National Politics - Page 2 of 2 - The Rapid City Post

FILE - Former CIA Director John Brennan arrives for a meeting at the Capitol in Washington, May 21, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Years later, key figures in Russia investigation face new scrutiny from Trump administration

July 10, 2025

The Justice Department appeared to acknowledge in an unusual statement this week the existence of investigations into former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan. Both officials played key roles in the U.S. government’s response to Russian interference in the 2016 election won by President Donald Trump and have drawn his ire. That the Russia investigation would resurface is hardly surprising given President Donald Trump’s lingering ire over the inquiry and because longtime allies, including Patel and current CIA Director John Ratcliffe, now lead the same agencies whose actions they once lambasted.

Protesters chant slogans while demonstrating against the closure of the trans youth clinic at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The biggest gender-affirming care center for trans kids in the US is closing, prompting protests

July 9, 2025

Protesters are rallying against the closure of a major gender-affirming care center for kids and teenagers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The center is shuttering at the end of this month after serving the community for over 30 years. The closure is in response to the Trump administration’s threat to cut federal funds to places that offer gender-affirming care. Patients, families, health care workers, and activists have been protesting against the closure since February. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has warned the hospital that it may be violating the state’s antidiscrimination laws. Advocates have emphasized the lifesaving impact of the center’s care and its importance to the community.

Bryan Bedford, President Donald Trump's nominee to run the Federal Aviation Administration, testifies at the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate confirms new FAA administrator at a time of rising concern about air safety

July 9, 2025

The U.S. Senate has confirmed a new leader at the Federal Aviation Administration. Lawmakers on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford as FAA administrator in a 53-43 vote. The vote puts Bedford in charge of the federal agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents, including the January collision near Washington, D.C. Republicans and industry leaders lauded President Donald Trump’s choice of Bedford, citing his experience as an airline CEO. But Democrats and flight safety advocates opposed his nomination, citing Bedford’s lack of commitment to the 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots that was put in place after a 2009 plane crash near Buffalo.

FILE - A prisoner is moved as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours of the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Migrants deported from US to Salvadoran prison remain under US control, Salvadoran officials tell UN

July 7, 2025

The government of El Salvador has acknowledged to United Nations investigators that the Trump administration maintains control of the Venezuelan men who were deported from the U.S. to a notorious Salvadoran prison, contradicting public statements by officials in both countries. The revelation was contained in court filings Monday by lawyers for more than 100 migrants who are seeking to challenge their deportations to El Salvador’s mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. The case is among several challenging President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

President Donald Trump walks toward the media to speak with them before boarding Air Force One, at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Sunday, July 6, 2025, en route to Washington after a weekend in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Student loan cancellation program could become Trump retribution tool, some advocates fear

July 7, 2025

President Donald Trump is revamping the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, sparking concerns it could become a tool for political retribution. The program cancels student loans for public sector and nonprofit workers after 10 years of payments. A draft proposal from the Education Department suggests excluding organizations involved in “illegal activities,” with definitions targeting immigration, transgender issues, and terrorism. Critics worry this could disqualify hospitals, schools, and nonprofits, potentially affecting millions of borrowers. The final proposal is expected to take effect in 2026.

Trump signs tax and spending bill at White House picnic in photos

July 4, 2025

WASHINGTON The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — At a Fourth of July White House picnic, President Donald Trump signed a

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee presents a signed bill that bans the sale of assault-style weapons in the state of Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Statehouse in Providence, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Sydney Roth)

Rhode Island’s assault weapon ban offers a peek into why such laws are difficult to pass

July 3, 2025

It took 10 years, but Rhode Island politicians finally found a way to ban the sale, manufacturing and distribution of certain assault weapons. The Democratic supermajority did it through a compromise that says firearms owners that have the weapons can keep them but purchasing them will become more difficult starting next year. This distinction makes Rhode Island less restrictive than similar laws in other states. Currently, only Washington state has a similar law. Some advocates have applauded the measure, but others say they will continue working to pass a ban on possession too.

