Exclusive-US 'pro-family' group worked with Senegal activists pushing anti-LGBT law

DAKAR, March 16 (Reuters) - Senegalese proponents of a tougher anti-LGBT law discussed campaign strategy and mobilization tactics with a U.S.-based "pro-family" group that calls homosexuality a public health threat, activists in both countries told Reuters.

US 'pro-family' group worked with Senegal activists pushing anti-LGBT law

The U.S. group MassResistance, known for its work at home pushing legislation against same-sex marriage and denouncing "the transgender war on cultural norms", ‌has advised like-minded African activists for years.

But now it is trying to take advantage of what it sees as a more restrictive approach by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration ‌towards the rights of same-sex couples. Beyond Senegal, it has been involved in recent advocacy supporting a proposed new anti-LGBT law in Ghana.

"There's a renewed push to put in place these strict bans on the promotion and proliferation of LGBT ​ideology now because President Trump is not in the business of harassing and bullying countries to incorporate these destructive ideologies," the group's field director, Arthur Schaper, told Reuters.

The collaboration between MassResistance, headquartered in Massachusetts, and And Samm Jikko Yi, a Senegalese network of Islamic and civil society organizations, has not previously been reported.

'PRO-FAMILY' MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM

Senegalese lawmakers last week approved the new law, which doubles the maximum prison term for same-sex sexual acts to 10 years and criminalizes so-called promotion of homosexuality.

Reuters could not determine the impact of MassResistance's work in Senegal on the vote.

But this is the first known case of a U.S. group ‌helping shape a successful push for anti-LGBT legislation in Africa since Trump ⁠returned to power in January 2025.

"The transnational pro-family movement has reached new heights in terms of their level of influence now that Trump is in office," said Haley McEwen, author of the 2024 book "The U.S. Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa".

The State Department said Trump's approach to foreign ⁠assistance ensures taxpayer dollars are not "wasted on divisive social and gender issues", a departure from the Biden and Obama administrations which made LGBT rights part of foreign policy.

NEW GOVERNMENT CREATED OPENING FOR LAW

And Samm Jikko Yi began campaigning across Senegal for tougher anti-LGBT legislation in 2020, arguing that the existing provision in the penal code was too weak, said Ababacar Mboup, the network's former coordinator and honorary president.

The old version imposed prison sentences ​of ​up to five years for "acts against nature".

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko promised on the campaign ​trail in 2024 to deliver a new law.

In December 2024, And Samm Jikko ‌Yi contacted MassResistance to discuss an attempt to change the law as well as the possible creation of a MassResistance chapter in Senegal, Mboup and Schaper said.

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They discussed tactics for awareness-raising, mobilization and advocacy with Senegalese authorities, Mboup added.

MassResistance says it is focused on pushing "pro-family laws and policies" that ensure LGBT rights are not celebrated or normalized.

"The high rates of disease, dysfunction, and death associated with these sexual paraphilias are too great to ignore," Schaper said.

MassResistance has also been in touch with activists in Ghana, where lawmakers are considering a harsher anti-LGBT bill.

As in Senegal, same-sex sexual acts are already criminalized there, but the new legislation would increase the maximum penalty from three to five years and impose jail time for the "wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities".

Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah, executive director ‌of the Ghanaian human rights NGO Freedom International, said he and Schaper had exchanged "educational materials" and broadly discussed the ​need to curtail LGBT rights.

Anim-Appiah has toured schools across Ghana to speak against the "infiltration" of the LGBT movement, and ​said Schaper had tried - so far unsuccessfully - to secure financing for him from "funders" he declined ​to name.

"I see Arthur as a colleague... We are all fighting a common battle," Anim-Appiah told Reuters.

CONCERNS OVER FIGHT AGAINST HIV

Health workers in Senegal say the ‌new law is likely to harm the fight against HIV/AIDS among key populations, ​notably men who have sex with men (MSM).

Fear of ​arrest drives people underground, and by criminalizing "promotion", efforts to address HIV/AIDS among LGBT people could be jeopardised, they say.

That fight already suffered a blow last year when the Trump administration cut foreign assistance.

National HIV prevalence is 0.3% in Senegal but is much higher among MSM - hitting 49% in parts of Dakar, government figures show.

Between February 9 and 24, 27 suspected ​MSM were arrested on suspicion of "acts against nature" and, in some cases, "voluntary ‌transmission" of HIV, the International Federation for Human Rights said.

A spokesperson for Senegal's government and a spokesperson for Senegal's gendarmerie did not respond to requests for comment on ​the increased arrests.

