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The few dozen demonstrators strode through the US Senate halls, taking their angry message door to door — part of growing grassroots protests against sweeping cuts to the government workforce led by billionaire Elon Musk. Trailed by security personnel warning them not to block the busy halls, the federal workers filed into the offices of multiple Republican senators, including majority leader John Thune, to voice their distress.”The goal is to make ourselves heard,” said Steve, 33, who like many federal workers and contractors unsure about their futures, asked not to use his whole name for fear of reprisal.”We brought up examples of how people are directly impacted by the dismantling of agencies,” Steve said.Musk’s unprecedented onslaught against the US civil service in the first weeks of President Donald Trump’s second administration has upended entire agencies, leaving career government workers confused and bitter.”Everybody is feeling the pain,” Steve said. Some of the senators seemed “receptive” at first, but when asked what they’d do to help, “it’s crickets.”Trump’s shock-and-awe approach, backed by an avalanche of executive orders seeking to put his hard-right stamp on every facet of government, has not seen anything like the kind of mass public protests seen at the start of his first term in 2017. But resistance is emerging among current and former federal worker, who are responding with demonstrations, media campaigns, high-profile resignations and lawsuits.”It’s very grassroots,” said Vera Zlidar, a furloughed contractor for the USAID agency, which has been gutted in Musk’s campaign.”The work that we do touches so many facets of people’s lives,” she said. Social media pages, message boards and websites have proliferated with thousands of followers, aimed at mobilizing resistance, as well as sharing how the cuts will impact everyday Americans.The Senate protests vary in size but have turned into a daily event.”We have to save ourselves,” said one federal worker and protest organizer, again asking not to be identified.- Resignations  -Some federal workers have protested by resigning.This week, roughly a third of technology staffers at Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) quit, saying that they would not work in a way that puts the country at risk.Before the approximately 20 staffers left DOGE, federal employees had created a website called “We Are the Builders” to share stories of the impact of DOGE actions, arguing that it was crippling agencies’ abilities to provide crucial services. Part of the group’s logo is a spoon — a symbol now used by federal workers to protest Musk’s cuts, referencing an email from the tech entrepreneur’s team titled “Fork in the Road,” in which government employees were given an offer to leave with eight months’ pay or risk being fired in future.US media reported instances of federal workers flooding work message groups with spoon emojis to troll Musk lieutenants or adding the cutlery symbol to their work online profiles.  Dozens of lawsuits have also sprouted against Musk’s threats or demands, with mixed results. The largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has vowed to challenge and unlawful terminations, calling Musk “unhinged.” – ‘Superpower’ -Republican congress members, who control both the House and the Senate, are unanimously loyal to Trump. However, tension over Musk’s rampage is growing in areas of the party.And a February Washington Post-Ipsos poll showed dislike of Musk’s approach to shrinking the federal work force.But Musk and the White House have been unmoved. The richest person on Earth has posted a slew of messages on his X platform disparaging federal works and sharing polls by his own America PAC — a political action committee he founded to support Trump — saying DOGE “is one of the most popular parts” of the president’s agenda.The protester organizer said pressure is bound to grow as more agencies come under Musk’s knife and thousands of out-of-work civil servants find themselves ejected.”Free time is their superpower,” the organizer said.

