencing”
DJI, a leading drone maker, used such geofencing restrictions for years. However, it eliminated the feature in January, replacing it with an alert to drone pilots when they approach restricted areas.
Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said managing requests from authorized users to temporarily disable the geofencing became an increasingly time-consuming task. More than one million such requests were processed last year.
We had around-the-clock service, but the number of applications coming in were becoming really hard to handle, Welsh said. They all had to be reviewed individually.
With no other manufacturers enabling geofencing, and without government rules requiring it, DJI decided to end the practice, he said.
The FAA declined to say if it is considering whether to mandate geofencing.
Drone users can face consequences
Experts said authorities should take more aggressive action to hold drone users accountable for violating restricted airspace to highlight the problem and deter others from breaking the rules, pointing to recent arrests that they hoped might send such a message.
In December, for example, Boston police arrested two men who operated a drone that flew dangerously close to Logan International Airport. Police reported that they were able to find the drone flyers, in part, by tracking the aircraft thanks to its FAA-mandated transponder signal.
A month later, a small drone collided with a Super Scooper plane that was fighting wildfires raging through Southern California. The drone punched a hole in the plane’s left wing, causing enough damage that officials grounded the aircraft for several days to make repairs.
Authorities tracked down the 56-year-old drone operator, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge of recklessly flying his aircraft. The man, who has yet to be sentenced, admitted he launched his DJI quadcopter to observe fire damage over the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, despite the FAA having restricted drone flying i the area, according to court records. The operator lost sight of the drone after it flew about 1.5 miles from where he had launched it. And that’s when it struck the Super Scooper.”
Aaron Kessler and Michael Biesecker, Associated Press
Arborists are turning vacant land on Detroit’s eastside into a small urban forest, not of elms, oaks and red maples indigenous to the city but giant sequoias, the world’s largest trees that can live for thousands of years.
The project on four lots will not only replace long-standing blight with majestic trees, but could also improve air quality and help preserve the trees that are native to Californias Sierra Nevada, where they are threatened by ever-hotter wildfires.
Detroit is the pilot city for the Giant Sequoia Filter Forest. The nonprofit Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is donating dozens of sequoia saplings that will be planted by staff and volunteers from Arboretum Detroit, another nonprofit, to mark Earth Day on April 22.
Co-founder David Milarch says Archangel also plans to plant sequoias in Los Angeles, Oakland, California, and London.
What are giant sequoias?
The massive conifers can grow to more than 300 feet (90 meters) tall with a more than 30-foot (9-meter) circumference at the base. They can live for more than 3,000 years.
Heres a tree that is bigger than your house when its mature, taller than your buildings, and lives longer than you can comprehend, said Andrew Birch Kemp, Arboretum Detroit’s executive director.
The sequoias will eventually provide a full canopy that protects everything beneath, he said.
It may be sad to call these .5- and 1-acre treescapes forests, Kemp said. We are expanding on this and shading our neighborhood in the only way possible, planting lots of trees.
Giant sequoias are resilient against disease and insects, and are usually well-adapted to fire. Thick bark protects their trunks and their canopies tend to be too high for flames to reach. But climate change is making the big trees more vulnerable to wildfires out West, Kemp said.
The fires are getting so hot that its even threatening them, he said.
Descendants of Stagg and Waterfall
Archangel, based in Copemish, Michigan, preserves the genetics of old-growth trees for research and reforestation.
The sequoia saplings destined for Detroit are clones of two giants known as Stagg the world’s fifth-largest tree and Waterfall, of the Alder Creek grove, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.
In 2010, Archangel began gathering cones and climbers scaled high into the trees to gather new-growth clippings from which they were able to develop and grow saplings.
A decade later, a wildfire burned through the grove. Waterfall was destroyed but Stagg survived. They will both live on in the Motor City.
Why Detroit?
Sequoias need space, and metropolitan Detroit has plenty of it.
In the 1950s, 1.8 million people called Detroit home, but the city’s population has since shrunk to about one-third of that number. Tens of thousands of homes were left empty and neglected.
While the city has demolished at least 24,000 vacant structures since it emerged from bankruptcy in 2014, thousands of empty lots remain. Kemp estimates that only about 10-15% of the original houses remain in the neighborhood where the sequoias will grow.
Theres not another urban area I know of that has the kind of potential that we do to reforest,” he said. We could all live in shady, fresh air beauty. It’s like no reason we cant be the greenest city in the world.
Within the last decade, 11 sequoias were planted on vacant lots owned by Arboretum Detroit and nine others were planted on private properties around the neighborhood. Each now reaches 12 to 15 feet (3.6 to 4.5 meters) tall. Arboretum Detroit has another 200 in its nursery. Kemp believes the trees will thrive in Detroit.
