SAN DIEGO — Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian contractor known as “Fat Leonard” at the center of the worst bribery and corruption scheme in U.S. Navy history, must serve the remainder of his 15-year prison sentence, according to an appeals court ruling that became official Monday.

The 61-year-old Francis, who pleaded guilty in San ...Read more

Roughly 80% of immigrant owned businesses along key corridors in Minneapolis and St. Paul have closed in the past week as employees and customers stay home in fear of ICE agents detaining them.

Both Latino Economic Development Center on the east side of St. Paul and the Lake Street Business Council both said businesses have lost at least half ...Read more

California lawmakers Tuesday moved forward a bill that would allow residents to sue federal officials in state courts for constitutional violations.

Although it was first proposed in November, the bill came up for a hearing amid nationwide protests following the shooting death of an unarmed motorist in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he would cut off federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities at the end of the month in the latest escalation over immigration policy with Democratic jurisdictions.

Trump said his administration had also given “90-day notices” to states like California who would bill the federal government to ...Read more

The Newsom administration said Friday that it does not plan to use state employee compensation costs as a means to shore up the state’s budget as it did last year when California faced a larger-than-expected deficit.

When asked what actions California might take in the event positive revenue projections don’t hold in the coming months, ...Read more

DENVER — A Denver County Court judge violated ethics rules when he paid a defendant’s $1 bail during an August court hearing, an investigation by the Denver Judicial Discipline Commission found.

Mayor Mike Johnston publicly censured Judge Barry Schwartz on Friday and ordered that the judge serve a one-week suspension without pay.

The judge...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — They rallied outside the state Capitol Monday yelling “Lower the rent!” They occupied the office of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas for an hour later in the day, telling stories of rising prices.

And more supporters of a bill that would strengthen and expand a state rental protection law filed into the Capitol Tuesday ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — The state’s Division of Human Resources warned lawmakers and Gov. Brad Little that things weren’t looking good for state employee pay.

In a December memo, the division told leaders that state salaries were well behind the market, and that the turnover and vacancy rates for state jobs, including teachers, were higher than ...Read more

ALBANY, N.Y. — Ahead of a tough reelection fight, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled an agenda aimed at bridging the divides in the Democratic Party — moving to fight President Donald Trump and capture progressive excitement surrounding Mayor Zohran Mamdani, while also tending to anxiety among moderates about public safety and protests ...Read more

Pre-filed ahead of the 2026 legislative session by Del. Gary Simmons, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, House Bill 101 says broadcasters must “invite all candidates who are certified to the ballot in the general election” for statewide office. The bill, which will receive its first reading in the House’s Government, Labor and Elections ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court sounded ready Tuesday to uphold conservative state laws that forbid transgender athletes to compete on school sports teams for girls.

But the ruling may not directly affect California and the liberal-leaning states, at least for now.

Idaho, West Virginia and 25 other Republican-led states say a student’s ...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago’s new plan to legalize video gambling terminals — finally passed last month as part of the 2026 budget after years of debate — is not a done deal as Mayor Brandon Johnson and key aldermen say negotiations must continue.

The ongoing discussions between Johnson’s administration and aldermen over the gambling terminals ...Read more

The Venezuela government has started releasing prisoners with U.S. citizenship, people with knowledge of the situation said.

The authorities on Tuesday released at least one U.S. citizen who already left the country, the people said, declining to identify the individual for security reasons.

The release marks the first known release of a U.S. ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — A thousand new federal agents could soon be operating in Minnesota, joining what the Department of Homeland Security has already called the largest immigration enforcement operation in history.

The new forces come as President Donald Trump vowed “reckoning” and “retribution” against Minnesota in a social media post ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal judge is considering whether to temporarily limit the tactics of immigration agents in Minnesota after hearing arguments in a lawsuit alleging mistreatment of Twin Cities residents by ICE agents.

During a Jan. 13 hearing in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, attorneys representing six Minnesota residents asked the ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis used his final state-of-the-state address Tuesday to tout his accomplishments during his nearly eight years in office, while also signaling that there is lots more he wants to get done before he leaves office next January.

“I have a lot more in the tank but you guys only have 60 days so we better get on...Read more

They came bearing bullhorns and bongos, whistles, cowbells, maracas and signs. So many signs.

“ICE murders!” “How many people have to die?” “Justice for Good.”

By 11 a.m. Tuesday, two hours after U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened a recruitment event at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, more than 100 protesters lined ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a “Trump economic boom” was underway, again giving short shrift to indicators of a still-sluggish economy as Republicans gear up to defend their House and Senate majorities this year.

Trump visited the Detroit Economic Club a few hours after new government data showed mixed signals ...Read more

NEW YORK — A Manhattan judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump Justice Department to respond to demands from congressional lawmakers seeking government oversight of further disclosures of the Jeffrey Epstein files and a special master to ensure nothing is hidden from the public about the deceased sexual predator.

​ Counsel for Rep. Ro Khanna, D-...Read more