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Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Iran warns protesters of death penalty as crackdown grows

Current News / News & Features /

Iranian officials intensified a crackdown on protests across the country, blocking the internet and threatening participants with the death penalty amid expectations of further unrest Friday night.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic won’t tolerate “vandalism” or “people acting as mercenaries for foreign ...Read more

HECTOR AMEZCUA/The Sacramento Bee/TNS

Gavin Newsom will need California lawmakers' help to achieve final year goals

Current News / News & Features /

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom made several direct and indirect appeals to California lawmakers during his State of the State speech Thursday morning, mapping out how he hopes to work with them in the new legislative session.

The governor, who has emerged as a likely candidate for the 2028 presidential race, spent much of his hourlong...Read more

Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Iran's supreme leader vows to crack down on protesters, blames Trump

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BEIRUT — Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a defiant speech on Friday, excoriating protesters as "saboteurs" and insisting the Islamic Republic would "not back down," even as the country remains in the throes of a full communications blackout amid growing antigovernment demonstrations.

Speaking before a crowd that ...Read more

Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune/TNS

Minnesota launches own probe of ICE shooting after FBI freezes out locals

Current News / News & Features /

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota leaders announced Friday an investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross earlier this week in Minneapolis.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the investigation after the FBI took sole ownership of investigating the shooting, ...Read more

GoFundMe/GoFundMe/TNS

There are many crowdfunding campaigns online tied to Renee Good's killing, but are any legit?

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MINNEAPOLIS — There is an increasing number of campaigns being hosted by one of the nation’s leading crowdfunding platforms claiming to be collecting money on behalf of the family of Renee Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent this week in Minneapolis.

As of Jan. 9, one effort among the 30 or so leads the way with a tally topping $1.5 ...Read more

Paul J. Richards/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

US diplomats return to Caracas to assess reopening embassy after Maduro

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A U.S. State Department team traveled to Venezuela on Friday for the first time since strongman Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in his residence in Caracas, as Washington weighs reopening its embassy in Caracas after nearly six years.

The visit, first reported by CNN, reflects the Trump administration’s efforts to reestablish a ...Read more

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump cancels second attack on Venezuela; fifth tanker seized

Current News / News & Features /

U.S. President Donald Trump said a second wave of attacks on Venezuela has been canceled, citing improved cooperation from the country after some political prisoners were released.

Venezuela is “working well” with the U.S. on rebuilding its oil and gas infrastructure and releasing “large numbers” of political prisoners, Trump wrote in a...Read more

Barry Williams/New York Daily News/TNS

NY AG Letitia James warns of dire risks as she files lawsuit to reverse Trump funding freeze

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NEW YORK — Attorney General Letitia James warned that President Donald Trump is putting the most vulnerable New Yorkers at risk as she and four other attorneys general head to court in a bid to reverse the administration’s withholding $10 billion in funding for child care and other social services programs.

The funding freeze, which ...Read more

Pennsylvania man accused of grave robbery had over 100 body parts in home, storage unit

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A Pennsylvania man is facing nearly 500 criminal charges after an investigation led to the discovery of “over 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains” recovered from his home and storage unit, officials said Thursday.

Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, was arrested earlier this week after detectives saw him leaving Mount ...Read more

Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura speaks out against ICE in Minnesota, hints may run again

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MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is applauding students and staff at Roosevelt High School for standing up for freedom and America, and subtly hinted that he may once again be interested in running for the state’s top office.

“I did one term. I am owed a second,” he told reporters on Jan. 8. “I was leading a nice ...Read more

SpaceX/SpaceX/TNS

SpaceX targets afternoon launch of 2nd Space Coast mission of 2026

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SpaceX has the first of a series of afternoon launches in the next week on tap Friday with another Starlink mission from Florida's Cape Canaveral.

A Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-96 mission with 29 more of the internet satellites is targeting 2:34 p.m. Eastern time in the middle of a four-hour window from 1:03 to 5:03 p.m. from Cape Canaveral ...Read more

Judge finds illegal language in Michigan health department's proposal to restructure state mental health services

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DETROIT — A Michigan Court of Claims judge has found that the language in the state health department's attempt to possibly privatize community health agencies violates Michigan's mental health code.

Two lawsuits were filed in August by three regional entities that manage mental health, substance abuse and disability care — called Prepaid ...Read more

Kentucky attorney general pauses effort to unseat fish and wildlife chairman

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky attorney’s general office has withdrawn its demand the chair of a board overseeing the state’s fish and wildlife management agency resign, pending a new legal probe of the state’s exemption for landowners hunting and fishing on their own property.

Attorney General Russell Coleman won’t immediately pursue ...Read more

Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Illinois, 4 other states sue Trump administration over frozen child care funds

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CHICAGO — Illinois and four other states are suing the Trump administration over its decision earlier this week to withhold $10 billion in child care and family assistance funds.

The attorneys general of Illinois, California, Colorado, Minnesota and New York filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court in New York, alleging federal officials ...Read more

John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Residents, activists, officials demand police oversight board open inquiry into Chicago Police Department's actions during Midway Blitz

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CHICAGO — Chicago residents, activists and elected officials demanded that the city’s civilian police oversight board launch a thorough probe into how the Chicago Police Department has interacted with or assisted federal immigration agents before, during and after “Operation Midway Blitz” at a heated Thursday night meeting.

City police ...Read more

TNS

NJ mayor replaced after allegations of sexual, mayoral misconduct

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NEW YORK — Jack Tompkins, the former mayor of Pemberton Township, NJ has officially been replaced following his resignation amid allegations of sexual and mayoral misconduct.

Republican councilman Matthew Bianchini was selected in a 3-2 vote to serve out the remainder of Tompkins’ term, which comes to an end later this year, NJ Advance ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

A 'breather': Drenched California has no dry areas for first time in a quarter-century

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LOS ANGELES — After experiencing one of the wettest holiday seasons on record, still soggy California hit a major milestone this week — having zero areas of abnormal dryness for the first time in 25 years.

This data, collected by the U.S. Drought Monitor, is a welcome nugget of news for Golden State residents, who in the last 15 years alone...Read more

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump cancels second attack on Venezuela; fifth tanker seized

Current News / News & Features /

U.S. President Donald Trump said a second wave of attacks on Venezuela has been canceled, citing improved cooperation from the country after some political prisoners were released.

Venezuela is “working well” with the U.S. on rebuilding its oil and gas infrastructure and releasing “large numbers” of political prisoners, Trump wrote in a...Read more

SpaceX targets afternoon launch of 2nd Space Coast mission of 2026

Current News / News & Features /

ORLANDO, Fla. — SpaceX has the first of a series of afternoon launches in the next week on tap Friday with another Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral.

A Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-96 mission with 29 more of the internet satellites is targeting the opening of a four-hour window at 1:03 p.m. rom Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space ...Read more

Iran shuts down internet in crackdown on escalating protests

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Iran restricted internet and phone access overnight to quell escalating protests across the country, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that he won’t back down against the demonstrators.

The death toll since the unrest began late last year has risen to 42, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights News Agency, which tracks ...Read more