By JANIE HAR

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, second-generation Japanese American soldiers signed up to fight for the United States in World War II even as their families were locked up in government-run internment camps and declared “ alien enemies” of the state.

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Decades after they returned home from the war to face more racism and discrimination, the soldiers now are being honored in a new traveling exhibit kicking off in San Francisco called “I am an American: The Nisei Soldier Experience”. The title of the show comes from a large sign posted to a Japanese American storefront in Oakland, California, the day after Pearl Harbor.

The 1,500-square-foot exhibit features family photos, mementos and short bios of the Nisei men shared by their relatives to ensure that stories of past bravery endure for younger generations, especially as questions of nationality still persist.

A travel bag, ID card and handmade note holder

On display is a travel bag that belonged to Sgt. Gary Uchida, marked by drawings he made of his native Hawaii and places he went while in the Army.

There is a U.S. Army identification card on which Oregon-born George S. Hara wrote under nationality: American.

Rosalyn Tonai, Executive Director at the National Japanese American Historical Society, gestures toward a Hiroshi Mayeda’s Statement of United States Citizen of Japanese Ancestry displayed in the “I am an American: The Nisei Soldier Experience” exhibit at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Rihachi Mayewaki made a note holder from lumber scraps while imprisoned at Jerome camp in Arkansas. It features an American bald eagle and a blue star banner with three stars, one for each son: Ben, who helped collect, evaluate and interpret enemy intelligence; Charles, who trained as a rifleman with the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team; and Hachiro, who trained as a linguist and worked as a translator.

At the bottom of the holder is written “nintai,” the Japanese word for endurance.

“The father was incredibly proud he had three sons serving in the American army,” Christine Sato-Yamazaki, executive director of the National Veterans Network and co-curator of the exhibit, said last month at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibit.

Fighting for their country

About 33,000 Japanese Americans fought in World War II, despite the U.S. government shipping an estimated 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry to desolate camps. Thousands were elderly or children too young to know the meaning of treason. Two-thirds were U.S. citizens. Their homes and businesses were seized while they were imprisoned, often in overcrowded, wooden bunk houses in bleak locations with harsh conditions.

The United States didn’t offer a formal apology until 1988.

“These soldiers wanted to prove they were loyal patriotic Americans, part of the greatest generation at that time and they were American — just like anybody else,” said Sato-Yamazaki, whose grandparents did not talk about their time in camp or at war. The garrison cap worn by her grandfather, Tech. Sgt. Dave Kawagoye, is featured in the exhibit. It contains the words “Go for Broke,” the motto of the famed 442nd.

Japanese Americans joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team or 100th Infantry Battalion, both highly awarded yet segregated units. They also served as linguists in the Military Intelligence Service. Some 800 Nisei soldiers were killed in action.

The five-year exhibit runs in San Francisco’s Presidio through August before heading off to 10 other cities, including Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon. It is presented by the National Veterans Network, National Museum of the United States Army and the Army Historical Foundation.

People walk outside of the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center, which is displaying the “I am an American: The Nisei Soldier Experience” exhibit, in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

A class ring is found in France and returned

Among those featured in the exhibit is Staff Sgt. Robert Kuroda, who was unable to get work as a second-generation Japanese American in Hawaii solely because of his ancestry. So he signed up to fight in World War II, reasoning that if he fought for his country employers could no longer deny him a job.

On Oct. 20, 1944, Kuroda advanced through heavy enemy gunfire to take out two enemy machine gun nests after helping liberate the French town of Bruyères from Nazi occupation. He continued his assault until sniper fire killed him. He was 21.

Rosalyn Tonai, Executive Director at the National Japanese American Historical Society, looks toward Staff Sgt. Robert Kuroda’s class ring and Medal of Honor and Sgt. George Mukai’s compass displayed in the “I am an American: The Nisei Soldier Experience” exhibit during an interview at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Kuroda was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The medal citation noted that his “courageous actions and indomitable fighting spirit ensured the destruction of enemy resistance.”

On display in the exhibit are Kuroda’s Medal of Honor and high school class ring, which was prized in his family as he was the first of nine siblings to graduate.