They have forced MSM into hiding, and some have fled to other countries including Mauritania, Gambia and Ivory Coast, said two Senegalese MSM who spoke ​on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

(Reporting by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Gareth Jones)

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March 16, 2026

Exclusive-US 'pro-family' group worked with Senegal activists pushing anti-LGBT law

DAKAR, March 16 (Reuters) - Senegalese proponents of a tougher anti-LGBT law discussed campaign strategy and mobilization...

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Sprawling storm sparks severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings, blizzards and feet of snow

The potential for a multiday outbreak of severe thunderstorms is climbing as a massive, powerful storm continues to track across the United States.

This storm has everything: feet of snow andblizzardconditions for parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes, roaring winds capable of knocking out power and elevating fire weather concerns in the Plains and Rockies, and thunderstorms that could unleash tornadoes and widespread damaging wind gusts.

The storm's snowy side packed the most significant punch early Sunday for millions in the north-central US, with wind-whipped snow creating dangerous travel. But from late Sunday through Monday, more than 100 million people in the eastern half of the country will face an increasingly severe thunderstorm and tornado risk.

A Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast on Sunday, with most storms expected to fire up overnight into Monday.

Damaging straight-line wind gusts past 60 mph are the most widespread threat with any severe thunderstorms through Sunday night. Some areas from the Tennessee Valley into the Great Lakes could see even stronger gusts of 75 mph or more as storms congeal into a damaging line.

As of 8 p.m. ET Sunday, there were more than 250,000 customers without power across seven states, according toPowerOutage.US, including 66,000 in Pennsylvania and around 50,000 in Arkansas, Ohio and Texas each.

More than 16 million are under tornado watches from the Gulf Coast up to the southern Great Lakes. Some twisters could be strong — capable of causing EF2 damage or greater.

The greatest risk of strong tornadoes exists with storms that develop in parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee in the evening on Sunday. This is when the potential forsupercellsis at its peak.

Any tornado on Monday has the possibility to become strong if it can tap into just the right atmospheric conditions. More than 12 million people were under tornado watches by Sunday evening across parts of nine states, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.

Damaging thunderstorms will push east overnight and reach the Appalachians and East Coast by Monday morning. Some will likely still be severe at sunrise Monday, but an injection of energy arriving in the afternoon will give the storms a new, even more dangerous life.

A Level 4 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Monday from the Carolinas to the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, with a wider Level 3 of 5 risk in place in surrounding areas.

Damaging straight-line wind gusts are again expected to be the thunderstorms' most widespread impact, with gusts past 75 mph possible in storms from Georgia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Potentially historic snow, blizzard conditions

While the southern, warmer side of the storm is generating severe thunderstorm concerns, the cold northern side has been busy generating a lot of snow.

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All Baltimore County Public School campuses and offices will close early Monday due to the storm, the district said in apost on X. Additionally, Richmond Public Schools will be closed Monday and classes will be virtual because of the storm, the district said in anInstagram post.

The largest school districts inMarylandandVirginiaannounced early dismissals, and school closures and delays have also been announced inMinnesota,Wisconsin,AlabamaandFlorida, CNN affiliates reported.

DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, will be holding classes remotely Monday because of the severe conditions expected, the school said in a text alert.

"The weather forecast for tornado conditions is too dangerous for us to have buses and vans and student drivers on the road," the text alert read.

The school reminded parents of a2001 incidentin which two sisters were killed when a tornado picked up their car at the University of Maryland.

More than a foot of snow buried parts of southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin by Sunday morning, with plenty more to come. Snow will continue through Monday for much of the Midwest and Great Lakes.

This storm could be the snowiest ever in cities like Rochester, Minnesota. Parts of the city picked up about a foot of snow by Sunday morning, with up to another foot possible by the time the storm comes to an end. Rochester's heaviest snow was from a March 2005 storm that dropped 20 inches.

Parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula are forecast to end up with snow totals of more than 3 feet by Monday night.

Marquette, Michigan, is no stranger to high snow totals from lake-effect snow, but this storm could be one of its biggest ever. The city's largest two-day storm total on record stands at about 32 inches from a March 1997 storm. It's forecast to get anywhere from 2 to 4 feet of snow from the current storm.

And it's not like this snow is falling in a peaceful winter wonderland — powerful winds are whipping it up to create dangerous whiteouts and longer-lasting blizzard conditions.

The punishing conditions are making travel extremely hazardous and could cause power outages to increase.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for more than 12 million people from the Dakotas and Nebraska to the Great Lakes Sunday. The warnings will continue into Monday for some, as the worst conditions slowly start to come to an end.

CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller contributed to this report.

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March 16, 2026

Sprawling storm sparks severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings, blizzards and feet of snow

The potential for a multiday outbreak of severe thunderstorms is climbing as a massive, powerful storm continues to track...