Theyre safer here … we dont have wildfires like (California). The soil stays pretty moist, even in the summer, he said. They like to have that winter irrigation, so when the snow melts they can get a good drink.
How will the sequoias impact Detroit?
Caring for the sequoias will fall to future generations, so Milarch has instigated what he calls tree school to teach Detroits youth how and why to look after the new trees.
We empower our kids to teach them how to do this and give them the materials and the way to do this themselves, Milarch said. They take ownership. They grow them in the classrooms and plant them around the schools. They know were in environmental trouble.
Some of them may never have even walked in a forest, Kemp said.
How can we expect children who have never seen a forest to care about deforestation on the other side of the world?” Kemp said. “It is our responsibility to offer them their birthright.
City residents are exposed to extreme air pollution and have high rates of asthma. The Detroit sequoias will grow near a heavily industrial area, a former incinerator and two interstates, he said.
Kemps nonprofit has already planted about 650 trees comprising around 80 species in some 40 lots in the area. But he believes the sequoias will have the greatest impact.
Because these trees grow so fast, so large and theyre evergreen theyll do amazing work filtering the air here, Kemp said. We live in pretty much a pollution hot spot. Were trying to combat that. Were trying to breathe clean air. Were trying to create shade. Were trying to soak up the stormwater, and I think sequoias among all the trees we plant may be the strongest, best candidates for that.
Corey Williams, Associated Press
Tesla investors are anxious to know if plans to roll out a cheaper car and a robotaxi service this year are on track, and whether CEO Elon Musk is ready to ditch his role in the Trump administration soon and get back to managing the company more closely.
The electric vehicle maker is scheduled after market close on Tuesday to provide what is likely to be its most important update on operations since the launch of its Model 3 vehicle in 2017. Tesla said earlier this month that it would “hold a live company update” along with its results and the question and answer webcast, sparking speculation on social media that it might make a major announcement.
Analysts are expecting a bad first quarter, based on recent indicators. Deliveries in the January-March period slid 13%, as the company lost ground to Chinese rivals, and Musk’s political actions as a close adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump have damaged the brand.
Tesla has faced protests, vandalism, and consumer calls for boycotts in several markets, and sales in China and California its largest U.S. market have fallen sharply as well.
Some investors have taken a more sour view of the one-time Wall Street darling. The company’s stock, which closed at $227.42 on Monday, has nearly halved from its December peak.
Tesla’s key automotive gross margin, excluding regulatory credits, likely fell to 11.8% in the period, according to 21 analysts polled by Visible Alpha, down from 13.6% in the fourth quarter. Analysts expect the downward trend to continue if Tesla continues to prioritize volume growth over profitability.
Tesla comes into results as arguably the most scrutinized company in the world,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. “Thats not really a position investors want to be in, and therell be a lot of focus on whether Elon Musk gives any indication of when he might be stepping back from DOGE,” said Britzman, who personally holds Tesla stock. DOGE is short for the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
The EV maker scrapped plans for a brand-new, low-cost model last year, opting instead to produce cheaper variants using existing platforms and assembly lines. Reuters reported exclusively on Friday that Tesla delayed plans to start production of a more affordable Model Y crossover by at least a few months.
Musk promised driverless ride-hailing services to the public in Texas by June, and in California for later this year. To that end, Tesla has been seeking regulatory approvals, but there are serious concerns about safety and related litigation risks that could come with deploying unproven driverless technology on public streets.
Analysts expect a second straight annual decline in Tesla deliveries in 2025, despite efforts to boost sales through incentives like free charging and Full Self-Driving features.
Revenue was likely flat from a year ago at $21.35 billion, supported by gains in regulatory credits and growth in Teslas energy storage business.
Tesla also recalled all Cybertrucks delivered since late 2023 and launched a lower-priced $70,000 version of the vehicle. It has been discounting unsold inventory of the electric pickup truck in recent weeks.
Tariff tensions add further uncertainty. Tesla has paused some China-sourced component imports after U.S. tariffs on the Asian country rose to 145%, Reuters reported. China has responded with tariffs of its own, leading Tesla to suspend new Model S and X orders in the country.
Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy, Reuters
Bottles and bags, food wrappers and straws. Piping, packaging, toys and trays. Plastic is everywhere and yet some people may be surprised at how much they actually wear.A typical closet is loaded with plastic, woven into polyester activewear, acrylic sweaters, nylon swimsuits and stretchy socks and it’s shedding into the environment nonstop.When garments are worn, washed and put through the dryer, they shed plastic fiber fragments. A single load of laundry can release millions that are so tiny wastewater treatment plants can’t capture them all. They wind up in local waterways that connect to the ocean. Marine animals eat them, and that can pass plastic to larger animals and humans.Even natural fabrics shed fibers and have chemicals that can leach into the environment. But polyester is the most widely used fiber on Earth, and along with other synthetic fibers accounts for about two-thirds of production worldwide.Tuesday is Earth Day, when people worldwide contemplate ways to reduce their impact on the planet.“Everyone who wears and launders clothing is part of this problem but everyone who wears and launders clothing can be part of the solutions,” said Rachael Z. Miller, founder of Vermont-based Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean.Simple changes like washing clothes less and using cold water instead of hot can help reduce the shedding of fibers. More challenging is that textiles need to be produced and used in a more sustainable way, said Elisa Tonda at the UN Environment Programme. For example, designing clothes that shed fewer microfibers and are high-quality to last longer, said Tonda, who leads the resources and markets branch.
What to do? Start by changing habits
The easiest solution is to wash clothes less often, making for less of the friction that breaks fibers apart, said Anja Brandon, director of plastics policy at Ocean Conservancy.“They get tumbled and tossed around with a bunch of soaps, really designed to shake things up to get out dirt and stains,” Brandon said.Miller uses a stain stick to spot-clean. Both say that when clothes are washed, they shed less when put in cold water in full loads to reduce friction, on a shorter cycle, then hung to dry.Inspired by the way coral filters the ocean, Miller invented the Cora Ball, a laundry ball that can be tossed into the washer to cut down on clothes banging into each other. It also catches microfibers. (A portion of the proceeds goes to the Rozalia Project.) Another option is to put synthetic fabrics in a washing bag that captures fibers.Which clothes shed the most? To find out, press a strip of clear packing tape to a garment, then stick it to white paper to check for fibers, Miller said. Garments that are loosely knit or woven tend to shed more, such as fleece.Miller said people don’t need to rush to throw out clothing that’s more likely to shed. She owns fleece jackets herself. Instead, she suggested such clothing can be worn indoors only or outside with a layer on top, and it’s worth thinking twice about acquiring more garments like that.“I try not to guilt or panic people because a lot of this information is very new,” Miller said. “And so we might as well just say, ‘OK, I got it. How can I be strategic about what I’ve got?'”
A push to require filters
Filters can be added to washers to capture microfibers. Samsung Electronics collaborated with Patagonia and the global conservation organization Ocean Wise to launch one in 2023. It’s now sold in more than 20 countries for front-load washers. Bosch recently launched a microfiber filter in Europe for washers.France was first to adopt a law to mandate that new washing machines sold in the country have a microfiber filter, though implementation has been delayed.In the U.S., efforts to mandate filters in states have failed. California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill in 2023, saying he was concerned about the cost to consumers and he wants to incentivize, not mandate, technologies to remove microfibers in wastewater. In Oregon, state Sen. Deb Patterson proposed a bill this year requiring microfiber filters on new washers sold in that state after she came across the technology in Canada. Patterson said the bill doesn’t have enough support yet but she’ll keep trying.The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers opposes the proposals, saying it’s concerned about consumer costs and filter effectiveness.
Changing textiles
Some big brands are testing their fabrics to help researchers understand fiber fragmentation, including Adidas, Nike, Patagonia and Under Armour.They’re among more than 90 brands, retailers and manufacturers to partner with The Microfibre Consortium in the United Kingdom, founded in 2018 to do research and offer solutions to transform textile production including reducing fiber breakup.Nearly 1,500 fabrics have been tested. None are the same, making it a tough problem to solve, consortium CEO Kelly Sheridan said.Patagonia has been a leader in trying to stop the spread of synthetic fiber waste into air and water, saying it’s up to garment brands to prevent it at the source since cleaning up microplastics in the environment is not yet possible.It paid for its own research starting a decade ago on the implication of its clothes. The company worked with suppliers to choose fabrics and dyes and to finish their clothing in ways that reduce shedding. They collaborated on new filtration technologies for washers, textile mills and municipal systems.One of their best-known styles is something called the “better sweater” that shifts from virgin polyester to recycled polyester to cut shedding by about 40%, said Matt Dwyer, vice president of global product footprint. And at textile mills, there’s a prewash at the factory that can capture that first big shed, he added.Dwyer is optimistic about progress.“There’s a whole lot of smart people, not just understanding the problem and the scope of the problem, but also looking for solutions all the way through the manufacturing cycle and use phase,” he said. “Compared to 10 years ago, it’s a whole new world.”
Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Francesco Ferretti had a problem. His research expedition to track white sharks in the Mediterranean was suddenly adriftthe boat he’d arranged had vanished into the pandemic’s chaos of canceled plans and family emergencies. With scientific equipment packed and a team of seven researchers ready, the marine biologist found himself scanning the horizon for solutions.
It was then that Ferretti turned to six-year-old Yachts for Science, a matchmaking service linking wealthy boat owners with cash-strapped researchers. Soon, an owner of a private yacht offered to help.
Though weather conditions limited their time on the water and forced a relocation between countries, the expedition pressed on, with the yacht’s crew eagerly assisting with scientific operations. The unusual collaborationluxury yacht meets marine researchproved successful despite the compromise of working on a vessel not specifically designed for scientific work.
“Whenever the crew was there, and we were actually doing science, they were available to help,” says Ferretti. “Sometimes you need hands, or you need other people to do stuff for you, to facilitate even the most trivial things, like organizing buckets or helping with sampling.
A dive during an expedition last year to Silver Banks, a whale sanctuary in the Dominican Republic, organized by Bering Yachts. [Photo: Max Bello]
Ferretti’s experience represents a growing movement in marine research, where luxury meets necessity. There are dozens of research vessels registered in the U.S., far more than any other country, including NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships, but availiablity can be scarce, and they aren’t cheap. Renting one of those vessels for an oceanographic expedition like this can cost upwards of $50,000 per day, according to Ferretti, a huge sum to raise for many scientists facing budget constraints. Meanwhile, the world’s ultra-wealthy use their multimillion-dollar yachts just a few weeks each year, with vessels sitting idle while still incurring substantial crew and maintenance costs.
Organizations like Yachts for Science, the International SeaKeepers Society, and the Pink Flamingo Society aim to bridge this gap, turning underutilized pleasure craft into platforms for discovery, whether by donating full research expeditions or simply collecting ocean data during regular voyages. For scientists, these collaborations provide vital access to remote, understudied regions; for yacht owners, they offer tax benefits, meaningful engagement for crew, and the satisfaction of contributing to ocean conservation without necessarily sacrificing privacy or comfort.
Rob McCallum, who helps facilitate these matchmaking arrangements through Yachts for Science, describes his organization as “the Tinder of the seas.” McCallum says they are on track to make about a dozen matches this yearamounting to about $1.4 million in vessel time for researcherswith plans to ramp up to hundreds of collaborations over the next few years, generating about $15 million in vessel time per year.
“We’re just approaching some of our funders at the moment asking for $600,000 a year for three years to actually fund taking the brakes off,” says McCallum. “My belief is that it’ll grow almost to an infinite extent, because once you have yachts getting out there and doing science, it will become the thing discussed at cocktail parties.”
The yacht owner who answered Ferretti’s call was Frank Peeters, a Belgian businessman whose vessel, Blue Titan, is what he calls “an adventure yacht” built for crossing oceans rather than hosting parties.
“The boat is not fit for that many people,” says Peeters of the 27-meter (88-foot) yacht. “Normally we sail with 6 people and the crew, and here we were sometimes 12, 13, 14 people.”
Bering Yachts organized a 13-person expedition to Silver Banks aboard the 30-meter Bering 92 Papillon. [Photo: Bering Yachts]
The expedition quickly faced challenges. After two days off the Tunisian coast, military officials intercepted the craft, claiming the research team lacked proper permissions. What followed was a bureaucratic struggle that lasted two weeks, with permits granted then mysteriously revoked. At one point, the boat was even briefly confiscated.
Despite complications costing Peeters between 10,000 and 20,000 euros (about $11,000 to $22,000) out of pocket, he has no regrets. “Would I do it again? Yes, I would do it again immediately,” he says. “I know they have to work on very small budgets, and we could help there.”
The scientists eventually redirected their shark-tracking expedition to Italian waters near Lampedusa, where they continued their research. While the team didnt directly observe white sharks, they detected white shark environmental DNA (eDNA) at multiple sites, confirming the species presence in the area. This helped identify one of the last strongholds of the Mediterranean white shark population and marked a key step in launching a multi-institutional conservation program.
Peeters, who describes himself as kind of retired and sails Blue Titan with his wife about 16 weeks a year, now follows the researchers on Instagram, occasionally receiving video updates about their work. He was also acknowledged in the scientific paper that resulted from the expeditiona form of compensation he finds “definitely worthwhile.”
A North Atlantic humpback whale breaching during the Bering Yachts expedition. [Photo: Max Bello]
For researchers like Ferretti, these collaborations involve compromise. Scientists must adapt their methodologies for yacht environments, working carefully in spaces designed for luxury rather than research. But with U.K. research grant success rates dipping below 10% and U.S. government funding for the sciences increasingly uncertain, these adaptations reflect a persistent reality.