The ring was missing until 2021 when a metal detector hobbyist named Sébastien Roure found it buried in a forest near Bruyères. Roure worked tirelessly to return the Farrington High School class ring to the Kurodas and now, the two families visit, using an app and high school French and English to communicate.

Before the exhibit, both the ring and medal had been displayed in a glass case at a cousin’s auto body shop near Honolulu.

“The family just felt if we could, in our own ways, help others, the country, know the sacrifices of the previous generation and what they did for our lives, then, even better,” said Kevin Kuroda, a nephew who traveled from Hawaii for the exhibit’s opening.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran add yet more question marks around a U.S. economy already buffeted by on-and-off tariffs, weak hiring, and lingering inflationary pressures.

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What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway essential for global energy supply

The war has already raised oil prices and could lift prices at the pump as early as this week, but the ultimate impact on the economy and inflation will depend on the length and severity of the conflict, economists say. Should it wind down in a week or two, its economic effects would be minor and short-lived.

Yet a longer war that pushed oil past $100 a barrel for an extended period would worsen inflation, at least temporarily, while slowing growth and intensifying Americans’ unhappiness with the cost of essentials. After nearly five years of rising prices, concerns around affordability have undercut President Donald Trump’s support in polls and bolstered Democrats in recent elections.

For now, the price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 6.3% Monday to settle at $71.23. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 6.7% to $77.74 per barrel. An increase at that level, even if sustained, would barely lift inflation, economists said.

“While cost-conscious Americans who are dealing with an affordability crisis will not take this increase lightly, such an increase will not materially affect economic growth,” Joe Brusuelas, an economist at RSM, a consulting firm, said.

Stock prices rebounded to show a small gain Monday after initially falling sharply, a sign of optimism that the war will be short-lived.

But a longer-lasting conflict, particularly one that closed down the Strait of Hormuz at the edge of the Persian Gulf, through which roughly 25% of the world’s oil passes, could push oil past that $100 a barrel mark. Gas prices in the U.S. could then reach $3.50 a gallon, up from just under $3 on average nationwide on Monday.

Such price jumps would accelerate inflation in the U.S. and slow growth, economists said.

“Markets are right now really under-pricing the tail risk of a sustained engagement and an operation that does not wrap up quickly, restore travel through the Strait of Hormuz and get everything back to de-escalation and normal in a timely manner,” said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the Groundwork Collaborative and an economic adviser to the Biden White House.

Here are some ways the war could affect the economy.

Inflation has lingered even as gas prices have fallen

While some measures of inflation have cooled in recent months, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure has been stuck at about 3% for roughly a year. That is above the central bank’s 2% target, and has occurred even as gas prices fell steadily in 2025.

Should gas prices rise significantly, air fares could also rise as airlines face bigger fuel costs. Shipping would also become more expensive, which could add to grocery prices.

Natural gas prices also jumped Monday, as roughly 20% of the world’s gas travels through the Strait of Hormuz and a liquid natural gas plant was shut down in Qatar. That could raise heating prices in the U.S. Natural gas has already gotten 10% more expensive in the past year, thanks in part to spiking energy usage by data centers powering AI.

Still, economists noted that the U.S. economy is not as oil-dependent as it has been in the past, with most Americans now working in services, rather than manufacturing.

And other factors may help keep oil price increases relatively limited. Rory Johnston, founder of Commodity Context, an oil analytics firm, pointed out that oil inventories were quite high before the conflict, which helped keep prices in check. That’s in sharp contrast to the winter of 2022, he said, when post-COVID supply chain problems had already pushed up oil costs even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused a much bigger spike.

Monday’s increase “is a very minor spike relative to” what happened after Russia’s invasion, Johnston said.

Businesses may pull back amid uncertainty

If the Iran war drags on for months, it could also torpedo business confidence, which could lead companies to invest and hire less, said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide Financial.

“When there is an injection of new uncertainty into the business environment … that’s a hit to confidence,” she said.