President Donald Trump talks with reporters before a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump will kick off a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary with event in Iowa

July 2, 2025

President Donald Trump will be in Iowa to kick off a year of patriotic festivities leading up to next year’s 250th anniversary of American independence. Organizers see the coming year of festivities, which start Thursday, as a way to help unite a polarized country and bridge partisan divides. But a recent Gallup poll showed the widest partisan split in patriotism in over two decades, with only about a third of Democrats saying they are proud to be American compared with about 9 in 10 Republicans. As a candidate, Trump proposed a “Great American State Fair” in Iowa, but it will take place next year in Washington instead.

FILE - Students sit on the front steps of Low Memorial Library on the Columbia University campus in New York City, Feb. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Columbia University student data stolen by politically motivated hacker, university says

July 2, 2025

A politically motivated hacker breached Columbia University’s data systems last week, stealing student records and causing widespread disruptions. The June 24 cyberattack shut down campus networks for several hours. On the same day, images of President Donald Trump appeared on campus monitors, though officials have not confirmed a connection to the data breach. Columbia said a so-called “hacktivist” had gained access to private student data but declined to elaborate on the political motivations. The university is currently negotiating with the Trump administration over its threat to pull $400 million in federal funding over claims the school failed to protect Jewish students.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe departs a classified briefing for senators at the Capitol on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

New CIA report criticizes investigation into Russia’s support for Trump in 2016

July 2, 2025

A newly released report from the CIA challenges the work intelligence agencies did to investigate Russia’s support for Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election. The declassified report released Wednesday doesn’t contradict any specific intelligence but says top intelligence officials created a politicized environment and relied too much on unverified information. The report does not address several subsequent reports that reached similar conclusions about Russia’s preference for Trump, including a bipartisan 2020 report from the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee. The panel detailed how Russia launched an aggressive effort to interfere in the election on Trump’s behalf.

FILE - Medgar Evers, Mississippi field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), poses for a photo, Aug. 9, 1955, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo, File)

Daughter of assassinated civil rights leader sees painful echoes of political violence in America

July 1, 2025

Civil and voting rights activists gathered in Jackson, Mississippi, to honor what would have been the 100th birthday of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Evers was assassinated by a white supremacist in 1963. The 2025 Democracy in Action Convening, a four-day conference, celebrated Evers last week. Former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams headlined the four-day conference. Abrams, also a voting rights activist, railed against recent actions by President Donald Trump’s administration and denounced recent acts of political violence.

People line up outside the Los Angeles Federal Building in Los Angeles, housing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A day outside an LA detention center shows profound impact of ICE raids on families

July 1, 2025

For immigrants who are detained in the Los Angeles region, their first stop is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in the basement of the federal building downtown. A recent day outside the facility shows the profound personal impact of the federal government’s crackdown on illegal immigration. U.S.-born children and other family members arrived with medication, clothing and a bit of hope of seeing their detained loved one. Many are turned away with no news, not even confirmation that the person is inside. Those taken into custody are from a variety of countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, India, Iran, China, and Laos.

FILE - A Social Security card is displayed on Oct. 12, 2021, in Tigard, Ore. The go-broke dates for Medicare and Social Security’s trust funds have moved up as rising health care costs and new legislation affecting Social Security benefits have contributed to closer projected depletion dates. That's according to an annual report released Wednesday. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

Trump keeps saying the GOP mega bill will eliminate taxes on Social Security. It does not

July 1, 2025

President Donald Trump keeps saying that Republicans’ mega tax and spending cut legislation will eliminate taxes on federal Social Security benefits. It does not. Instead of eliminating the tax, the Senate and House have each passed their own versions of a temporary tax deduction for seniors aged 65 and over, which applies to all income — not just Social Security. And it turns out not all Social Security beneficiaries will be able to claim the deduction. Those who won’t be able to do so include the lowest-income seniors who already don’t pay taxes on Social Security, those who choose to claim their benefits before they reach age 65 and those above a defined income threshold.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, accompanied from left Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi leave after speaking to the media during the Indo-Pacific Quad meeting at the State Department in Washington Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

US, Indo-Pacific partners agree to strengthen maritime, critical minerals cooperation

July 1, 2025

The United States. Australia, India and Japan have agreed to expand their cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and further collaborate on supplies of critical minerals and rare earths that are key components of high-tech production. The foreign ministers of the four countries, known as the “Quad,” met in Washington on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to expand U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China. In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad must be a “vehicle for action” that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group’s relevance in the future.