Beyond donating entire vessels for expeditions, yacht owners can contribute to science with minimal effort by installing simple data collection technology on their luxury vessels, which often venture into remote, understudied areas where scientific data is scarce.
“A lot of these boats are going into data-poor regions where there isn’t a lot of information,” says Roman Chiporukha, who co-runs Roman & Erica, a travel company for ultra-wealthy clients. “They could be mapping ocean floors where it hasn’t been done in the past.”
For yacht owners, these donations can also yield financial benefits. “When you’re donating the boat, it acts as a donation from a philanthropic institution,” says Chiporukha. “If I charter my boat for half a million dollars a week, I just wrote off half a million dollars [in taxes].”
Yachts are, of course, not typically associated with ocean protection or environmental stewardship: A 2018 study found that the world’s top 20 billionaires emitted around 8,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, compared to the average citizen’s carbon footprint of around 4 tons, or 15 tons in the United States; and that a staggering two-thirds of these emissions were created by their superyachts. And not all ocean inhabitants welcome the presence of luxury vessels: See the Iberian orcas that have taken to ramming yachts off the Spanish coast since 2020. Researchers have used eyewitness reports to study these encountersanother way yacht owners can contribute to marine scienceand have speculated that the behavior may be juvenile whales using boat rudders as target practice for bluefin tuna.)
The luxury vessels participating in this scientific matchmaking vary widely. Turkey-based international company Bering Yachts found an opportunity not just in donating yacht time but in experiencing extraordinary research firsthand.
“I felt very privileged to be there,” says Bering Yachts founder Alexei Mikhailov, who joined an expedition last year to Silver Banks in the Dominican Republic, a whale sanctuary that permits only about 500 visitors annually. “When you’re surrounded by thousands of whales and mothers with babies, action around you 360 degrees, 24/7, it’s insane.”
The research trip utilized a customer’s 30-meter steel-and-aluminum yacht, positioning scientists 80 miles offshore in consistently rough seas. Despite 5- to 7-foot waves that would typically cause severe discomfort, the vessel’s dual stabilization systems created a comfortable platform for the researchers and their sensitive equipment.
For Mikhailov, whose early career was dedicated to environmental protection, the expedition reconnected him with scientific pursuit in a profound way that he hopes he can help replicate with Yachts for Science again.
“It was very interesting to talk to these people and share stories,” says Mikhailov. “I hope well have another chance to visit a place like this in the future.
Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, who accused the pharmacy of illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade for opioids and other controlled substances.The nationwide drugstore chain must pay the government at least $300 million and will owe another $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred before 2032, according to the settlement reached last Friday.The government’s complaint, filed in January in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of illegal prescriptions for controlled substances between August 2012 and March 2023. These include prescriptions for excessive opioids and prescriptions filled significantly early.“We strongly disagree with the government’s legal theory and admit no liability,” Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman said in a statement. “This resolution allows us to close all opioid related litigation with federal, state, and local governments and provides us with favorable terms from a cashflow perspective while we focus on our turnaround strategy.”Amid slumping store visits and shrinking market share, Walgreens announced it was closing 1,200 stores around the country last October. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2023 as it was also dealing with losses and opioid lawsuit settlements. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a similar lawsuit against CVS in December.The complaint says Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags that the prescriptions were highly likely to be invalid, and the company pressured its pharmacists to fill them quickly. The government alleges Walgreen’s compliance officials ignored “substantial evidence” that its stores were filling unlawful prescriptions and withheld important information on opioid prescribers from its pharmacists.Walgreens then allegedly sought payment for many of the invalid prescriptions through Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act, according to the government.The U.S. Justice Department has moved to dismiss its complaint in light of Friday’s settlement.“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”Walgreen has also entered into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration to improve its compliance with rules around dispensing controlled substances, maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers that are producing illegitimate prescriptions.With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Walgreen has agreed to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to the agency regarding the pharmacy’s dispensing of controlled substances.“In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in a statement.The settlement resolves four cases brought by former Walgreens employee whistleblowers. In 2022, CVS and Walgreens agreed to pay more than $10 billion in a multi-state settlement of lawsuits brought against them over the toll of the opioid crisis.Over the past eight years, drugmakers, wholesalers and pharmacies have agreed to more than $50 billion worth of settlements with governmentswith most of the money required to be used to fight the opioid crisis.