Take New York’s B train south to the end of the line and you’ll step into the post-Soviet enclave Brighton Beach, whose charms include vodka-soaked nightlife and a local uniform of fur and tracksuits.Transfer to the Q for a few more stops and you’re in Coney Island, Brighton Beach’s carnivalesque cousin with a 100-year-old wooden roller coaster and colorful boardwalk that forms the people’s playground.The eccentric, oceanside South Brooklyn neighborhoods play starring roles in the modern Cinderella romp “Anora” — an indie film that is tipped for success at the Oscars on Sunday.The movie showcases areas that feature less often on the lengthy filmography of a city well-accustomed to close-ups.Brighton Beach and Coney Island backdrop the chaotic overnight search for Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a Russian oligarch’s son who flees his father’s blundering Eastern European henchmen after his whirlwind marriage to the film’s titular sex worker (Mikey Madison).Anora, nicknamed Ani, lives under the rumbling elevated train that snakes into Brighton Beach, which since the mid-1970s has been a haven to immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus.It’s a community where pelmeni and vareniki dumplings are menu standards, and savvy shoppers can scoop caviar for a steal.Director Sean Baker “really wanted to sort of uncover this microcosm of a world that still exists there… this neighborhood of people that speaks a certain language and has a certain culture that they preserved,” the film’s locations manager Ross Brodar told AFP.”There’s so much gentrification in the city,” the native New Yorker continued, but in “this enclave, you still have, like, heavy-duty Russians.””You can get a bowl of borscht and you feel like you could be in Moscow,” said Brodar, who also has a small role in the film as a security guard. “I think that’s what everyone loves about it.”- ‘Love letter’ -Part of Brighton Beach’s charisma stems from its aura of grumpiness — residents tolerate outsiders, but earning the trust to shoot a film is no small feat.To secure locations, Brodar worked with a Russian-speaking fixer to forge relationships with local business owners.He said he wanted to show them “I wasn’t trying to exploit the situation, I was trying to bring something to it.””One of my big tag lines was, ‘This is a love letter to Brighton Beach.'”It helped that Yura Borisov, a major Russian movie star, was among the cast members — when locals recognized him on board, the project gained street cred, Brodar said.That didn’t mean everything always went smoothly, especially as many of the scenes included not extras but real people going about their daily business.Brodar described one night shooting a scene at the boardwalk classic Tatiana Grill, during the hunt for Ivan — and the patience of diners began to wear thin as the film takes dragged on.”One guy literally was like, ‘If you don’t get out of here, I’m going to stab one of you’,” Brodar said.- ‘Authentic’ -Just over the border of Brighton Beach in Coney Island stands a billboard from the film’s team thanking the community for allowing them in.A stone’s throw away sits William’s Candy, a more than 80-year-old shop whose windows entice shoppers with cotton candy and just about every treat imaginable coated in chocolate.The colorful store appears in the film, including in an infamous scene where Borisov’s character Igor smashes it up, sending gumballs flying.Billy O’Brien, 74, plays the shop’s manager: Baker recruited the native Coney Islander — who works out back as a parking attendant, and also helps out at the store — to play the part.”I was just hanging out. They were like, ‘Want to be in the movie?’ and I was like, fine,” O’Brien told AFP. “Everybody had a good time doin’ it.”He’s become one of the film’s beloved characters, but still hasn’t seen it: “Why would I want to see myself?” he laughed. “I know what I look like.”The shop’s real-life manager, Peter Agrapides, said Baker’s decision to cast O’Brien, thick accent and all, helps make the film feel “authentic.””Billy is a Coney Island person. All his life he’s lived here. He’s worked on the rides,” Agrapides said. “They focused on the neighborhood — it’s good for Brooklyn.”Agrapides never imagined, though, that his shop would appear in an Oscar-nominated film.”Anora” has already won the Cannes festival’s Palme d’Or and a smattering of prizes from Hollywood’s directors, producers, writers and critics.The film achieved a level of global success Brodar hadn’t envisioned either, although “I knew it was special,” he said. “The cast was so unique, and it was funny as hell.””There was a lot of love that went into making that movie.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet Donald Trump on Thursday to plead for a US backstop to any Ukraine ceasefire, insisting it would be the only way to stop Russia’s Vladimir Putin from invading again.Starmer arrived in Washington late Wednesday to build on a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, amid growing concerns in Europe that the US leader is about to sell Kyiv short in negotiations with Putin.London and Paris are spearheading proposals to send a European peacekeeping force to Ukraine if Trump’s shock decision to pursue talks with Russia’s president brings a deal to end the war.But they are calling for US security guarantees in return, amid spiraling concerns in Europe that Trump is taking Russia’s side and will sever the decades-old transatlantic alliance.”The security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin,” Starmer told reporters on the plane to Washington.”If there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him the opportunity to wait and to come again, because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious.” The Europeans are seeking possible US contributions like air cover, intelligence and logistics to support any troops sent to monitor a ceasefire.The Oval Office meeting promises to be a clash of styles between the mild-mannered Labour leader, a former human rights lawyer, and the brash Republican tycoon.Starmer, who will also hold a joint press conference with the US president, has pitched himself as a “bridge” between Trump and Europe on Ukraine.The British premier also comes bearing a gift for Trump.His announcement Tuesday that UK defense spending will rise to 2.5 percent by 2027 was particularly aimed at the American leader, who has regularly badgered European countries to pay more towards NATO.