By REBECCA BOONE, Associated Press

The U.S. Justice Department is suing four more states as part of its effort to collect detailed voting data and other election information across the country.

The department filed federal lawsuits against Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada on Thursday for “failing to produce statewide voter registration lists upon request.” So far, 18 states have been sued, along with Fulton County in Georgia, which was sued for records related to the 2020 election.

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The Trump administration has characterized the lawsuits as part of an effort to ensure the security of elections, and the Justice Department says the states are violating federal law by refusing to provide the voter lists and information about ineligible voters. The lawsuits have raised concerns among some Democratic officials and others who question exactly how the data will be used, and whether the department will follow privacy laws to protect the information. Some of the data sought includes names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

“States have the statutory duty to preserve and protect their constituents from vote dilution,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release. “At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will.”

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said her office declined to provide unredacted voter data.

“We will not hand over Coloradans’ sensitive voting information to Donald Trump. He does not have a legal right to the information,” Griswold said Thursday after the lawsuit was filed. “I will continue to protect our elections and democracy, and look forward to winning this case.”

In a Sept. 22 letter to the Justice Department, Hawaii Deputy Solicitor General Thomas Hughes said state law requires that all personal information required on a voter registration district other than a voter’s full name, voting district or precinct and voter status, must be kept confidential. Hughes also said the federal law cited by the Justice Department doesn’t require states to turn over electronic registration lists, nor does it require states to turn over “uniquely or highly sensitive personal information” about voters.

An Associated Press tally found that the Justice Department has asked at least 26 states for voter registration rolls in recent months, and in many cases asked states for information on how they maintain their voter rolls. Other states being sued by the Justice Department include California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 on Thursday against turning over unredacted voter information to the Trump administration. The lone dissenter was Republican commissioner Robert Spindell, who warned that rejecting the request would invite a lawsuit. But other commissioners said it would be illegal under Wisconsin law to provide the voter roll information which includes the full names, dates of birth, residential addresses and driver’s license numbers of voters.

Associated Press reporter Scott Bauer contributed from Madison, Wisconsin.

By TIM REYNOLDS

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Russian athletes have told the International Luge Federation that they obtained visas and are coming to the U.S. for a World Cup race next weekend, a move that Ukrainian athletes believe is simply unfair.

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And it might not be long before Russians are competing on the bobsled and skeleton circuits again as well, with the federation that runs those sports releasing a list Friday of nine cleared athletes — two bobsledders and seven skeleton sliders.

The Russian luge team — about six athletes — is planning to compete in Lake Placid, New York, in an effort to boost fledgling hopes of qualifying for the Milan Cortina Olympics that are coming in February. Russia is not racing at this weekend’s World Cup luge competition in Park City, Utah, despite some claims from Russian officials in recent days that they would be there.

Russia has not seen its athletes compete in a World Cup luge race since that country invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago. The war rages on, and now Ukrainian athletes are bracing for the likelihood of crossing paths with Russians in competition. It’s of no consolation to the Ukrainian sliders that the Russians — if they arrive — will be competing as neutral athletes and not under their nation’s flag.

“They are not neutral,” Ukrainian luge athlete Anton Dukach said. “They support war.”

Dukach is Ukraine’s top Olympic hopeful in luge. He believes that, if he hadn’t made it into a shelter in time, he would have been killed two years ago when a Russian rocket hit his apartment. Some of his neighbors, he said, died in that attack.

He’s lost many friends and classmates in the war. He races with them in mind and cannot understand why Russians — who haven’t been allowed to compete in many sports because of the war — now have sliders and others being given a shot at making it to the Olympics.

The neutrality issue is paramount. Certain sports federations are preparing to let Russian athletes compete, but only after they are cleared in what is described as an independent review process to ensure that they have not publicly supported the war and are not affiliated with Russia’s military or other forces.

“Of course I don’t support this decision,” Dukach said. “The FIL and the (International Olympic Committee) said they are neutral, but I don’t think so. We have proof and we already sent evidence that they are not neutral.”

