WASHINGTON (AP) ' Dozens of U.S. lawmakers were trying to make their way this weekend to the Munich Security Conference to assure allies of Americas reliability, but burdened with political crises at home, their entrance to the annual gathering of international leaders was more of a limp than a stride.

Some didnt make the trip at all. House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled an official delegation of roughly two dozen House members who had planned to attend the event, leaving those lawmakers either to find their own way to Germany or send their regrets.

While two bipartisan delegations from the Senate still made the trip, they departed amid bitter fights over how U.S. immigration agents are carrying out President Donald Trumps sweeping crackdowns on illegal immigration, which have included fatal shootings of two people protesting the raids, as well as the Trump administrations recent failed effort to indict six Democratic lawmakers who produced a video urging U.S. military members not to obey 'illegal orders.'

'It is a little bit, you know, depressing to be here with what we have to deal with at home,' Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who was among those investigated by the Department of Justice, said in a live interview with Politico in Munich.

For over six decades, the annual conference has gathered world leaders in pursuit of cooperation for shared security, with the United State often playing a leading role. But Trump has upended his nations posture toward the rest of the world, especially Europe. And while many lawmakers who attended tried to assure European counterparts that the U.S. still wants a seat at the table, it was clear they were still grappling with the rapidly changing political environment at home.

'I expect to have a number of challenging conversations with friends and allies about their concern and alarm about what theyve seen federal law enforcement under this administration do in Minneapolis and the attempt to indict six of my colleagues and other steps that frankly have more of the hallmarks of authoritarian societies than democracies,' said Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Senates bipartisan traditions are slipping

The security forum in recent years has been a reinforcing event for the coalition of nations backing Ukraine in its defense against Russias invasion ' a cause that once enjoyed strong support from Republicans. But several GOP senators who have participated in years past and hold spots on committees overseeing the U.S. military and foreign affairs decided this year to stay home. The delegations that did attend included significantly more Democrats.

As lawmakers exited Washington on Thursday, Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri ripped Democrats for heading to Munich while the Department of Homeland Security faced a shutdown during an impasse in Congress over funding the agency that oversees immigration enforcement.

'How do you justify getting on a plane and going to Europe when youre shutting down DHS?' Schmitt told reporters. 'Theyre making a decision that their travel to Munich to cozy up with the Euros is way more important than funding DHS.'

Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz responded on social media, noting that he and Schmitt had both gone to Munich the year prior and that it 'continues to be an important bipartisan trip.'

Still, Schatz also said this year is different in light of the Department of Justice attempting to indict two senators.

'Spare me the high-minded panel discussions and bilats and press availabilities about the United States as the indispensable nation, when we are dispensing with our most sacred constitutional obligations,' he said in a floor speech this week.

Republicans articulate Trump policy

Some Republicans who attended the Munich gathering came not to offer reassurances, but to herald the changing world under under Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby were among the top Trump administration officials participating.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is close to Trump, led one of the delegations of senators. He presented a bullish argument that European security is better off with Trumps willingness to break up the traditional roles of Western allies. He argued the U.S. needs to keep up pressure on Iran with the goal of toppling the regime, as well as build pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal.

'Were here at a crucial moment, folks. If we dont follow through with what we promised the people of Iran, it will destroy Americas credibility for years to come, it will make this world less safe,' he said.

A new voice from the US

Graham has been a mainstay at Munich and other like conferences for years, yet there was also a new voice from the American side.

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive from New York, made her first trip to the conference to discuss the rise of populism and the shifting role of American power in the world. Her attendance at the conference, she said, was meant to show support for international liberal values.

'We are ready for the next chapter, not to have the world turned to isolation, but to deepen our partnership on greater and increased commitment to integrity to our values,' she said at a roundtable.

Ocasio-Cortez said she identified with voters who had defected from traditional left-of-center parties in Europe and the United States for populist hard-right parties. She said her frustrations with a Democratic Party 'that championed special interests, the elite' is what had pushed her to run for office.

'Domestically and globally, there have been many leaders whove said ‘We will go back. And I think we have to recognize that we are in a new day and in a time,' she said, adding 'That does not mean that the majority of Americans are ready to walk away from a rules-based order and that were ready to walk away from our commitment to democracy.'

Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed to this story.

Laura Dogu, the U.S. top diplomat in the South American country, and Venezuelan diplomat Félix Plasencia, received the shipment containing 6 metric tons of supply at the airport outside Venezuelas capital, Caracas.