FILE - FBI Director Kash Patel testifies during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)

FBI says it plans to move headquarters to different location in Washington

July 1, 2025

The FBI has announced that it planned to move its Washington headquarters several blocks away from its current five-decade-old home. The bureau and the General Services Administration said the Ronald Reagan Building complex had been selected as the new location, the latest development in a yearslong back-and-forth over where the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency should have its headquarters. It was not immediately clear when such a move might take place or what sort of logistical hurdles might need to be cleared in order to accomplish it. FBI Director Kash Patel, who in his first months on the job has presided over a dramatic restructuring of the bureau, called the announcement “a historic moment for the FBI.”

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies during a House Energy and Commerce Committee, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says

July 1, 2025

A federal judge says that recent layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and must be halted. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition after sweeping cuts to agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and other divisions of the federal health department. The judge said the states were likely to prevail in their lawsuit claiming the layoffs and restructuring were arbitrary and capricious, violating federal law. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated more than 10,000 employees in late March and consolidated 28 agencies to just 15.

FILE - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers gives the annual State of the State address, Jan. 22, 2025, at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

Wisconsin budget deal cuts taxes and boosts university funding

July 1, 2025

A budget deal brokered by Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republicans who control the state Legislature has cleared a key hurdle just hours after it was made public. The Legislature’s budget committee passed it on Tuesday. The budget cuts income taxes by $1.3 billion and increases funding for the Universities of Wisconsin despite a threatened cut. Democrats credited gains they made due to redistricting that forced Republicans to negotiate. The Legislature is scheduled to start voting on passing the budget on Wednesday. The deadline for a new budget was Monday, but current funding continues until a new spending plan is signed.

FILE - Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., listens at an event, Oct. 22, 2020, in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

James Walkinshaw wins Democratic contest to likely replace US Rep. Connolly in northern Virginia

June 29, 2025

Democrats and Republicans in northern Virginia have chosen candidates who will vie to replace the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly. The Democrat served Virginia’s 11th Congressional District in the Washington suburbs for 16 years. Democrats chose James Walkinshaw, who was formerly Connolly’s chief of staff. Republicans chose Army veteran Stewart Whitson. Political observers have said that the district’s Democratic primary likely will determine Connolly’s successor in the reliably Democratic district. It is home to more than 700,000 people and includes communities such as Fairfax, Reston and Vienna. The candidates will compete in a special election Sept. 9. Connolly died last month after battling cancer.

Tour participants walk past an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man during a tour by Frieda Vizel of the Hasidic section of Williamsburg in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

After centuries of isolation, ultra-Orthodox Jews engage with the world more than ever

June 29, 2025

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish subculture is engaging more with the outside world after centuries of separation. Within a minority religion it’s a minority that’s set apart by dedication to the Torah and its 613 commandments. According to one study the global Jewish population will be 20% Orthodox within 15 years. That’s divided mostly between Israel and the U.S. Another study projects that a third of American Jews will be Orthodox by 2063. It’s happening while many Reform Jews in the U.S. are becoming less religious and intermarrying. That means that Jewish Americans as a whole are becoming either Orthodox or more secular.

FILE - Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Roberts speaks during a lecture to the Georgetown Law School graduating class of 2025, in Washington, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Chief Justice Roberts warns against heated political words about judges

June 28, 2025

Chief Justice John Roberts is warning that elected officials’ heated words about judges can lead to threats or acts of violence by others. Roberts’ comments Saturday at a judicial conference come at a time when threats against judges are on the rise. Roberts didn’t identify anyone by name. But he was clearly referring to Republican President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer when he said he’s felt compelled to issue public rebukes of figures in both parties in recent years. Roberts said the danger is that people might pick up on such criticism. He cited “serious threats of violence and murder of judges just simply for doing their work.”

Rural schools feel the pinch from Trump administration’s cuts to mental health grants

June 26, 2025

School districts around the country are cutting back plans to expand their staffing of mental health specialists because of Trump administration cuts to federal grants. The $1 billion in grants for school-based mental health programs were part of a sweeping gun violence bill signed by President Joe Biden in 2022 in response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The grants were meant to help schools hire more psychologists, counselors and other mental health workers, especially in rural areas. President Donald Trump’s administration took issue with aspects of the grant programs that touched on race.