Russian sliders have been trying for several days, through an office in Kazakhstan, to get visas that would allow them to enter the U.S. The luge World Cups in the U.S. — this weekend in Park City, next weekend in Lake Placid — are part of a five-race Olympic qualifying series, which started with a competition at the Olympic venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy last month.

The Russians were allowed to compete there and crossed paths with the Ukrainians. It was not a World Cup event and wasn’t open to spectators. No Russian finished better than 19th there, which didn’t exactly get the Olympic quest off to a flying start.

U.S. luge athlete Ashley Farquharson said she found herself sitting a room at the track, getting ready to race when she noticed that the other sliders alongside her were Russians and Ukrainians.

“It was a little awkward,” Farquharson said. “I think they all felt the same way.”

The State Department generally doesn’t comment on individual visa situations and did not confirm that the Russian applications were approved. It did, however, offer this statement: “We are doing everything possible to support major international sporting events hosted by the United States without sacrificing our national security.”

Meanwhile, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said the nine athletes — along with nine support staff such as coaches and a doctor — have been declared neutral and should be allowed to compete in certain women’s skeleton, men’s skeleton and women’s monobob events. They are not competing at Lillehammer, Norway, this weekend and could have up to four World Cup opportunities before the Olympics, with race weekends upcoming in Sigulda, Latvia; St. Moritz, Switzerland; Winterberg, Germany; and Altenberg, Germany.

As is the case with the luge athletes, the Russians in bobsled and skeleton will have a very tough time qualifying for the Olympics.

The IOC has indicated that it wants Russians to have the opportunity to compete as neutral athletes at the Milan Cortina Games. However, each sport’s own federation controls the qualifying events. In events like skiing, snowboarding, bobsled, skeleton and luge, governing bodies originally refused to allow any Russians to take part, then amended those decisions after appeals.

If the Russians get into a World Cup — or the Olympics — they would be competing as “Individual Neutral Athletes” and not under their homeland’s flag. And even if they compete in Lake Placid, the path to Olympic qualifying may still be very murky. The two remaining Olympic qualifying races after Lake Placid are in Latvia and Germany, and obtaining visas to enter those countries may be difficult for the Russians.

“I’ve always been proud to represent my country,” Dukach said. “It’s even more important now.”

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, her supporters said Friday.

A foundation in her name said she was detained in Mashhad, some 680 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of the capital, Tehran, while attending a memorial for a human rights lawyer recently found dead under unclear circumstances.

A local official reportedly acknowledged arrests had been made, but did not directly name Mohammadi, 53. It wasn’t clear if authorities would immediately return her to prison, where she had been serving a sentence until her temporary release in December 2024 for medical purposes.

However, her detention comes as Iran has been cracking down on intellectuals and others as Tehran struggles with sanctions, an ailing economy and the fear of a renewed war with Israel. Arresting Mohammadi may spark increased pressure from the West at a time when Iran repeatedly signals it wants new negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program — something that has yet to happen.

This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo)

Activist detained at ceremony for dead lawyer

Her supporters on Friday described her as having been “violently detained earlier today by security and police forces.” They said other activists had been arrested as well at a ceremony honoring Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate who had been based in Mashhad.

“The Narges Foundation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained individuals who were attending a memorial ceremony to pay their respects and demonstrate solidarity,” a statement read. “Their arrest constitutes a serious violation of fundamental freedoms.”

Alikordi was found dead earlier this month in his office, with provincial officials in describing his death as a heart attack. However, a tightening security crackdown coincided with his death, raising questions. Over 80 lawyers signed a statement demanding more information.

“What we witnessed today is the Islamic Republic’s latest assault on the most basic human freedoms — where even mourning a slain lawyer becomes a punishable act,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.

“When peaceful citizens cannot mourn without being beaten and dragged away, it reveals a government terrified of truth and accountability. It also reveals the extraordinary bravery of Iranians who refuse to surrender their dignity.”

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Footage purportedly of the ceremony showed Mohammadi with a microphone, calling out to the crowd gathered without wearing a hijab, or headscarf. She started the crowd chanting the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man whom authorities hanged from a crane in a public execution in 2022.