'Its very important to stabilize the health system here in Venezuela,' Dogu told reporters at the airport in Maiquetía. She added that the shipment was 'the first of many donations' that will arrive 'in the coming days.'

Venezuelas complex crisis, which began more than a decade ago, led to the collapse of the countrys public health care system. Hospitals are so poorly equipped that patients are asked to provide supplies needed for their care, from syringes to surgical screws.

Plasencia described the donation as a 'message of cooperation among two sovereign countries.

'Were doing the best for our people,' he said.

Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.

The Virginia Supreme Court said Friday that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, and the court will decide sometime later whether the plan is legal.

Democrats celebrated the green light for the election. But the courts schedule raises the possibility that it could all be for naught, if the Supreme Court ultimately upholds a lower court ruling that the mid-decade redistricting amendment is invalid.

Virginia Democrats hold six of the states 11 U.S. House seats, but they are backing a revised map that could help them win up to 10 seats in this years midterm elections. The new districts are a key part of Democrats national strategy to try to offset potential Republican gains in several other states that redrew their districts last year at the urging of President Donald Trump.

The Republican president is trying to preserve a narrow GOP majority in the House against political headwinds that typically blow against the party in power in midterm elections.

Before Virginia Democrats can implement new congressional districts, they need voter approval to temporarily set aside a constitutional provision that places redistricting authority with a bipartisan commission and instead grant that power to the General Assembly. Lawmakers endorsed a constitutional amendment allowing their mid-decade redistricting last fall, then passed it again in January as part of a two-step process that requires an intervening election in order for an amendment to be placed on the ballot.

But Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. last month struck down the General Assemblys actions on three grounds. The judge ruled that lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session.

Hurley also ruled that the General Assemblys initial vote for the amendment failed to occur before the public began casting ballots in last years general election and thus didnt count toward the two-step process. And he ruled that the state failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by law. As a result of those issues, he said, the amendment was invalid and void.

Democrats appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court, which agreed on Friday to consider the case while stating that a narrowly tailored injunction by the lower court doesnt prevent the April referendum. The court directed initial briefs to be filed by March 23, with the last round of court filings due April 23. Any oral arguments would be scheduled for later, the court said.

Nationwide, the redistricting battle has resulted so far in nine more seats that Republicans believe they can win in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, and six that Democrats think they can win in California and Utah. Democrats have hoped to make up that three-seat margin in Virginia, though the lower court ruling raised a hurdle to their plans. Its unclear whether the redistricting efforts in various states ultimately will make any difference in determining control of Congress in the November election.

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) ' The U.S. State Department has ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that librarians say their communities have come to rely on and that has run smoothly for years.

The agency, which regulates U.S. passports, began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries in late fall, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program as of Friday.

'We still get calls daily seeking that service,' said Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut, where passport services were offered for 18 years but ceased in November after receiving the letter. 'Our community was so used to us offering this.'

A State Department spokesperson said the order was given because federal law and regulations 'clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations' from collecting and retaining fees for a passport application. Government-run libraries are not impacted.

The spokesperson did not respond to questions as to why it has become an issue now and exactly how many libraries are impacted by the cease and desist order. In a statement, they said, 'passport services has over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide and the number of libraries found ineligible makes up less than one percent of our total network.'

The American Library Association estimates about 1,400 mostly non-profit public libraries nationwide could potentially be affected, or about 15% of all public libraries, depending on how many offer passport services.

Democratic and Republican members of Congress from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland are pushing back, sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month asking him to extend the existing program until Congress finds a permanent solution.

'In a time when demand for passports is surging, libraries are among the most accessible passport acceptance facilities, particularly for working families and rural residents,' the members wrote.

The lawmakers letter said people will have to travel long distances, take unpaid time off from work or forgo getting a passport when demand is surging due to Real ID requirements. If Republicans in Congress impose strict new voting rules, citizens could need their passport or birth certificate to register. People fearing immigration agents are also increasingly carrying passports to confirm their citizenship.

They said the change is particularly disruptive to their states, where many public libraries are structured as nonprofit entities. They predicted some libraries, which benefit financially from passport processing fees, will have to lay off staff, cut programs or close their doors if not allowed to continue providing passport services.

Public libraries are organized differently in each state. In Pennsylvania 85% of public libraries are non-profit organizations, versus being a department of a local municipal government. In Maine, its 56%; Rhode Island, 54%, New York, 47% and Connecticut, 46%, according to the American Library Association.