FILE - This combination of photos from 2017 to 2022 shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on mobile devices. (AP Photo, File)

Judge blocks Georgia’s social media age verification law, citing free speech concerns

June 26, 2025

A federal judge is blocking Georgia’s law requiring age verification for social media accounts. Thursday’s ruling stops the law from taking effect next week as planned, saying it infringes on free speech rights. The law was passed in 2024 and would require social media companies to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for children under 16. A trade group challenged the measure, calling the restrictions unconstitutional. Similar laws have been blocked in eight other states. The federal judge in Thursday’s ruling acknowledges concerns about the potential harm of social media on youth. But she says they don’t justify violating First Amendment protections. The state plans to appeal the ruling.

FILE - First lady Jill Biden talks with senior adviser Anthony Bernal before her speech at the Carondelet Palace in Quito, Ecuador, May 19, 2022. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

Former top aide to Jill Biden is subpoenaed by House Oversight panel

June 26, 2025

House Republicans have subpoenaed a senior aide to former first lady Jill Biden. The subpoena from the House Oversight Committee requires Anthony Bernal to appear for a deposition on July 16. Bernal is the second former Biden staffer to be subpoenaed by the committee as part of the GOP’s rapidly expanding investigation into former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness while in office. President Donald Trump’s White House has boosted the investigation by waiving executive privilege for eight former Biden administration officials to testify, including Bernal. Democrats say the investigation is a waste of time.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appears on stage with his family including his wife, Rama Duwaji, right, at his primary election party, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji is an animator, illustrator and ceramicist. And they met on Hinge

June 25, 2025

People across the country are still learning about Zohran Mamdani, who stunned the political world and is poised to become the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor after sweeping past Andrew Cuomo. They know even less about his wife, artist Rama Duwaji. She’s an animator and illustrator originally from Damascus, Syria, according to her Instagram bio. She also enjoys taking a break from tech-based art to create her own ceramics, particularly illustrated plates in blue and white. Another noteworthy (and much-mentioned) fact about the couple: They met on Hinge, the dating app, the candidate has said.

President Donald Trump turns to depart after speaking with reporters on Air Force One while in flight from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

House shelves effort to impeach Trump over Iran strikes

June 24, 2025

The U.S. House has voted overwhelmingly to set aside an effort to impeach President Donald Trump over the military strikes in Iran. A lone Democrat, Rep. Al Green of Texas, had forced the sudden floor action on Tuesday. His resolution charged an abuse of power after Trump launched the military action on Iran’s nuclear facilities without first seeking authorization from Congress. It split his party. Most Democrats joined the Republican majority to table the measure, for now. But dozens of Democrats backed Green’s effort. The tally was 344-79.

FILE - Members of the Goya family wait for a ride, with their belongings, in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

New York City closes arrival center for migrants in once grand Manhattan hotel

June 24, 2025

New York City has closed the arrival center for migrants it had established in a once grand Manhattan hotel. The Roosevelt Hotel served as the first stop for tens of thousands of immigrants arriving in the city seeking free shelter and services until its closure Tuesday. The hotel had been an emblem of the city’s fraught efforts to manage the flood of new migrants when it opened two years ago. Migrant families lined the sidewalk outside the hotel waiting for shelter beds. It is not clear what happens next to the storied hotel, which is blocks from Grand Central Terminal.

FILE - The Unit 2 reactor at Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, N.Y., is seen, April 26, 2021, almost one year after it was shut down. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

New York governor seeks to build the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades

June 23, 2025

New York’s governor is calling for the construction of the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday directed the state’s power authority to develop a plant in upstate New York. The Democrat says she envisioned an advanced facility that would help create a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for the state. Hochul says the state needs to secure its “energy independence” if it wants to continue to attract large manufacturers. She wants the power authority to develop “at least” one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of at least one gigawatt of electricity.

FILE - The Voice of America building is pictured in Washington, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Judge seeks more information about Trump administration’s cuts to Voice of America

June 23, 2025

A federal judge who blocked the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America is seeking more information from the government about whether it is complying with his order preserving the 83-year-old international news service. During a hearing on Monday, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth questioned why the government hadn’t informed him of layoff notices that were sent Friday to over 600 employees of Voice of American and the federal agency that oversees it. Government attorney Brenda Gonzalez Horowitz said the agency has been complying with Lamberth’s April 22 order “in good faith.”