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Analysis-Middle East war disrupts pharma air routes, risks cancer drugs supply

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - War in the Middle East is disrupting the flow of critical medicines to the Gulf, imperilling supply routes for cancer drugs and other treatments that require refrigeration and forcing companies to reroute flights and find overland access into the region, industry executives said.

The conflict, sparked by U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran ‌two weeks ago and broadened by Iranian strikes around the region, has knocked out key air transit hubs and closed shipping routes, snarling the movement of goods for many products ‌from medicines to food and oil.

While there are few signs yet of major shortages, that could change if the conflict drags on, some executives said. The Gulf relies heavily on imports and some medicines have short shelf lives and need strict ​cold-chain storage, making lengthy overland shipping less practical.

Executives at Western drugmakers said they were seeking alternative routes into the Gulf and trucking some drugs overland from airports like Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Other options were Istanbul and Oman.

Major airports in the region including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have been closed due to strikes by Iran in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks. Dubai and Doha are major cargo hubs linking Europe with Asia and Africa, with airlines Emirates and Etihad and logistics firms such as DHL handling temperature-sensitive drugs that must be kept within a narrow range to remain safe and effective.

Wouter Dewulf, ‌a professor at the Antwerp Management School, cited industry data showing ⁠over a fifth of global air cargo -- the main route for critical or life-saving drugs and vaccines -- are exposed to Middle East disruption.

One executive cautioned that alternative "cold-chain corridors", or temperature-controlled routes used for sensitive medicines, could not be set up overnight and were not always available.

Another pharmaceutical company executive said it had ⁠set up internal teams to prioritise patient-critical shipments, including of cancer treatments, and warned some temperature-controlled shipments could miss connections unless proper storage and handling were secured.

A medical device company executive said the first step was to map shipments already in transit or ready to depart, then decide which pallets needed to be diverted and whether new shipments had to be planned.

The executive, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal ​operations, ​said some Europe-Asia cargo that typically move through Dubai or Doha airports was being rerouted via China or Singapore. ​Sea routes were not practical due to longer journey times, as well as ‌closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz by Iran.

"If you have an urgent surgery with a patient waiting for treatment, you have to choose the faster mode of transport," the executive said.

HOSPITALS COULD RUN LOW WITHIN WEEKS

Prashant Yadav, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, said stocks of short shelf-life, temperature-sensitive and more expensive medicines were usually around three months, with cancer drugs, particularly monoclonal antibodies, among those at highest risk.

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Delays in delivery of oncology medicines can have dire consequences for patients, who might be forced to restart a course of therapy, or see their cancer worsen.

The disruption was already a problem for some companies, Yadav said, with some customers warning they could run low on supplies within four to six weeks if things did not improve.

Over 100 pharma and logistics ‌industry participants joined a webinar last week hosted by Pharma.Aero, a life sciences logistics group, to discuss the ​Gulf crisis and its supply-chain and transport implications.

INDUSTRY IS COPING FOR NOW

Some logistics providers say the industry is coping for ​now. Dorothee Becher, in charge of air logistics for healthcare at freight company Kuehne+Nagel, said ​carriers were flying into Jeddah, Riyadh and Oman and using land routes to reach final markets.

"I do not see any risk yet that the inventory would ‌go dramatically down," she said, adding that healthcare cargo was being prioritised.

But keeping shipments ​moving was a constant battle.

Doaa Fathallah, chief operating officer ​at biopharma logistics company Marken, said cold-chain cargo was getting through, but only with round-the-clock re-routing as airspace restrictions shifted rapidly.

The re-routing means longer transit times and higher fuel costs, driving up transportation fees, she said, as well as use of dry ice to keep medicines cold.

The risks rise for the industry if the disruptions persist, executives said, as supplies in ​the Gulf and Asia run low.

Shipping snags could also affect products that ‌pose indirect risks to drug supplies including shortages of vial stoppers, IV bag plastics and items needed for packaging.

"It's not always a shortage of the medicine itself," said ​David Weeks, who follows the supply chain industry for ratings agency Moody's. "In some cases, it's the little stopper on the vial where the dosage is extracted."

(Reporting by Maggie ​Fick in London; Additional reporting by Bhanvi Satija in London; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Bill Berkrot)

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March 16, 2026

Analysis-Middle East war disrupts pharma air routes, risks cancer drugs supply

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - War in the Middle East is disrupting the flow of critical medicines to the Gulf, imperilling...

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WNBA and players' union meet on CBA for 6th straight day with revenue sharing, housing key hurdles

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players' union are meeting for a sixth straight day on Sunday in hopes of getting a collective bargaining agreement finished in a timely fashion to avoid any potential delays to the upcoming season.