Pennsylvania Reps. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat, and John Joyce, a Republican, have proposed bipartisan legislation that would allow 501(c)(3) non-profit public libraries to continue to serve as passport acceptance facilities by amending the Passport Act of 1920. A similar companion bill is pending in the Senate.

Dean, who first learned about the policy change from a library in her district that has provided passport services for 20 years, called the State Departments interpretation of the law 'nonsense.'

In Joyces rural, south-central Pennsylvania district, the Marysville-Rye Library is one of only two passport facilities serving the 556-square-mile Perry County, according to the letter to Rubio. Now the county courthouse will be the only remaining option.

The State Department noted that 99% of the U.S. population lives within 20 miles of a designated passport processing location, such as a post office, county clerks office or government-run library authorized to accept in-person passport applications.

'Should the removal of an ineligible facility affect passport services, we will work to identify new eligible program partners in the impacted area,' the agency spokesperson said.

But Special said the Norwich post office had often referred people to her library for passports when someone needed service outside regular hours or had children who needed to be watched and entertained while their parent filled out the paperwork. Library staff also assisted applicants with language barriers.

'And now the burden falls on them to do all of it and thats tough on them,' she said of the post office down the street. 'I dont know how theyre keeping up, to be honest, because it was such a popular service with us.'

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) ' An au pair who schemed with her employer-turned-lover to kill his wife and another man received a 10-year prison sentence on Friday.

Prosecutors had recommended Juliana Peres Magalhães walk free after she pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge in the February 2023 killing of Joseph Ryan. Instead of being tried for second-degree murder, she became their star witness, testifying that she had fatally shot Ryan as Brendan Banfield was fatally stabbing his wife, Christine, in the couples bedroom.

Brendan Banfield was convicted by a jury this month of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife and Ryan.

'I know my remorse cannot bring you peace,' Magalhães told the victims’ families on Friday, wiping away tears and muffling sobs. 'I hope you can someday understand that I really did not believe his plan would actually happen.'

Instead of sentencing her to time served, Judge Penney Azcarate delivered the maximum possible sentence to the woman from Brazil.

“Lets get it straight: You do not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection on what you have done to the victim and his family. May it weigh heavily on your soul,' the judge said.

At Banfield’s trial, Magalhães testified that she and the IRS agent created an account in the name of his wife, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes. Ryan connected with the account and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.

Magalhães, then 22, said she and Brendan Banfield took the couples 4-year-old child to the basement, and then found Ryan surprising Christine Banfield with a knife in the couple’s bedroom. She said Brendan Banfield shot Ryan and then began stabbing his wife in the neck. When she saw Ryan moving, Magalhães said, she fired the second shot that killed him.

The au pair wasnt arrested until eight months later, and hasn’t left jail since. Prosecutors raised concerns that if she were to be allowed bail, she would flee to Brazil or be deported by immigration officials before they could finish their case. She didnt talk with investigators for more than a year, until she changed her mind as her trial date approached.

'I lost myself in a relationship, and left my morals and values behind,' Magalhães told the judge.

'You were texting and speaking to Joseph Ryan, encouraging him to bring a knife and ultimately, through the phone conversation, getting his consent, knowing all along you were bringing him to his death,' the judge responded.

Ryan’s mother, Deirdre Fisher, told the court that her son, born days before Christmas, was her 'greatest gift.' Three years after his killing, she cant bear taking down their Christmas tree. An urn with Ryans ashes sits in front of the decoration.

'I say good morning to him each day when I turn on the trees lights,' she said. 'But of course thats not Joe sitting there. He cant say ‘I love you back.'

Sangeeta Ryan described her nephew as 'inquisitive, curious, smart, charming and so dang talkative.' She said he loved martial arts and role-playing with his friends. She also noted that he had moved in with his octogenarian grandmother to care for her.

'His sudden murder devastated his grandma ' she could no longer live in the family home without Joe,' his aunt said. The woman quietly moved away, hoping to avoid her memories and the reporters knocking at the door.

Christine Banfield’s relatives attended Friday’s hearing. Brendan Banfield’s sentencing was initially set for May.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ' The Trump administration’s drawdown of its immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities area has been met with relief, but state officials and residents say its effects on Minnesotas economy and immigrant communities will linger.