Footage published by her foundation also showed her without a hijab, surrounded by a large crowd.

Hasan Hosseini, the city governor of Mashhad, said prosecutors ordered security officials to temporarily detain a number of participants at the ceremony after the chanting of “norm-breaking” slogans, Iranian state television reported.

Hosseini described the detentions as preventive to protect those there from others in the crowd, but did not address claims that security forces used violence in making the arrests.

Other anti-government chants could be heard in purported video footage of the event.

Mohammadi had been on furlough for months

Supporters had warned for months that Mohammadi was at risk of being put back into prison after she received a furlough in December 2024 over medical concerns.

While that was to be only three weeks, Mohammadi’s time out of prison lengthened, possibly as activists and Western powers pushed Iran to keep her free. She remained out even during the 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel.

Mohammadi still kept up her activism with public protests and international media appearances, including even demonstrating at one point in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been held.

Mohammadi had been serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran’s government. She also had backed the nationwide protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which have seen women openly defy the government by not wearing the hijab.

Mohammadi suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022, her supporters say. Her lawyer in late 2024 revealed doctors had found a bone lesion that they feared could be cancerous that later was removed.

“Mohammadi’s doctors recently prescribed an extension of her medical leave for at least six more months to conduct thorough and regular medical examinations, including monitoring the bone lesion which was removed from her leg in November, physiotherapy sessions to recover from the surgery and specialized cardiac care,” the Free Narges Coalition said in late February 2025.

“The medical team overseeing Mohammadi’s health has warned that her return to prison — especially under stressful conditions of detention and without adequate medical facilities — could severely worsen her physical well-being.”

An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison. Her last incarceration began when she was detained in 2021 after attending a memorial for a person killed in nationwide protests.

By YURAS KARMANAU, Associated Press

Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday hosted a U.S. envoy for talks in the Belarus capital of Minsk, the latest step in the isolated leader’s effort to improve ties with the West.

Lukashenko met with President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, according to state news agency Belta and the presidential press service. The press service said the talks would continue Saturday.

The last time U.S. officials met with Lukashenko, Washington announced easing some of the sanctions against Belarus, and more than 50 political prisoners were released and brought to Lithuania. Overall, Belarus released more than 430 prisoners since July 2024 in what was widely seen as an effort at a rapprochement with the West.

“They say Trump loves flattery. But I’m not aiming for flattery. I want to say that I really like his actions lately,” Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying.

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A close ally of Russia, Minsk has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years. Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been sanctioned repeatedly by Western countries — both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Lukashenko’s rule was challenged after a 2020 presidential election that kept him in power, when tens of thousands of people poured into the streets to protest a vote widely seen as rigged. They were the largest demonstrations in Belarus’ history, after the country became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

In an ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands of people were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures either fled the country or were imprisoned.

Five years after the mass demonstrations, Lukashenko won a seventh term in an election that the opposition called a farce.

More recently, however, Belarus has begun to free some political prisoners to try to win favor with the West. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House this year, Lukashenko has released dozens of prisoners, including key dissident figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski — the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. His release came after a visit to Belarus by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg.

Trump spoke to Lukashenko by phone in August after one such release and even suggested a face-to-face meeting in what would be a big victory for the Belarusian leader, who has been dubbed “Europe’s Last Dictator.”

A month later, Lukashenko freed more than 50 prisoners, and the U.S. lifted sanctions on the country’s national airline, Belavia, allowing it to repair and buy parts for its planes, including Boeing aircraft.

Those released were brought to Lithuania. But one — prominent opposition activist Mikola Statkevich — refused to leave Belarus. The 69-year-old, who described the government’s actions as a “forced deportation,” got off the bus and stayed for several hours in the no-man’s land between the countries before being taken away by Belarusian police and returned to prison.

Human rights advocates point out that Belarusian authorities continue their relentless crackdown on dissent despite the prisoners releases, with more people regularly arrested on politically motivated charges.

There are still about 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus, according to human rights group Viasna, including its founder, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.