CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday indefinitely extended her restraining order barring President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Illinois as both sides await a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could upend the case.

At a status hearing before U.S. District Judge April Perry, lawyers for the Trump ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — An undercover FBI agent busted an alleged pedophile living in Ventura by posing as both a dad and a daughter on online messaging platforms.

Trevor Lyons told the dad he would like to speak with his 12-year-old daughter, saying, "I'd love to see how much of a freak she is," according to court documents. Lyons is accused of then ...Read more

WASHINGTON — FEMA workers improperly recorded personal information of some individuals in the wake of some storms and disasters dating back to 2021, according to an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security that was released Tuesday.

The investigation detailed 10 instances of data collection that exceeded FEMA’s guidance, all ...Read more

Gov. Ron DeSantis brushed aside concerns over a new Florida law that allows certain charter schools to demand free space in the state’s public schools.

DeSantis, who signed the expansion into law, and Republican lawmakers said having more so-called schools of hope would provide new avenues of success for students failed by traditional public ...Read more

Scotland’s finance secretary is asking the United Kingdom for a $35 million reimbursement following visits from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Secretary Shona Robison said in a letter that Scotland incurred “substantial operational and financial burdens” that impacted public services as a result of those visits. That ...Read more

As schools across California prepare to limit students’ cellphone use during the school day by July 2026, new research by the University of California, Los Angeles cautions school leaders that completely banning phones on school grounds can cause more harm than good and deepen existing inequities among students.

The new research brief comes ...Read more

President Donald Trump this week appeared to double down on sending the National Guard to San Francisco. But could that mean troop deployments to other parts of the Bay Area?

Officials across the region, including in San Jose, Oakland, Concord and Berkeley, said they’ve received no indication of the military’s imminent arrival in their ...Read more

MEXICO CITY — The United States has struck an eighth alleged drug vessel, this time in the Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.

Hegseth said the airstrike in the eastern Pacific killed two people, bringing the death toll in the recent string of U.S. military attacks on alleged drug boats to 34.

In a short video clip...Read more

Four years after the “Rust” movie shooting, New Mexico officials have moved Alec Baldwin’s lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution to federal court.

This week’s filing is the latest twist in the long legal saga following the October 2021 on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin, the 67-year-old star and a producer of the...Read more

NEW YORK — The head of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Wednesday warned New Yorkers to expect more Canal Street-style crackdowns as President Donald Trump expands his mass deportation push to New York City.

Acting Director Todd Lyons said ICE plans to dramatically expand its activities in the five boroughs after the ...Read more

As President Donald Trump prepares to send National Guard troops — from either Oregon, California or possibly Texas — into Portland, Oregon, entrepreneur Sarah Shaoul watches with deep concern.

A three-decade resident of the Portland area, Shaoul leads a coalition of roughly 100 local small businesses, including many dependent on foot ...Read more

With the federal shutdown entering its fourth week, spurred by a stalemate over the cost of health insurance for 22 million Americans on Affordable Care Act plans, a new report shows that over 154 million people with coverage through an employer also face steep price hikes — and that the situation is likely to get worse.

Premiums for job-...Read more

WASHINGTON — Thirteen moderate House Republicans are urging party leadership to find a path toward extending enhanced expiring health care tax credits once the government reopens.

“Let us be clear: significant reforms are needed to make these credits more fiscally responsible and ensure they are going to the Americans who need them most,”...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will pour $80 million into food banks and send members of the National Guard and California Volunteers corps to pass out food as public benefits dry up due to the ongoing federal shutdown, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

Newsom said he was expediting $80 million in food aid and dispatching volunteers on ...Read more

Before she became the most visible face among Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre was betrayed, repeatedly, by people who were supposed to protect her.

In her new memoir, "Nobody’s Girl," she recounts a traumatic childhood in South Florida, during which she was sexually abused by her father and a neighbor, to whom her father “...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday gave final approval to a new congressional map intended to pick up another seat for Republicans, undercutting the influence of Black voters in a district they have historically dominated and heeding President Donald Trump’s nationwide demand for more favorable maps ahead of the 2026 ...Read more

NEW YORK — Author Michael Wolff is suing first lady Melania Trump in a Manhattan court over her effort to block publication of his planned tell-all book that could include details about her ties to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the New York Daily News has learned.

Wolff, who has penned four bestselling books about President Donald ...Read more

CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday said she will not wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in before deciding how to proceed on her restraining order barring President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Illinois.

At a status hearing before U.S. District Judge April Perry, both sides said they had agreed to ...Read more

Forecasters said Wednesday that Hurricane Melissa will likely form within 24 hours and intensify into a Category 2 hurricane by Sunday, with some models showing it even reaching major hurricane strength.

Experts said South Florida should be keeping an eye on the long-range tracking models even though forecasters say the odds of U.S. impact are ...Read more