Thousands of officers were sent to the Minneapolis and St. Paul area for Operation Metro Surge, which the Department of Homeland Security called its ' largest immigration enforcement operation ever ” and touted as a success. But President Donald Trump’s enforcement campaign came under increasing criticism as the situation grew more volatile.

The shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers drew condemnation and raised questions over officers’ conduct, prompting changes to the operation.

And despite the announced end to the surge, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz urged Minnesotans to remain vigilant and said the damage would be lasting.

'The fact of the matter is they left us with deep damage, generational trauma,' Walz said. 'They left us with economic ruin, in some cases. They left us with many unanswered questions.'

The operation leaves a mark

Following the announcement Thursday, some residents held a vigil at a makeshift shrine that went up where Good was shot in Minneapolis.

Mark Foresman, an attendee from the suburb of St. Louis Park, said he is skeptical that the agents will leave.

'The Trump administration has created an atmosphere of distrust for government in general,” he said, suggesting the Trump administrations tactics seemed designed to sow fear. 'Theyve repeatedly been caught in lies.'.

John Schnickel, a local who attended the vigil, disputed Trump officials’ claims that the operation had made Minnesota safer.

'I dont even want one ICE person here, if they act the way theyve been acting,' said local attendee John Schnickel. 'They talk about how the murder rate is down, and yet theyve added two people to it,' he said.

Most U.S. adults say they think Trumps immigration policies have gone too far, according to a recent AP-NORC poll.

Homan credits improved coordination

Border czar Tom Homan told reporters Thursday that 'extensive engagement' with state and local officials allowed for a formal end to the operation.

Trump shifted his tone and dispatched Homan to reduce tensions after the Jan. 24 killing of Pretti, saying that he and Walz were on a 'similar wavelength' after weeks of barbs between the two leaders.

Homan on Thursday highlighted examples of newfound cooperation with state and local entities, including law enforcement being increasingly responsive to requests for assistance and agreements on how jails handle deportable inmates.

The White House had long accused Minnesota of protecting criminals from deportation with so-called sanctuary laws. But Homan shifted that narrative dramatically in recent days, saying there was now 'unprecedented collaboration' between immigration officers and Minnesota law enforcement.

But he never explained what had changed.

Many of Minnesotas county jails, as well as the states prison system, have long shared information with federal immigration authorities so they can take custody of arrested immigrants.

The major exception is the Hennepin County Jail, which serves Minneapolis and which doesnt work with immigration authorities unless an arrest warrant has been signed by a judge.

On Friday, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, who oversees the jail, insisted no policies had changed.

Homan also said he made various internal changes since arriving, including changing certain personnel, deploying body cameras and making clear that misconduct by immigration officers would not be tolerated.

'There were some issues here. We fixed those issues,' Homan said. 'Weve had great success with this operation and were leaving Minnesota safer.'

Immigration enforcement will continue, but with a smaller footprint

Homan announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but that still left more than 2,000 in the state. He said Thursday that a 'significant drawdown' was already underway and would continue through next week.

Homan said he would be on the ground for a 'little longer' and that a small team would facilitate the transition, in part ensuring continuing cooperation from state and local authorities.

He did not specify how many officers would remain, but he said targeted enforcement would continue in the Twin Cities. Todd Lyons, Immigration and Customs Enforcements acting director, said during a congressional hearing Thursday that the agency is still searching for about 16,840 people in Minnesota who have final orders of removal.

Homan also made clear that the administration would continue to deliver on Trumps promise of mass deportations across the country, and said officers leaving Minnesota will report back to their stations or be assigned elsewhere.

The focus on the Twin Cities, which Trump had pushed for partly because of fraud allegations involving Somali residents, followed increased deployments in big cities and small towns run by Democrats, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans.

Fallout in Congress and the courts

Even as the Twin Cities operation ends, the fallout is ongoing.

The Trump administration is trying to secure votes in Congress to prevent federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security from expiring at the end of the week, as Democratic lawmakers demand restraints on immigration officers following Good and Prettis killings.

And there are ongoing federal investigations into the shooting of Pretti.

The effects of the Minnesota crackdown will also continue to play out in court, as federal prosecutors pursue cases against protesters and deportation cases slowly proceed.

A federal judge issued a temporary emergency order Thursday, finding that immigrants detained at a federal building in Minnesota have too many barriers to legal counsel. A DHS spokesperson maintained in a statement that detainees are provided access to phones, adding that the building is a processing facility, not a detention center.