- ‘Nice guy’ -Starmer will meanwhile be hoping to avoid sweeping tariffs that Trump has promised to slap on the European Union.But like Macron on Monday, he will have his work cut out to persuade Trump on Ukraine.Last week Trump called Starmer a “very nice guy” — but complained that he and Macron had done “nothing” to end the war in Ukraine.The US president stunned allies when he began negotiations with Russia, without including Ukraine or its European allies.Concerns deepened when Trump attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator” and echoed Moscow talking points blaming Kyiv for Russia’s February 2022 invasion.Despite that, there have been growing signs of movement on a deal to end more than three years of bloody fighting.Zelensky is due at the White House on Friday to sign a deal giving Washington access to Ukraine’s rare minerals, which Trump has demanded as payback for US military aid.The Ukrainian president is hoping the deal will provide a guarantee of future US support.Starmer is then hosting Zelensky, Macron and other European leaders in Britain on Sunday as momentum grows.With Britain and France proposing peacekeepers, the shape of a possible deal has begun to emerge — but now it will be up to Moscow and Washington to seal it.Trump has appeared cool on US support for any backstop.”I hope we have that problem where we can worry about peacekeeping. We’ve got to get there first,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

Panama’s attorney general said Wednesday that concession granted to a Hong Kong-based firm to operate ports on either end of the Panama Canal should be scrapped for being “unconstitutional.”The contract held by CK Hutchison Holdings, owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, has been at the root of US President Donald Trump’s concerns for Chinese influence over the waterway.The Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, manages two of the canal’s five ports, an arrangement in place since 1997 via a concession from the Panama government. Last week, Panama’s Supreme Court agreed to consider a request filed by a lawyer to nullify the contract — the second such challenge before it.On Wednesday, Attorney General Luis Carlos Gomez filed a submission in support of the suits and asking the court to find the contract “unconstitutional” for “improperly agreeing to transfer exclusive rights of the Panamanian State.”Panama Ports Company manages the ports of Cristobal on the canal’s Atlantic side and Balboa on the Pacific side. The arrangement was renewed in 2021 for 25 years.The plaintiffs in the case argue that the company benefited from undue tax breaks and other benefits.The legal challenge came after Trump threatened to take back the canal — built by the United States and handed over to Panama in 1999 — claiming China was effectively “operating” the vital waterway. Following Trump’s charges, Panama also announced it would audit the Panama Ports Company. CK Hutchison Holdings is one of Hong Kong’s largest conglomerates, spanning finance, retail, infrastructure, telecoms and logistics.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was revoking permission for oil giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela, removing a crucial source of revenue in a wobbly economy run by leftist adversary Nicolas Maduro.Trump accused Maduro of failing to live up to promises to take back deported Venezuelans as pledged to a US envoy, whose visit to Caracas had initially been seen as a sign the new US administration would focus on pragmatic engagement rather than upping pressure.Former president Joe Biden in 2022 eased sanctions and gave Chevron permission to operate in Venezuela in return for the release of detained Americans and a promise by Maduro to allow fair elections.Biden reimposed most sanctions as it became clear that Maduro was sidelining the opposition but maintained the concession to Chevon, in part out of concern of causing a spike in oil prices in the United States before elections.”We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolas Maduro,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Trump, who rarely faults authoritarian leaders over democracy, said that the election conditions had not been met by Maduro, who was sworn in to a third term last month despite wide accusations of vote rigging.”Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to,” Trump wrote.Chevron, the only US oil company in Venezuela, had previously stopped production in the country in 2018 due to sanctions by Trump in his first term.Since its return, it has helped revive an oil sector that has declined precipitously since the 1990s. Chevron pumps around 240,000 barrels a day from Venezuela, or nearly one quarter of the country’s total output.- Warning on migration -Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez called the Trump administration’s decision “damaging and inexplicable” and warned of the effect on migration — the key priority for Trump.”In its attempt to harm the Venezuelan people, it is in fact hurting the United States, its population and its companies, and also calling into question the legal security of the US’s international investment regime,” she wrote on Telegram.”Venezuela emphasizes that these kinds of failed decisions prompted the migration from 2017 to 2021 with the widely known consequences.”The Trump administration in its first week of office said it was ready to deport some 600,000 Venezuelans in the United States who had been shielded from removal by Biden under a program for citizens of countries of high risk.Ric Grenell, a Trump loyalist who serves in a broad role as his envoy for special missions, visited Maduro and demanded that Venezuela take back citizens.Venezuela soon after sent two planes that brought back nearly 200 undocumented migrants. More than seven million Venezuelans have fled, mostly to other Latin American countries, since the implosion of the economy and political and social turmoil.Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne said that the company was aware of the decision and “considering its implications.””Chevron conducts its business in Venezuela in compliance with all laws and regulations, including the sanctions framework provided by US government,” he said.Asdrubal Oliveros, director of the analytical firm Ecoanalitica, expected a “major macroeconomic impact” from the decision, particularly on the exchange rate, inflation and ultimately on national growth.Leonardo Vera, an economic professor at the Central University of Venezuela, said that Chevron’s absence could deprive the country of $150-200 million per month, potentially bringing recession.But he said that Chevron likely would still operate until September, giving time for diplomacy between the Maduro and Trump administrations.”Some kind of negotiations could take place in the intervening months so long as the two sides feel they can obtain firm benefits,” he said.