In this image provided by the White House, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, sit in the Situation Room, Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the White House in Washington. (The White House via AP)

White House photos show rare look inside the Situation Room as Trump authorizes strikes in Iran

June 21, 2025

The White House published a series of photos from inside the Situation Room on its X account as President Donald Trump authorized strikes that hit nuclear sites in Iran. The photos from Saturday portrayed Trump with senior members of his team, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio — doubling as Trump’s national security adviser — White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They are gathered around a large wooden table in the main conference room of the Situation Room, known as the “JFK Room” — named for the president who was in office when the Situation Room was established.

Thune Issues Statement on U.S. Airstrikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

June 21, 2025

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – June 21, 2025 – U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today released a statement following

Families of trans kids worry about what’s next after Supreme Court rules on gender-affirming care

June 18, 2025

A U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors is leaving transgender children and their parents uncertain and anxious about its impact. The court on Wednesday handed President Donald Trump’s administration and Republican-led states a significant victory. The ruling effectively protects them from at least some of the legal challenges against efforts to repeal safeguards for transgender people. The case stems from a Tennessee law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. One mother in New Hampshire worries she may be forced to move if lawmakers come down with stiffer restrictions blocking her child from care.

Trump remakes the White House with new flagpoles

June 18, 2025

President Donald Trump has overseen the installation of a massive new flagpole on the South Lawn of the White House. A second pole is being placed on the North Lawn, close to Pennsylvania Avenue. After watching workers using a crane to install the pole on Wednesday morning, he returned in the afternoon to see the stars and stripes hoisted for the first time. The poles are the most notable exterior modification to the White House since Trump returned to the presidency with grand ideas for remaking the building. He’s already updated the Oval Office with gold accents, more portraits and a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

Senate Republicans hold hearing on Biden’s mental fitness as Democrats boycott

June 18, 2025

Republican senators are looking into former President Joe Biden’s ability to serve in office. The Senate Judiciary Hearing on Wednesday took place over six months after Biden left office. Republicans say that they aim to “shine a light” on what was occurring during Biden’s presidency. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin criticized Republicans for “arm chair diagnosing” when he said the committee should be focusing on serious matters. Most Democrats boycotted the hearing. It was the first in what could be several congressional. hearings about Biden in coming months. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed several of Biden’s former staff members.

Mike Lindell walks into federal district court for a defamation trial on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Jury finds leading proponent of ‘The Big Lie’ defamed former voting equipment employee

June 17, 2025

A jury found Monday that MyPillow founder Mike Lindell defamed a former employee of a prominent voting equipment company by calling him a traitor, telling him and his online media platform to pay $2.3 million in damages. The decision came after a two-week trial against one of the biggest proponents of the myth that the 2020 election was stolen, a lie that still dominates national politics. Other such cases have ended in settlements before they could go before a jury.

Padilla says in Senate ‘it’s time to wake up’ after forced removal from Noem’s event

June 17, 2025

Sen. Alex Padilla is encouraging Americans to peacefully protest against President Donald Trump’s administration in his first extended remarks in the Senate since he was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles when he tried to speak about immigration raids. Padilla on Tuesday recounted last week’s altercation, in which security forced him out of the room and onto the ground after he tried to ask Noem a question. The California Democrat says he was pushed and pulled and ended up on the floor. Noem’s department says the Secret Service thought Padilla was an attacker. Padilla and Democratic colleagues have framed the episode as intimidation by Trump’s Republican administration.

President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One after speakiing with reporters to depart the White House on his way to attend the G7 Summit in Canada, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump administration demands action from 36 countries to avoid travel ban

June 17, 2025

The Trump administration has given 36 countries, most of them in Africa, a Wednesday deadline to commit to improving vetting or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. A weekend diplomatic cable sent by the State Department instructs embassies and consulates in the 36 countries to gauge their host countries’ willingness to improve their citizens’ travel documentation and take steps to address the status of their nationals who are in the United States illegally. The cable was described to The Associated Press. It asks the countries to take action to address the U.S. concerns within 60 days or risk being added to the travel ban, which now includes 12 nations.