The result could be similar to the impact of Trump’s tariffs, which did not raise prices as much as many economists feared, but did appear to weigh on job gains. Hiring in 2025 was the weakest, outside of a recession, since 2002.

Consumers sour further on economy

Even without a big inflation spike, a major risk for Trump is that Americans sour on his economic leadership.

According to surveys, Americans already have a gloomy outlook on the economy, largely because of the lingering effects of the price spikes of the past five years. Trump’s attempts to portray the U.S. as in a “golden age” have had little impact on those attitudes.

A protracted conflict in Iran that raised gas prices would likely make it worse, Jacquez said.

“People generally don’t think that President Trump is focused on the things that they are focused on,” Jacquez added, “and what they want him to be focused on is the price of groceries. What they think he’s focused on are things like tariffs and foreign policy.”

By SIMINA MISTREANU and STEFANIE DAZIO

Tens of thousands of airline passengers are stranded by the Iran war that has spread across the Gulf region, but some wealthy travelers are getting out — by paying large sums for luxury flights to Europe via airports that are safe from Iranian drone and missile attacks.

Demand for charter flights has skyrocketed, with some people paying up to $232,000 as major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, Qatar, were closed after the start of the conflict last weekend.

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Travelers from Dubai, usually known as a safe and luxurious destination, are seeking to evacuate by traveling overland either to Muscat, Oman, about a four-hour drive, or to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, more than 10 hours away. Then they board one of the few available commercial flights or take a charter flight, whose costs have soared since the start of the war.

“The demand is huge, and we can’t deliver enough aircraft to respond to the demand,” said Altay Kula, CEO of the France-based private jet broker JET-VIP.

Whereas normally a charter flight on a private jet that can accommodate up to 16 passengers from Riyadh to Porto in Portugal may cost around $115,800 these days, the cost has doubled, Kula said.

“This increase in cost reflects the aircraft’s scarcity, the repositioning costs as well, and the operator risk assessments. So this is not speculative pricing,” he added.

Prices can vary depending on the departure point, the type of aircraft and the route constraints, said Ameerh Naran, CEO of Vimana Private Jets. For flights from the Gulf region to Europe, prices are ranging from $173,800 to $232,000, he added.

In order to reach functional airports such as those in Riyadh and Muscat, some travelers hire private security companies that coordinate transportation in vehicles ranging from ordinary passenger cars to coach buses.

Light traffic moves along a main road in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)

Due to the heavy traffic, wait times at border points with Oman can be up to four hours, while costs range in the thousands of dollars, said Ian McCaul, operations and planning director with Alma Risk, a U.K.-based risk management and security firm.

Those seeking to leave are predominantly stranded travelers, as opposed to residents, McCaul added.

He estimates his company has made transfer arrangements for more than 200 people and advised several others in recent days.

Vimana’s clients include business executives, families and entrepreneurs, as well as remote workers who had been based in the region, Naran said.

A few people walk in a public plaza in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)

Elie Hanna, CEO for the Middle East headquarters of Air Charter Service, based in Dubai, said most of the flights out of the region are leaving from Oman. The prices are so high, he said, because few charter planes are available since most of them are stuck at airports that are now closed.

The clients he is seeing range from people who regularly charter private, as well as people who generally fly commercial but are trying to pool resources with other travelers or families to share the expense.

“Everyone is stressed,” Hanna said. “To be honest, everyone is trying to accommodate as much as they can. Muscat Airport is overloaded with flights and everybody is stressed.”

Experts from the International SOS security and health services company expect the fighting to continue to affect transportation and energy infrastructure for weeks.

In downtown St. Paul, a major remodel of Grand Casino Arena, Roy Wilkins Auditorium and the adjoining RiverCentre convention center would cost $600 million, with funding potentially split between a $200 million request from the state Legislature and $162.5 million each from the city and the Minnesota Wild.

The remaining $75 million — for the Roy Wilkins Auditorium — would come from an as-yet-undetermined source.

The team, in turn, would agree to a lease extension, cementing its presence in downtown St. Paul past the expiration of the Wild’s current lease in 2035.

Mayor Kaohly Her and the Wild’s leadership were expected to announce those and other details Tuesday morning during a news conference downtown.

