By LISA MASCARO, CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and CHRISTINE FERNANDO

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans passed one of their signature issues for the year on Thursday, approving legislation to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections, one of President Donald Trump’s top election-related priorities.

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Democrats lined up against the bill and warned that it risks disenfranchising millions of Americans who do not have ready access to the proper documents.

Trump has long signaled a desire to change how elections are run in the U.S. and last month issued a sweeping executive order that included a citizenship requirement among other election-related changes.

Top Republicans have argued the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is necessary to ensure only citizens vote in U.S. elections and “cements into law” Trump’s order.

“If we have a noncitizen who votes in an election, that cancels out the vote of a legal citizen,” said U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Committee on Administration, which handles election-related legislation.

This marks Republicans’ second attempt at passing the SAVE Act. It passed the House last year but failed in the Senate amid Democratic opposition.

It’s unlikely to fare any better this year. While Republicans won control of the Senate last fall, they have a narrow majority that falls short of the 60 votes they would need to overcome a filibuster.

Republicans hammered on the issue during last year’s presidential election, even though voting by noncitizens is rare, already is illegal and can lead to felony charges and deportation.

The SAVE Act would require all applicants using the federal voter registration form to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person at their local election office. Among the acceptable documents are a valid U.S. passport and a government-issued photo ID card presented alongside a certified birth certificate.

Democrats and voting rights groups warn the legislation could lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement if it were to become law. The Brennan Center for Justice and other groups estimated in a 2023 report that 9% of U.S. citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Almost half of Americans don’t have a U.S. passport.

In Kansas, a proof-of-citizenship requirement that passed in 2011 ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens in the state who were otherwise eligible to vote. The law was later declared unconstitutional by a federal court and hasn’t been enforced since 2018.

“The SAVE Act would force American citizens into a paperwork nightmare, turning every voter registration into a bureaucratic tsunami of government red tape,” said Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat from New York who testified recently in opposition to the bill.

A further concern: Married women would need multiple documents to prove their citizenship if they have changed their name. It was a complication that arose in town hall elections held last month in New Hampshire, which was enforcing a new state law requiring proof of citizenship to register. One woman, since divorced, told a local elections clerk that her first marriage was decades ago in Florida and that she no longer had the marriage certificate showing her name change. She was unable to register and vote for her town election.

Republicans have defended the legislation as necessary to restore public confidence in elections and say it allows states to adopt procedures to help voters comply. They have disputed Democratic characterizations of the bill.

“The truth is, those who were registered to vote would still be able to vote under their current registration,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who sponsored the bill. “We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change, which of course is often women.”

Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who serves as Arizona’s top state election official, described the proposal as a solution in search of a problem, given how rare noncitizen voting is.

“What it is doing is capitalizing on fear — fear built on a lie,” Fontes said. “And the lie is that a whole bunch of people who aren’t eligible are voting. That’s just not true.”

Cassidy reported from Atlanta, Fernando from Chicago.

By MARTÍN ADAMES ALCÁNTARA and DÁNICA COTO, Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The number of dead in a roof collapse at an iconic nightclub in the Dominican Republic surged to 218 on Thursday, an official said.

Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said crews at the scene were still looking for victims and potential survivors, although no one has been found alive since Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve practically combed through ground zero,” he said, adding that there’s one very small area of rubble left that crews are focusing on. “This has been very difficult for us all.”

Rescue workers search for bodies at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Doctors warned that some of the two dozen patients who remained hospitalized were still not in the clear, especially the eight who were in critical condition.

“If the trauma is too great, there’s not a lot of time” left to save patients in that condition, said Health Minister Víctor Atallah.

He and other doctors said that injuries include fractures in the skull, femur and pelvis caused by slabs of cement falling on those attending a merengue concert at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, where more than 200 were injured.

On Wednesday, dozens of people had anxiously searched for their loved ones, growing frustrated upon getting no answers after visiting hospitals and the country’s forensic institute. By Thursday, a lone family remained with no answers.

María Luisa Taveras told TV station Noticias SIN that she was still looking for her sister.

People pray for their missing relatives outside Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

“We have gone everywhere they told us,” she said, her voice breaking.

Taveras said the family has spread out, with a relative stationed at each hospital and at the forensic institute.

The government said Wednesday night that it was moving to a recovery phase focused on finding bodies.

The legendary club was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people’s drinks early Tuesday. Minutes later, the roof collapsed.

Victims include merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to the crowd before the roof fell; former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi whose brother is seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz.

Also killed was a retired United Nations official; saxophonist Luis Solís, who was playing onstage when the roof fell; New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco; the son and daughter-in-law of the minister of public works; the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth; and three employees of Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.

Randolfo Rijo Gómez, director of the country’s 911 system, said it received more than 100 calls, with several of those made by people buried under the rubble. He noted that police arrived at the scene in 90 seconds, followed minutes later by first response units. In less than half an hour, 25 soldiers, seven fire brigades and 77 ambulances were activated, he said.

Crews used dogs and thermal cameras to search for victims, rescuing more than 180 survivors from the rubble, authorities said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse, or when the Jet Set building was last inspected.