FILE - This April 23, 2019 file photo shows the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears, file)

Florida lawmakers pass charter school expansion on last day of session

June 17, 2025

On the 105th day of what was supposed to be a 60-day legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed a bill to allow charter schools to “co-locate” inside traditional public schools. It’s the latest move by the Republican-controlled legislature to expand school choice in a state that has long been a national model for conservative education policy. The measure expands the “schools of hope” program, which lawmakers created to encourage charter schools to open in areas where traditional public schools have been failing for years.

FILE - Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., speaks during a confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Congress is holding emergency briefings on security after Minnesota shootings

June 16, 2025

Members of Congress are attending emergency security briefings after the killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker. The shooting at the lawmaker’s home has raised fresh fears about the safety of members of Congress. The suspect in the Minnesota attack had dozens of federal lawmakers listed in his writings, in addition to the state lawmakers and others he allegedly targeted. The shootings come after credible threats to members of Congress have more than doubled in the last decade and after several violent attacks on lawmakers and their families. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said lawmakers are “clearly at the point where we have to adjust the options available to us.”

A judge has halted CoreCivic, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from housing immigrants facing possible deportation in a shuttered facility that the private prison operator now calls the Midwest Regional Reception Center, in Leavenworth, Kan., pictured Monday, March 3, 2025, unless it can get a permit from frustrated city officials. (AP Photo/Nick Ingram)

Takeaways from AP’s reporting on shuttered prisons, mass deportation push and no-bid contracts

June 16, 2025

Private prison operators are marketing their shuttered lockups to federal immigration officials as President Donald Trump pushes for mass deportations, with some facilities nabbing lucrative no-bid contracts. When the Republican took office, politically connected private-prison giants CoreCivic Inc., of Tennessee, and The Geo Group Inc., of Florida, had around 20 idle facilities. CoreCivic says it hasn’t seen such demand for its services in its 42-year history. But the push to reopen facilities has encountered resistance in unexpected places like Leavenworth, Kansas, whose name evokes a short hand for serving hard time. The Leavenworth facility was mothballed in 2021 after Democratic President Joe Biden called on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons.

Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation that puts on a Juneteenth celebration in Denver, is shown on the light-rail track running through the neighborhood where the event is staged Friday, June 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Juneteenth celebrations adapt after corporate sponsors pull support

June 16, 2025

Juneteenth celebrations have been scaled back this year due to funding shortfalls as companies and municipalities across the country reconsider their support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. More than a dozen companies dropped out of sponsoring one of Denver’s biggest Juneteenth festivals, canceled federal grants and businesses moving away from so-called brand activism have hit the bottom line of parades and other events heading into Thursday’s federal holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The shrinking financial support coincides with many companies severing ties with LGBTQ celebrations for Pride this year and President Donald Trump’s efforts to squash DEI programs throughout the federal government.

FILE - Farm workers gather produce on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Moorpark, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Trump curbs immigration enforcement at farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants

June 14, 2025

The Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels after President Donald Trump expressed alarm about the impact of aggressive enforcement. The move comes after Stephen Miller, chief architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would target 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the previous five months. The New York Times reports the directive Thursday told ICE to halt workplace investigations in key industries. A U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity confirmed the contents of the order.

FILE - Supporters of proposals to expand California's government-funded health care benefits to undocumented immigrants gather at the Capitol for the Immigrants Day of Action, on May 20, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

California Legislature OKs proposal to freeze health care access for some immigrants

June 13, 2025

The California Legislature approves a proposal Friday to freeze enrollment in a state-funded health care program for immigrants without legal status. The budget proposal would help close a $12 billion deficit. The plan is a scaled-back version of a measure from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Under the lawmakers’ proposal, low-income adults without legal status will no longer be eligible to apply for the state’s Medicaid program starting next year. Adults between the ages of 19 and 59 who are enrolled would have to pay a $30 monthly premium starting in July 2027. The plan is not final.