Canadian men’s football coach Jesse Marsch decried US President Donald Trump’s “ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” calling it insulting to a loyal ally.Marsch, a 51-year-old American who took over as Canada coach in 2024, spoke to reporters on Wednesday at a media day for the CONCACAF Nations League finals next month, and said Trump’s animosity toward Canada had only invigorated his team.”If I have one message to our president, it’s lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” Marsch said. “As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies.”Marsch said that he had developed a deep appreciation for Canadian culture and society since taking his current job.”Canada is a strong, independent nation that is deep-rooted in decency,” he said. “And it’s a place that values high ethics and respect, unlike the polarized, disrespectful and often now hateful climate that is in the US.”It’s a place that I’ve learned as the national team coach where people really believe that their differences make them stronger.”Marsch said his team includes a wealth of first- and second-generation Canadians who are “uniquely and incredibly proud to be Canadian and to represent their country”.Marsch, who guided Canada to a fourth-placed finish at the Copa America last year, said that amid Trump’s goading comments — and his stated plans to implement tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico — “these international tournaments for Canada mean something different now”.- Canadian character -Tensions were evident last week when Canada beat the United States 3-2 in overtime to win the Four Nations Face-Off ice hockey tournament in a hard-hitting final that was a rematch of a round-robin clash that produced three fights in nine seconds and saw the US national anthem booed before the game.”One thing is for sure,” Marsch said, “when I look forward to a month from now I know that this will fuel our team, the mentality and will that we have to play for our country, the desire to go after this tournament in every way and to show on and off the pitch exactly what Canadian character is.”Marsch was joined by Mexico coach Javier Aguirre and Panama coach Thomas Christiansen at the press event at SoFi Stadium, where the Nations League finals will be held March 20-23.The United States was represented by USA Soccer vice president Oguchi Onyewu, who declined to be drawn into any political conversation.Aguirre also said he preferred to “focus on the sporting issue,” although he admitted that he couldn’t go along with Trump’s decree that the Gulf of Mexico be called the Gulf of America.”For me, it’s the Gulf of Mexico, obviously,” he said.Aguirre said that as the son of immigrants he identified with Mexicans who had moved north in search of “the American dream”.”It is not easy to leave your country in search of a better life for your own,” he said.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was revoking permission for oil giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela, a major blow to the wobbly economy run by leftist adversary Nicolas Maduro.Trump accused Maduro of failing to live up to promises to take back deported Venezuelans as pledged to a US envoy, whose visit to Caracas had initially been seen as a sign the new US administration would focus on pragmatic engagement rather than upping pressure.Former president Joe Biden in 2022 eased sanctions and gave Chevron permission to operate in Venezuela in return for a promise by Maduro to allow fair elections.Biden reimposed most sanctions as it became clear that Maduro was sidelining the opposition but maintained the concession to Chevon, in part out of concern of causing a spike in oil prices in the United States before elections.”We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolas Maduro,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Trump, who rarely faults authoritarian leaders over democracy, said that the election conditions had not been met by Maduro, who was sworn in to a third term last month despite wide accusations of vote rigging.”Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to,” Trump wrote.Chevron, which had previously stopped production of oil in Venezuela in 2018 due to earlier Trump sanctions, has helped revive the country’s oil sector which has declined precipitously since the 1990s.The US company pumps around 240,000 barrels a day from Venezuela, or nearly one quarter of the country’s total output.Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez called the Trump administration’s decision “damaging and inexplicable” and warned of the effect on migration — the key priority for Trump.”In its attempt to harm the Venezuelan people, it is in fact hurting the United States, its population and its companies, and also calling into question the legal security of the US’s international investment regime,” she wrote on Telegram.”Venezuela emphasizes that these kinds of failed decisions prompted the migration from 2017 to 2021 with the widely known consequences.”Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne said that the company was aware of the decision and “considering its implications.””Chevron conducts its business in Venezuela in compliance with all laws and regulations, including the sanctions framework provided by US government,” he said.