Jaimie Ding, Associated Press
The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday.Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans.The Trump administration’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to give broad forgiveness of student loans, only to be stopped by courts.“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’s offset program, which withholds government paymentsincluding tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefitsfrom people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department also will begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates, who said borrowers had experienced whiplash and confusion with the changing student loan policies between the Biden and Trump administrations.“This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.Already, many borrowers have been bracing for obligations coming due.In 2020, President Donald Trump paused federal student loan payments and interest accrual as a temporary relief measure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extended multiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and a final grace period for loan repayments ended in October 2024. That meant tens of millions of Americans had to start making payments again.Borrowers who don’t make payments for nine months go into default, which is reported on their credit scores and can go to collections.Along with the borrowers already in default, around another four million are 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on their student loans, department officials said.Layoffs at the Federal Student Aid office at the Education Department have made it harder for students to get their questions answered, even if they wanted to pay their loans, said Kristin McGuire, executive director for Young Invincibles, a group that focuses on economic security for younger adults.And questions are swirling about certain income-driven repayment programs after a February court ruling blocked some of the payment plans. Borrowers in the more lenient, Biden-era SAVE Plan were placed in forbearance, in which borrowers receive relief from payments but still accrue interest. The Education Department in February took down applications for income-driven repayment programswhich tie a monthly payment to a person’s income levelonly to bring them back online a month later.“Things are really difficult to understand right now. Things are changing every day,” McGuire said. “We can’t assume that people are in default because they don’t want to pay their loans. People are in default because they can’t pay their loans and because they don’t know how to pay their loans.”For borrowers in default, one step to avoid wage garnishment is to get into loan rehabilitation, said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute for Student Loan Advisors.Borrowers must ask their loan servicer to be placed into such a program. Typically, servicers ask for proof of income and expenses to calculate a payment amount. Once a borrower has paid on time for nine months in a row, they are taken out of default, Mayotte said. A loan rehabilitation can only be done once.Biden oversaw the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million borrowers. Despite the Supreme Court’s rejection of his signature proposal for broad relief, he waived more than $183.6 billion in student loans through expanded forgiveness programs.In her statement Monday, McMahon said Biden had gone too far.“Going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repaymentboth for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook,” she said.
Associated Press writer Adriana Morga in New York contributed to this report.
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Annie Ma AP, Education Writer
Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff.The cardinals met Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10.The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend, and Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected.The Argentine pope died Monday at age 88 after a stroke put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and greeting followers from his popemobile, looping around St. Peter’s Square.His Easter appearance from the same loggia where he was introduced to the world as the first pope from the Americas on March 13, 2013, was a fitting bookend to a 12-year papacy that sought to shake up the church and return it to its Gospel-mandated mission of caring for the poorest.
Vatican officials remember Francis
“He truly gave everything he had, up to the end,” said Sister Nathalie Becquart, one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican.While the ordinary faithful will have an opportunity to pay their respects beginning Wednesday, Vatican officials were allowed to say their goodbyes starting Monday evening. Speaking to reporters after she paid her respects, Becquart marveled at Francis’ final Easter salute to his flock. “He really walked with his people,” she said.Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said it was specifically Francis’ effort to promote the role of women in the church that will be one of his greatest legacies. Ravasi noted that Francis chose to be buried near his favorite icon of the Madonna, in a basilica across town, and not in the grottoes underneath St. Peter’s, as is typical for popes.“He wanted to be buried under the shadow of a woman, in this case Maria,” said Ravasi, the Vatican’s former culture minister as he arrived for Tuesday’s first meeting of cardinals. “That is significant, his desire for the church to do more for women.”The first images of Francis’ body were released Tuesday, showing him in red vestments and his bishop’s miter in a wooden casket, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived and died.In his final will, Francis said he wanted to be buried at St. Mary Major Basilica, which is home to the Salus Populi Romani icon of Mary. Before and after every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus, who in turn holds a jeweled golden book.Francis stopped by the basilica on his way home from the Gemelli hospital on March 23, after his 38-day stay, to deliver flowers to be placed before the icon. He returned April 12 to pray before it one last time.
The world reacts
Bells tolled in chapels, churches and cathedrals around the world and flags flew at half-staff in Italy, India, Taiwan and the U.S. after Francis’ death was announced by the camerlengo, who takes charge of the Vatican after a pope’s death. Soccer matches in Italy and Argentina were suspended in honor of the pope who was a lifelong fan of the San Lorenzo soccer club.World leaders praised Francis for his moral leadership and compassion, while ordinary faithful remembered his simplicity and humanity.“Like every Argentine, I think he was a rebel,” said 23-year-old Catalina Favaro, who had come to pay her respects in the Buenos Aires church where Francis discovered his priestly vocation. “He may have been contradictory, but that was nice, too.”In East Timor, where Francis’ final outdoor Mass drew nearly half of the population last September, President Jose Ramos-Horta praised Francis’ courage. “Pope Francis was a brave man who was not afraid to speak out against the rulers of the world who seek war, but do not want to seek peace,” Ramos-Horta said.“He challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home this Earth is a gift we must protect for future generations,” said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is Muslim. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and has around 30 million Catholics, representing about 14% of the population.