On Friday, former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon and four others were set to be arraigned on federal civil rights charges, accused in a protest at a Minnesota church where an ICE official is a pastor.

Fingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press reporters Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis and Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) ' The first solar eclipse of the year will grace Antarctica, and only a lucky few will get to bask ' or waddle ' in its glow.

Tuesdays annular solar eclipse, known as a ' ring of fire,' will only be visible in the southernmost continent, home to research stations and diverse wildlife.

'The penguins down there are going to have a great show,' said astronomer Joe Llama with Lowell Observatory.

Clear skies permitting, more people can catch a partial eclipse with small bites taken out of the sun from the tips of Chile and Argentina and bits of southeastern Africa including Madagascar, Lesotho and South Africa.

Solar eclipses happen when the sun, moon and Earth align just so. The moon casts a shadow that can partially or totally block out the suns light from Earth.

Its 'this beautiful coincidence between the size and the distance of the moon and the sun,' said astrophysicist Emily Rice with the City University of New York.

During an annular, or ring-shaped, eclipse, the moon just happens to be farther away from Earth in its orbit so it doesnt totally cover the sun. Only a thin sliver remains visible.

'The sun essentially gets its core taken out,' Llama said.

Solar eclipses happen a few times a year, but are only visible from places in the path of the moons shadow. Two partial eclipses happened last year, and the last total solar eclipse swept across North America in 2024.

Looking directly at the sun is dangerous even when most of it is covered, so make sure to grab eclipse glasses. They block out ultraviolet light from the sun and nearly all visible light. Sunglasses and binoculars arent protective enough.

Eclipse glasses should say they comply with ISO 12312-2 standards, though fake suppliers can also list this on their products.

There are also ways to enjoy solar eclipses indirectly. Make a pinhole projector using household materials or hold up a colander or cheese grater to the sky and look down to see images of the eclipse projected onto the ground.

There is a total solar eclipse in the cards in August for skygazers in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and part of Portugal. Swaths of Europe, Africa and North America will be treated to a partial eclipse.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

PAHRUMP, Nev. (AP) ' Nevada is the only state where people can legally purchase sex, and now sex workers at one of the states oldest brothels are fighting to become the nations first to be unionized.

'We want the same things that any other worker wants. We want a safe and respectful workplace,' said a worker at Sheris Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, who goes by the stage name Jupiter Jetson and asked that her legal name not be used for fear of harassment.

Prostitution is legal at licensed brothels in 10 of Nevadas rural counties. That doesnt include Clark County, home to Las Vegas, though Sheris Ranch is about an hours drive away. The majority of the brothels 74 sex workers submitted a petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board last week under the name United Brothel Workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America.

Jetson said the drive was spurred by a new independent contractor agreement issued in December that would give the brothel power to use the womens likeness without permission, even if they no longer work there.

'This is how you end up the face of a Japanese lubricant company without ever having signed a document,' Jetson said. 'This is how you end up finding yourself on a website offering AI companionship without ever seeing a penny.'

Sex work, and the employment rights of the those who do it, remains a largely taboo topic worldwide. Prostitution is only legal in a handful of countries, including Germany, and organizing efforts vary. In Spain, where prostitution is unregulated, the government approved a union for sex workers in 2018 but a court quickly outlawed it, saying it made the exploitation of prostitutes legal.

'All workers are guaranteed certain human decencies and dignities, and the right to organize is one of those,' said Marc Ellis, state president of the Nevada Communications Workers of America.

Sheris Ranch respects the right of workers to 'express their views on workplace structure,' Jeremy Lemur, the brothels marketing and communications director, said in an email. The businesss focus is on providing a 'safe, lawful and professionally managed environment.'

The process could go back and forth for weeks, but the brothel could choose to recognize the Communications Workers of America as the sex workers representatives and begin negotiating a new contract immediately, according to union attorneys.

Concerns over contract terms

The workers at Sheris Ranch, who call themselves courtesans, were given a new contract in December that would give the brothel control over their intellectual property and power of attorney. The contract, viewed by The Associated Press, said the brothel will have the 'irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license' to distribute the womens material.

Another worker, who goes by the stage name Molly Wylder, said the terms would make it harder for courtesans to leave the industry and pursue other opportunities. For Wylder, sex work is a temporary job to help pay for her student loans. Like Jetson, she asked that her legal name not be used.

'It was never my plan to stay forever,' Wylder said.