US federal agencies have been directed to prepare sweeping workforce reduction plans as part of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative, according to a memo issued Wednesday by top administration officials.The document, signed by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and seen by AFP, outlines a two-phase approach for implementing “large-scale reductions in force” across the federal government as ordered by Trump.”The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt,” Vought said in the memo.”Tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens.”The memo directed agencies to “collaborate with their Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE) team leads within the agency.”These are the representatives of the Elon Musk-run department that has been given unfettered authority by Trump to find ways to slash spending and overhaul government.Musk, the world’s richest person, has repeatedly warned that the United States would go “bankrupt” without cuts.For now, most of Trump administration’s job cuts have targeted probationary staff — the term used for freshly hired or promoted civil servants who had fewer protections than rank-and-file civil servants.Employees were also given an offer, now elapsed, to leave with eight months’ pay or risk being fired in future culls.The White House said more than 65,000 federal employees have signed on to the buyout offer from the Office of Personnel Management.The memo from Vought, a hard-right nationalist who sees federal public servants as political operators beholden to Democrats, begins the formal process of expanding the cuts to the more than two million federal workers.According to the memo, federal agencies must submit initial reduction plans by March 13, followed by more comprehensive reorganization proposals by April 14.The directive implements Trump’s February 11 executive order that called for a “critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.”Agencies were told to consolidate duplicative organizational units, reduce management layers, close or merge regional offices, and decrease reliance on contractors.Among the suggested methods for cutting employees was looking at “positions not typically designated as essential” during government shutdowns caused by the failure to pass budgets in Congress.Law enforcement, national security, military and postal service roles are exempt, as are all political appointees and the White House.

Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side.Now, the Houston-based firm is gearing up for a second attempt, determined to achieve a perfect touchdown.Intuitive Machines’ hexagonal-shaped lander, Athena, is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7:16 pm Wednesday (0016 GMT Thursday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the weather forecast is favorable.If all goes well, it will touch down around March 6 at the vast Mons Mouton plateau, a site closer to the lunar south pole than any previously targeted.Athena carries scientific instruments, including a drill to search for ice beneath the surface and a unique hopping drone named Grace after a famous computer scientist, Grace Hopper. It is designed to traverse the Moon’s rugged inclines, boulders, and craters — a valuable capability to support future crewed missions.Also aboard is a small rover, which will test a lunar cellular network provided by Nokia Bell Labs by relaying commands, images, and video between the lander, rover, and hopper.Intuitive Machines CEO Trent Martin spoke excitedly about the hopper, emphasizing that such drones could complement rovers in future missions going “down into extreme environments where you can’t drive.”Until recently, soft lunar landings were achieved only by a handful of well-funded national space agencies.Now, the US is working to make private missions routine through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, a public-private collaboration aimed at delivering NASA hardware to the surface at a fraction of the cost of traditional missions.”I’m very excited to see the science that our tech demonstrations deliver as we prepare for humanity’s return to the Moon and the journey to Mars,” NASA’s Nicky Fox, told reporters, referencing the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade. – Nailing the landing -First however, Intuitive Machines will want to achieve an upright landing — a feat the company fell short of with its first lander, Odysseus, which went to space in February 2024. It caught a foot on the surface and tipped over, coming to rest at a 30-degree angle — limiting its solar power and preventing it from completing NASA experiments under a $118 million contract.This time, the price tag is $62.5 million.Landing on the Moon is challenging due to the absence of an atmosphere, which rules out the use of parachutes.Instead, spacecraft must rely on precisely controlled thruster burns to slow their descent while navigating treacherous terrain.Martin said the company had made key improvements — including better cabling for the laser altimeter, an instrument that provides altitude and velocity readings and helps select a safe landing site.Another issue the IM-1 mission faced was accurately determining its position en route to the Moon. To improve this, Intuitive Machines has enhanced coordination with NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) for more precise navigation.Athena’s arrival at the Moon is set to be preceded on March 2 by another private US lander, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost, which launched on a more circuitous journey back in January, sharing a ride with Tokyo-based ispace’s Resilience lander.Also hitching a ride on this rocket will be NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer probe, which will enter orbit after a four-month journey and begin a two-year mission to study the distribution of different forms of water on the Moon.These missions come at a delicate time for NASA, amid speculation that it may scale back or cancel its astronaut program to the Moon in favor of Mars — a key goal of both President Donald Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk, SpaceX tycoon.