Viewing the pope’s coffin
The pope’s formal apartments in the Apostolic Palace and in the Santa Marta hotel were sealed Monday evening, following a centuries-old ritual. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo had the task of announcing the death and confirming it once the cause was determined, presided over the rituals.Francis chose not to live in the palace, but in a two-room suite in Santa Marta on the other side of Vatican City. He died there and his body was transferred to the hotel chapel in the lobby, where the private viewing was underway Tuesday for Vatican officials and members of the pontifical household.In changes made by Francis last year, his body was not placed in three wooden coffins, as it had been for previous popes. Rather, Francis was placed in a simplified wooden coffin with a zinc coffin inside.Once in St. Peter’s, his casket will not be put on an elevated bier as was the case with past popes but will just be be placed simply facing the pews, with the Paschal candle nearby.“He was a pope who didn’t change his path when it came to getting (his hands) dirty,” Francis’ vicar for Rome, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, said in a Mass in his honor. “For him, poor people and migrants were the sacrament of Jesus.”
Choosing the next pope
After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the “novendiali.” During this period, cardinals arrive in Rome and meet privately before the conclave.To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must begin 15 to 20 days after the “sede vacante” the “vacant See” is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions in the Sistine Chapel. After voting sessions, the ballots are burned in a special stove. Black smoke indicates that no pope has been elected, while white smoke indicates that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.The one who has secured two-thirds of the votes wins. If he accepts, his election is announced by a cardinal from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica who tells the world: “Habemus Papam” Latin for “We have a pope.”
Associated Press reporters Paolo Santalucia and Silvia Stellacci contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Nicole Winfield and Colleen Barry, Associated Press
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a recall notice that warns consumers to dispose of a certain brand of mushrooms, which have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially deadly bacterium. Heres what you need to know about the recall.
What is the reason for the recall?
On April 16, Harvest NYC Inc. of Brooklyn, New York, announced a recall of an Enoki Mushroom product due to fears of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Two days after Harvest NYC initiated the recall, the notice was posted on the FDAs website.
According to the notice, the recall was initiated after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Laboratory detected Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of the mushrooms that had been collected for analysis.
What product is being recalled?
This recall covers only one product. Here are the details, according to the recall listing on the FDAs website:
Product Description: Enoki Mushrooms
Package Description: green plastic package
Package size: 200g package
Company Name: Harvest NYC Inc
Brand Name: Hofood99 Inc
UPC Barcode: 6975730520101
Images of the recalled product in its packaging can be found here.
Where was the recalled product sold?
According to the notice on the FDAs website, the recalled mushrooms were sold nationwide. However, the recall notice does not state which stores the mushrooms were sold in other than saying that the recalled product was sold in retail stores.
When was the recalled product sold?
The recalled product in question was sold between January 11 and January 31, 2025, according to the recall notice.
What is Listeria?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria is a bacterium that can cause severe illness in people. In the United States, there are about 1,600 reported cases a year. Listeria infections have a high fatality rate, with as many as 260 of those 1,600 infected individuals succumbing to the infection.
According to the FDA notice, fatal infections can occur in individuals with weakened immune systems, as well as young children and frail or elderly people.
What are the symptoms of a Listeria infection?
Symptoms of a Listeria infection can vary depending on the type of infection and whether a person is pregnant, the CDC says.
Symptoms of an invasive Listeria illness (one where the bacteria have spread beyond the gut) in pregnant individuals can include:
Fever
Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
Listeria infections in a pregnant individual can also result in miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn, according to the CDC.
In people who are not pregnant, invasive illness symptoms can include:
Fever
Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
Headache
Stiff neck
Confusion
Loss of balance
Seizures
For individuals who have intestinal Listeria illness, the following symptoms are usually present:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Has anyone been harmed by the recalled product?
As of the time of the recall notices posting on the FDAs website, no illnesses were known to be reported that are associated with the recall.
What do I do if I have the recalled enoki mushrooms?
You should not consume them. Instead, the recall notice states that you should destroy the products immediately or return the products to their place of purchase for a refund.
If you have questions about the recall, you can contact Harvest NYC Inc. at (718) 596-0777.
Full details of the recall can be found here.
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
Raycast is one of my favorite free apps. Its a hidden gem that helps you do almost anything on your computeradd to your calendar, list tasks, search files, do math, or control appswithout touching your mouse. Its free for Mac and coming soon to iOS and Windows.