When the women brought their concerns to management, they were told to sign or leave, they said. The women requested more time to decide, while some signed under duress, Jetson said. The dispute remains ongoing. Lemur did not respond to questions about the womens concerns.

Jetson said she and two others were fired after the brothel learned about the unionization effort. The Communications Workers of America is fighting for them to be rehired. Lemur did not respond to questions about Jetsons employment.

Independent contractor vs. employee

Sex workers are typically classified as independent contractors, said Barb Brents, an expert in Nevadas sex industry and retired professor at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Independent contractors do not get as many legal protections as employees, but they usually get more freedoms. The success of their unionization could come down to a debate between whether they are considered independent contractors or employees.

The independent contractor status is fundamental to the workers autonomy, said Lemur.

But the women argue they are treated as employees. They have set schedules, they cant work from home and they are required to charge a minimum of $1,000 per hour to their clients, Ellis said. Sheris Ranch gets 50% of what they earn.

'In our dream scenario, we would like to be recognized as employees because we would like the full rights and bargaining power that employees have,' Jetson said.

With many of the women making their own online content, they want their intellectual property protected. They also said they want to negotiate over their dress code ' they were recently told they can only wear denim shorts, not pants ' and theyd like to see a fairer wage contract.

Wylder said shed also like to negotiate for health insurance, which they are not provided.

Other workers in the sex industry have seen success. In Los Angeles, dancers at the topless bar Star Garden became the only unionized group of strippers in the U.S. The Lusty Lady, a San Francisco strip club, was pioneering when its workers unionized in 1997, though its now closed.

Brents said the Sheri Ranch courtesans effort is significant in a stigmatized industry in which its workers historically lay low and stay quiet.

'Its pretty amazing and heartening to see so many sex workers standing up for their rights,' she said.

BEIJING (AP) ' Its not just people ' in China, the robots are also getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Friday was dress rehearsal day for four cute humanoid robots, each about 95 centimeters (3 feet) tall at a mall in western Beijing. Curious onlookers stopped to watch.

Each robot got a colorful lion costume and within minutes the moves started: Bend the knees, up, to the left, to the right, shake the mask, and do it all again!

Ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrated next week, and as part of different 'fairs' and activities around Beijing, some venues have been busy setting up their stages and props.

For a second year in a row, one of the fairs will be devoted to technology and ' yes, again ' robots will take center stage.

People will see them dancing and also them stacking blocks on top of others to make a little tower, skewering hawthorn berries onto a stick ' coated with a syrup, a popular sweet snack ' or playing soccer.

'This year, the number of our robots has increased a lot,' said Qiu Feng, a member of the organizing committee. 'They will perform dance, martial arts, Peking Opera, poetry and soccer.'

'Some events were also available last year but the finness of the actions and the high-tech vibe are stronger' this time, Qui added.

China has been scaling up its efforts to develop better robots that can perform different activities, powered by artificial intelligence and with less human intervention.

But though they can now do things that were difficult to imagine a few years ago, humans are still needed to help them ' for example, to dress them or move them when they stop in the middle of a mini-soccer field.

'Technology is developing faster and becoming more advanced every day,' Qui also said. 'As long as we keep up with this trend, our … fair will continue to evolve and rise with the times.'

The robots performing at the mall were developed by some Chinese startups, like Booster Robotics. The company will display around 20 humanoid robots, which will also dance and play soccer.

'It is an AI environment, which means, once the whistle sounds, the remote control will all be put aside and all its decision-making and motion control are made by the robots themselves,' said Ren Zixin, director of marketing at Booster Robotics.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) ' As outrage spreads over energy-hungry data centers, politicians from President Donald Trump to local lawmakers have found rare bipartisan agreement over insisting that tech companies ' and not regular people ' must foot the bill for the exorbitant amount of electricity required for artificial intelligence.

But that might be where the agreement ends.

The price of powering data centers has become deeply intertwined with concerns over the cost of living, a dominant issue in the upcoming midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and governors offices.

Some efforts to address the challenge may be coming too late, with energy costs on the rise. And even though tech giants are pledging to pay their 'fair share,' theres little consensus on what that means.

'‘Fair share is a pretty squishy term, and so its something that the industry likes to say because ‘fair can mean different things to different people,' said Ari Peskoe, who directs the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard University.

Its a shift from last year, when states worked to woo massive data center projects and Trump directed his administration to do everything it could to get them electricity. Now theres a backlash as towns fight data center projects and some utilities electricity bills have risen quickly.