‘One of the largest city-owned assets’

Difficult discussions with lawmakers are yet to come.

The new framework agreement to fund renovations at the city’s 25-year-old sports, concert and convention venue relies heavily on state support, at a time when the state enjoys a budget surplus that could easily disappear in light of federal funding cuts and other uncertainty in the economy.

“Grand Casino Arena is one of the largest city-owned assets, and we are responsible for making sure it continues to anchor our downtown and economy,” said Her, in a written statement. “Now we will take this proposal to the Legislature and ask for their support. I look forward to that conversation.”

The mayor’s office noted the plan does not require raising city property taxes.

Instead, the city would draw its $162.5 million for the project from an extension of St. Paul’s existing half-cent sales tax, which already supports the arena, and the Wild would be responsible for any cost overruns on the overall project.

The framework agreement leaves $75 million as yet unaccounted for to fund the modernization of the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in a second phase of construction, though the city has indicated it would work with the Wild to figure out how to cover that remaining sum.

The split

Negotiations with the team began within weeks of Her winning an upset election last November, according to the mayor’s office, which released a statement indicating “both parties worked in good faith to craft a solution that balances the arena’s operational needs, maximizes efficient use of taxpayer dollars, avoids raising property taxes, and preserves and reinvests in one of the city’s largest publicly owned assets that generates millions in direct tax revenues and produces millions more in economic impact from users across the state and country.”

Here’s how the numbers break down:

The arena complex renovation and improvement project would cost a total of $600 million. That includes $450 million for Grand Casino Arena and a combined $150 million for the RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

The agreement includes a $200 million request to state lawmakers, spanning $125 million for Grand Casino Arena and $75 million in total for the RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

The city will finance $162.5 million for Grand Casino Arena using an extension of its longstanding half-cent sales tax, of which up to 40% can be dedicated to capital improvements at the arena complex.

The team would privately finance $162.5 million for Grand Casino Arena.

The city will work with the Wild as a preferred partner to fund the remaining $75 million for the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, the primary target of the renovation’s second phase.

The Wild will continue to be responsible for the ongoing management of the arena, and they’d agree to a lease extension. The team will pay ongoing rent and payment-in-lie-of-taxes payments for the use of the public facility.

“Both the city and the team are committing to significant ongoing asset preservation investments over the term of the lease,” reads the announcement from the mayor’s office.

Wild owner: Arena booked 150 nights a year

In a statement, Wild owner Craig Leipold noted the arena has been the Wild’s home since 2000, and is booked for events 150 nights per year, more than any other major venue in the state.

“Like any 25-year-old building, it’s ready for an update and we’re ready to invest – in the fan and visitor experience, in the event space, in safety and accessibility,” he said. “We are thrilled that Mayor Her shares our vision for creating an improved entertainment district in downtown St. Paul and is moving this project forward.”

Members of both political parties have cooled on the prospect of public funding for sports stadiums in light of other competing priorities, but the mayor’s office has emphasized that Grand Casino Arena hosts much more than professional sports.

The combined complex doubles as the city’s convention center, concert venue and a gathering place for state high school tournaments and cultural events such as Hmong New Year’s celebration.

Efforts for funding failed in 2025

Efforts to convince state lawmakers for major remodeling dollars for Grand Casino Arena were met with a cool audience a year ago when Leipold and then-Mayor Melvin Carter presented plans for a $769 million renovation, which would rely on nearly $400 million from state appropriations bonds.

With those discussions going nowhere, the city and team dropped the project to a $488 million upgrade, freezing planned improvements to the RiverCentre and the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and lowered their ask to the state to $50 million. The smaller bonding request still did not move the needle.

The city’s attempt to secure $2 million in planning and pre-design funds from state lawmakers was unsuccessful in 2024.

On Friday, state economists forecast a $3.7 billion budget surplus for the 2026-2027 two-year budget cycle, though those numbers could change dramatically in light of federal funding cuts and other factors, such as the state of the overall economy. Gov. Tim Walz said Friday he expected to release a supplemental budget request and state bonding proposal within weeks.

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