It's been a marathon week of discussions with the two sides getting together for more than 60 hours since the first in-person bargaining session on Tuesday.

Sunday's session began around noon EDT with Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Alysha Clark back in attendance on the union's side. Brianna Turner arrived a few hours later.

Revenue sharing and housing are still key sticking points.

"It's very important for us to nail those two things down, which is I think the biggest thing on the agenda today," Ogwumike, the union's president, said Saturday between bargaining sessions. "So we want to make sure that we can get that."

League proposals have involved net revenue — revenue after expenses — and union ones have talked about gross revenue — revenue before expenses.

When negotiations first started more than a year ago, the union was asking for 40% of gross revenue and had come down to 26% before the marathon in-person bargaining session Tuesday. The league had been offering more than 70% net revenue for the players.

"We've talked a lot about revenue share, which that's obviously going to be, I don't even really like calling it the elephant in the room. Like it's there, you know, like we're going to talk about it," Ogwumike said. "But housing is big, you know, and housing is really big. And I think that perhaps people understanding this negotiation or learning about it has really shown how meaningful something like a housing benefit is, especially for the women in the W."

Teams have paid for player housing in the WNBA since the beginning and the league wanted to amend that in the new CBA.

"We're trying to enter into this transitional space where we are now making enough money toward to be able to take care of that, but we're not quite at the point where we can eliminate it outright," Ogwumike said.

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Prior to the start of negotiations Tuesday night, the union had been asking for teams to continue paying for housing for players in the first few years of the new agreement, but in the last two years of the CBA the franchises would no longer have to pay for housing for players that are making near the maximum salary, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

In the same time period, the league proposed that they would continue paying all players housing for the upcoming season and then change to only paying for rookies housing as well as players making the minimum salary, the person said.

The league also would pay for housing of the two developmental players being added to teams for the entire length of the CBA.

If these two major items can get figured out, the season most likely would be able to start on time on May 8. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Friday night that they need to get a deal done by Monday to potentially avoid disruptions to the upcoming season.

"Can things be 24 to 48 hours later than maybe a date that we put on a piece of paper just to get everybody understanding there is a basketball calendar here? Can things be 24 to 48 hours (later)? Sure," Engelbert said. "But not much more before you start to look at, you know, can we open training camp up, you know, that kind of stuff."

The league's first two preseason games are on April 25 with Caitlin Clark and Indiana visiting New York and Seattle playing Golden State.

"We have a fairly short preseason," Engelbert said. "We have preseason games scheduled on April 25. That's what I first worry about. Those are some great games."

Before the preseason games even happen, there's a lot to do with an expansion draft for Portland and Toronto as well as free agency for 80% of the league. The college draft also needs to take place.

AP WNBA:https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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March 15, 2026

WNBA and players' union meet on CBA for 6th straight day with revenue sharing, housing key hurdles

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players' union are meeting for a sixth straight day on Sunday in hopes of getting a ...

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Gilgeous-Alexander keeps record 20-point streak alive as Thunder win 8th straight, beat Timberwolves

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-103 on Sunday for their eighth straight win.

Timberwolves Thunder Basketball

Gilgeous-Alexander barely extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 128. He had just 10 points heading into the fourth, and he re-entered the game with 7:10 left after resting.

He scored on a stepback against Anthony Edwards with 1:46 remaining and was fouled to reach 19 points. With the crowd standing and chanting "M-V-P!" he drained the free throw to keep the streak alive and push himself further pastWilt Chamberlain's old mark of 126.

Chet Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds and Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder, who improved to a league-best 53-15.

Julius Randle scored 32 points and Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves.

The Thunder forced 22 turnovers while committing just seven. Oklahoma City attempted 101 shots while Minnesota tried 77.

Oklahoma City ran out to a 9-0 lead and held the Timberwolves scoreless for nearly three minutes at the start.

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Minnesota recovered and led 53-47 at halftime. Gilgeous-Alexander scored just four points on 2-for-10 shooting before the break.

Minnesota pushed its lead to 68-59 midway through the third quarter before the Thunder rallied. A 3-pointer by Jaylin Williams that bounced before going in gave Oklahoma City a 78-73 edge, and the Thunder took an 80-76 lead into the fourth.

Oklahoma City took control early in the final period. Jared McCain caught ano-look, behind-the-back pass from Isaiah Hartensteinand drained a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 91-80 lead. The two connected again, this time withHartenstein's two-handed pass bouncing between his legs and behind him. McCain's 3 put the Thunder ahead 94-81.

Up next

Timberwolves: Host Phoenix on Tuesday.

Thunder: Visit Orlando on Tuesday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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March 15, 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander keeps record 20-point streak alive as Thunder win 8th straight, beat Timberwolves

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Min...

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