I use Raycast dozens of times daily for tasks that might take seconds individually, but cumulatively interrupt my flow. It saves me half an hour a week I can reallocate to deep work or family time.
Read on for seven of my favorite ways to use Raycast and some limitations and alternatives.
1. Do quick math and conversions
Convert temperatures, currencies, time zones, or measurements.
Calculate dates, like “100 days from now” or “days until Nov 7, 2028.”
Perform any math equation.
2. Find anything youve copiedeven days ago
Easily summon your full clipboard history to paste anything youve copied.
Retrieve text, links, and even images easily.
Save frequently used text as favorites.
3. Save time with text shortcuts
Create shortcodes that expand into text you frequently type:
Set up snippets for your address, signatures, or common responses.
Type custom text like \addr to instantly paste your mailing address or set @@ to automatically paste your email address.
Create snippets for links, instructions, or anything you repeatedly type.
4. Add tasks, events, and notes without switching apps
Interact with your favorite apps with keyboard shortcuts.
Add tasks to Apple Reminders, Todoist, or other apps.
Create Google Calendar events using natural language.
Control Spotify playback without switching windows.
Send quick messages in Slack.
Add notes to your favorite note-taking app, or use Raycast Notes for easy access to a digital notepad.
For example, by typing +Space (or your custom shortcut) followed by “remind” and your task text, you can add something to your to-do list without ever leaving your current application.
5. Control your computer settings
Using Raycast lets you avoid navigating through system menus.
Raycast Focus: Set timers and block distracting apps to get work done.
Adjust screen brightness.
Split your screen between two or more windows.
Lock your computer when stepping away.
Toggle system settings like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
6. Find files, tabs, and web results instantly
Find exactly what you need in seconds, without having to dig through folders.
Locate files anywhere on your computer.
Search the web directly with Google or Perplexity.
Look up word definitions.
Find specific emails.
Search within applications.
7. Get AI help right from your keyboard (Pro)
You can add AI capabilities for $8/month
Get AI input anywhere on your computer.
Use natural language to control your system or to find GDocs, for example.
Generate images through AI extensions.
How to get started
Download and install: Visit Raycast.com and download the free application. (Mac only for now. iOS and Windows coming soon.)
Choose your launch key: This is the magic key combination that will quickly open Raycasts pop-up window, so you can use it for all of the efficiencies detailed in this post. By default, Raycast uses [Option] and [Space], but you can customize it. I use [Control] and [Space].
Add extensions: Browse the extension store and add integrations for apps you frequently use (Google Calendar, Apple Reminders, Spotify, Notion, etc.).
Set up the clipboard manager: Try copying a few different items and access them with +Shift+V or whatever key combination you choose
Create your first snippet: Add a snippet for your email signature or address with a simple shortcode like \sig.
Configure quick keys: Set up custom keyboard shortcuts for your most-used actions.
Bonus resources
Watch to learn more: 101 things you can do with Raycast
Get free Raycast extensions for your favorite apps: raycast.com/store
Sample Quicklinks you can add to Raycast: ray.so/quicklinks
Simple snippets you can add to Raycast: ray.so/snippets
Coming next
iOS app launch (AprilMay 2024): Raycasts first iPhone version will launch soon for fast access to notes, AI chat, links, and snippets. Android will follow later.
Windows version: Hundreds of people are doing alpha testing to strengthen this before launch. Snippets & AI features will arrive in the next few months.
Cross-device synchronization: Your Raycast settings and data will flow between platforms when new versions launch.
Alternatives
Alfred: Offers shortcuts like Raycast, but requires more manual customization for advanced workflows. I still sometimes use this for its clipboard manager.
TextBlaze: Has advanced features I like for text expansion.
Mac Spotlight: Built into macOS but with fewer features and integrations
Windows options include Keypirinha & Flowlauncher, or join the Raycast Windows waitlist.
Bottom line: These alternatives offer overlapping functionality, but Raycast combines their best features in one free package with a more intuitive interface.
Caveats
Platform limitations: Currently Mac-only, though Windows and mobile versions are in development.
Learning curve: Takes time to build the habit of using keyboard shortcuts instead of opening applications.
Complex advanced features. Some of the 1,000+ integrations with other apps require API keys. These special codes are like digital permission slips from applications like YouTube or ChatGPT. They require multiple steps to set up.
AI features require payment: While most features are free, AI capabilities require a $8/monthly subscription or $12/month per person for teams.
Extensions vary in quality: Some third-party extensions work better than others, so you cant always be sure how well lesser-used extensions will work.
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