Anger over the issue has already had electoral consequences, with Democrats ousting two Republicans from Georgias utility regulatory commission in November.

'Voters are already connecting the experience of these facilities with their electricity costs and theyre going to increasingly want to know how government is going to navigate that,' said Christopher Borick, a pollster and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

Energy race stokes concerns

Data centers are sprouting across the U.S., as tech giants scramble to meet worldwide demand for chatbots and other generative AI products that require large amounts of computing power to train and operate.

The buildings look like giant warehouses, some dwarfing the footprints of factories and stadiums. Some need more power than a small city, more than any utility has ever supplied to a single user, setting off a race to build more power plants.

The demand for electricity can have a ripple effect that raises prices for everyone else. For example, if utilities build more power plants or transmission lines to serve them, the cost can be spread across all ratepayers.

Concerns have dovetailed with broader questions about the cost of living, as well as fears about the powerful influence of tech companies and the impact of artificial intelligence.

Trump continues to embrace artificial intelligence as a top economic and national security priority, although he seemed to acknowledge the backlash last month by posting on social media that data centers 'must ‘pay their own way.'

At other times, he has brushed concerns aside, declaring that tech giants are building their own power plants, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright contends that data centers dont inflate electricity bills ' disputing what consumer advocates and independent analysts say.

States moving to regulate

Some states and utilities have started to identify ways to get data centers to pay for their costs.

Theyve required tech companies to buy electricity in long-term contracts, pay for the power plants and transmission upgrades they need and make big down payments in case they go belly-up or decide later they dont need as much electricity.

But it might be more complicated than that. Those rules cant fix the short-term problem of ravenous demand for electricity that is outpacing the speed of power plant construction, analysts say.

'What do you do when Big Tech, because of the very profitable nature of these data centers, can simply outbid grandma for power in the short run?' Abe Silverman, a former utility regulatory lawyer and an energy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. 'That is, I think, going to be the real challenge.'

Some consumer advocates say tech companies fair share should also include the rising cost of electricity, grid equipment or natural gas thats driven by their demand.

In Oregon, which passed a law to protect smaller ratepayers from data centers power costs, a consumer advocacy group is jousting with the states largest utility, Portland General Electric, over its plan on how to do that.

Meanwhile, consumer advocates in various states ' including Indiana, Georgia and Missouri ' are warning that utilities could foist the cost of data center-driven buildouts onto regular ratepayers there.

Pushback from lawmakers, governors

Utilities have pledged to ensure electric rates are fair. But in some places it may be too late.

For instance, in the mid-Atlantic grid territory from New Jersey to Illinois, consumer advocates and analysts have pegged billions of dollars in rate increases hitting the bills of regular Americans on data center demand.

Legislation, meanwhile, is flooding into Congress and statehouses to regulate data centers.

Democrats bills in Congress await Republican cosponsors, while lawmakers in a number of states are floating moratoriums on new data centers, drafting rules for regulators to shield regular ratepayers and targeting data center tax breaks and utility profits.

Governors ' including some who worked to recruit data centers to their states ' are increasingly talking tough.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat running for reelection this year, wants to impose a penny-a-gallon water fee on data centers and get rid of the sales tax exemption there that most states offer data centers. She called it a $38 million 'corporate handout.'

'Its time we make the booming data center industry work for the people of our state, rather than the other way around,' she said in her state-of-the-state address.

Blame for rising energy costs

Energy costs are projected to keep rising in 2026.

Republicans in Washington are pointing the finger at liberal state energy policies that favor renewable energy, suggesting they have driven up transmission costs and frayed supply by blocking fossil fuels.

'Americans are not paying higher prices because of data centers. Theres a perception there, and I get the perception, but its not actually true,' said Wright, Trumps energy secretary, at a news conference earlier this month.

The struggle to assign blame was on display last week at a four-hour U.S. House subcommittee hearing with members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Republicans encouraged FERC members to speed up natural gas pipeline construction while Democrats defended renewable energy and urged FERC to limit utility profits and protect residential ratepayers from data center costs.

FERCs chair, Laura Swett, told Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, that she believes data center operators are willing to cover their costs and understand that its important to have community support.

'Thats not been our experience,' Landsman responded, saying projects in his district are getting tax breaks, sidestepping community opposition and costing people money. 'Ultimately, I think we have to get to a place where they pay everything.'

Follow Marc Levy on X at: https://x.com/timelywriter