The government said late Wednesday that once the recovery phase ends, it will launch a thorough investigation.

The club issued a statement saying it was cooperating with authorities. A spokesperson for the family that owns the club told The Associated Press that she passed along questions about potential inspections.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works referred questions to the mayor’s office. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

By LORNE COOK and SAM McNEIL, Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain’s defense minister on Thursday urged military leaders from around 30 countries to press ahead with plans to deploy troops to Ukraine to police any future peace agreement with Russia.

The meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels — the first between defense ministers representing the so-called coalition of the willing — comes after a visit to Kyiv last week by senior British and French military officers. It’s expected to work on fleshing out an agreement reached at an earlier meeting between leaders.

John Healey, Britain’s defense minister, opening the meeting said, “We must put more pressure on (Russia’s) President Putin to end his war.”

He said 200 military planners from 30 countries were working to develop plans for deepening European involvement in Ukraine.

“We must be ready for when that peace comes. That’s why the work of this coalition is so vital. We’re stepping up. We’re serious,” Healey said.

Ukrainian government officials and military analysts have said that Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Kyiv and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks.

As usual with coalition gatherings, the United States will not take part, but the success of the coalition’s operation hinges on U.S. backup with airpower or other military assistance. However, the Trump administration has made no public commitment to provide support.

The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland underlined the “crucial” role of the United States.

“The United States is a crucial player still in guaranteeing lasting security” in Ukraine, said Finnish Defense Minister Annit Häkkänen. His Swedish counterpart, Pål Jonson, said success in Ukraine requires “some form of U.S. engagement” while Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called American support “very important” but said the form it took might differ, depending on the chosen type of European mission in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers were “trying to keep the United States on board.”

Amid that uncertainty and U.S. warnings that Europe must take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in future, the force is seen as a first test of the continent’s willingness to defend itself and its interests.

Its make-up will depend on the nature of any peace agreement, but the contingent is unlikely to be stationed at Ukraine’s border with Russia. It would be located further from the ceasefire line, perhaps even outside Ukraine, and deploy to counter any Russian attack.

Building a force big enough to act as a credible deterrent is proving a considerable effort for nations that shrank their militaries after the Cold War but are now rearming. U.K. officials have talked about possibly 10,000 to 30,000 troops.

“Our reassurance force for Ukraine would be a committed and credible security arrangement to ensure that any negotiated peace does bring what President Trump has pledged: a lasting peace for Ukraine,” Healey said.

Countries are also reluctant to contribute personnel without U.S. support. The Europeans cannot match U.S. weapons systems, intelligence gathering and satellite surveillance capabilities.

The nature of the force will be determined by the terms of any peace agreement. The coalition is still trying to establish how it would operate: leading countries want a robust deterrence force to defend against any Russian attack.

The ceasefire is likely to be monitored with technical means such as surveillance cameras and satellites. Any troops doing this would have to be acceptable to both sides.

Brekelmans said key questions must still be answered like “what is the potential mission? What is going to be the goal? What is the mandate? What would we do in under different scenarios, for example, if there would be any escalation regarding Russia?”

Some countries — Italy and the Netherlands, for example — require the approval of their national parliaments before they can deploy troops.

On Friday, representatives from around 50 nations will gather at NATO to drum up military support for Ukraine. That meeting will be chaired by Britain and Germany. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not expected to take part.

AP writer Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain

By ANDREW DALTON, Associated Press Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jillian Lauren, author and wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, was shot and injured by Los Angeles police and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after pointing a gun at officers from her front yard, authorities said Wednesday.

The 51-year-old Lauren, identified by police as Jillian Shriner and listed as Jillian Lauren Shriner in jail records, had injuries that were not life-threatening after the shooting in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock on Thursday, the LAPD said in a statement.

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Her representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment and there is no indication Scott Shriner was involved in the incident. Weezer is scheduled to play the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday.

Police said they were assisting California Highway Patrol officers in their search for three suspects from a misdemeanor hit-and-run. Lauren was not among the suspects. But while pursuing one of them who had reportedly been running through a backyard, police came upon Lauren in the front yard of her neighboring residence, holding a handgun.

They ordered her several times to drop the gun, but she refused, and pointed it at them, police allege. They did not say whether she fired the gun, but said she was hit by police gunfire and fled into her home, where they took her into custody then took her to a hospital.

A 9-millimeter handgun was recovered from Shriner’s home, the police statement said.

She was later booked and released after posting $1 million bond, LA County jail records showed.

Lauren has not made a court appearance, and it was not immediately clear whether she has hired a lawyer. There were no immediate responses to an email to her manager and a message left on her author website. There was also no response to an email seeking comment from a representative for Weezer.

Lauren is the author of two bestselling memoirs, 2010’s “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem” and 2015’s “Everything You Ever Wanted.”

Weezer is a Los Angeles band beloved for their 1994 record unofficially known as the “Blue Album,” featuring songs including “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly.” Shriner joined the band in the early 2000s.

Lauren and Shriner married in 2005, and they have two children.

One of the three hit-and-run suspects was found, cited by the CHP and released.

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