FILE - Clark County Sheriff and Nevada Gov.-elect Joe Lombardo gives a victory speech during a news conference, Nov. 14, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)

Nevada GOP governor vetoes voter ID bill that he pushed for in a deal with Democrats

June 12, 2025

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has vetoed a bill that would have required voters in the swing state to show a photo ID at the polls. Thursday’s veto by the Republican governor brings a dramatic end to one of the session’s most unexpected outcomes. The voter ID bill came together and passed in the final days of the session after Lombardo made a deal with the Democratic-controlled Legislature. The vetoed bill would also have added more drop boxes for mail ballots in Nevada’s most populous counties. Lombardo said in his veto message he couldn’t support the bill in the end because mail ballots could still be accepted solely based on signature verification.

Trump administration tells immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela they have to leave

June 12, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security is notifying hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans that their temporary permission to live and work in the United States has been revoked and they should leave the country. The termination notices are being sent by email to about 532,000 people who came to the country under the humanitarian parole program created by the Biden administration. They arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the U.S.

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2010 file photo, then-Illinois Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

Illinois officials investigate license-plate data shared with police seeking woman who had abortion

June 12, 2025

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has asked for an investigation into a suburban Chicago police department for allegedly sharing data from automatic license-plate readers with a Texas sheriff seeking a woman who had an abortion. The police department in Mount Prospect, northwest of Chicago, also provided immigration information to outside agencies. Giannoulias was behind a 2023 law that prohibited sharing data from roadside cameras to police for the purposes of tracking abortion patients or undocumented immigrants. Giannoulias has asked the attorney general to investigate and has set up an audit system to ensure future compliance.

Vice President JD Vance listens as he speaks with American Compass founder Oren Cass at the American Compass's The New World Gala in Washington, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Vance made a brief trip to Montana to speak to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, AP sources say

June 11, 2025

Vice President JD Vance has made a brief trip to Montana to meet with media mogul Rupert Murdoch, his son Lachlan and a group of other Fox News executives. That’s according to two people familiar with the trip who confirmed the Tuesday night visit to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it. Vance met with the group at the Murdoch family ranch. It’s not clear why Vance met with the group. Rupert Murdoch and his media organization have long been friendly with Republicans and have, for the most part, had a friendly relationship with President Donald Trump.

Musk says Tesla’s robotaxi service to ‘tentatively’ launch in Austin on June 22

June 10, 2025

Elon Musk says Tesla is “tentatively” set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22. In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is being extra cautious when it comes to safety. Investors, Wall Street analysts and Tesla enthusiasts have been anticipating the rollout of the driverless cabs since Musk said earlier this year that the service would launch in Austin sometime in June. Musk has said he expected to initially run 10 or so taxis, increase that number rapidly and start offering the service in Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco and other cities.

FILE - Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)

Los Angeles’ image is scuffed since ICE raids and protests, with World Cup and Olympics on horizon

June 9, 2025

Los Angeles is still reeling from January’s deadly wildfires — and with the World Cup soccer championships and the 2028 Olympics on the horizon — Mayor Karen Bass has been urging residents to come together to revitalize LA’s image. Instead, a less flattering side of Los Angeles has been broadcast to the world in recent days. There have been series of protests against federal raids on workplaces where advocates say people without legal status and without criminal histories have been detained. The demonstrations have mostly taken place in a small swath of downtown in the sprawling city of 4 million people.

Mike Lindell talks to the media on his way into federal district court for a defamation trial on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Election conspiracy theorist sticks by false 2020 claims in defamation trial

June 9, 2025

One of the nation’s most prominent election conspiracy theorists, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, is sticking by his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Lindell testified Monday during a defamation trial over statements he made about a former official for a leading voting equipment company. Lindell denied making any statements he knew to be false about Eric Coomer, the former product strategy and security director for Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems. Lindell accused Coomer of being “a part of the biggest crime this world has ever seen.” Coomer said his career and life have been destroyed by statements Lindell made about him.

FILE - The Treasury Department building is seen, March 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

US imposes sanctions on El Chapo’s fugitive sons, offers $10 million reward for their capture

June 9, 2025

The U.S. imposed sanctions on the two fugitive sons of incarcerated Mexican Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and announced a reward offer of up to $10 million each for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the sons. The Treasury Department announced sanctions on Archivaldo Ivan Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar who are believed to be currently located in Mexico. Guzman’s other sons— Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez —are currently incarcerated in the U.S.

White House breaks ground on Trump projects to pave over Rose Garden grass, add flagpoles to lawns

June 9, 2025

The White House has broken ground on construction projects ordered by President Donald Trump to pave over the Rose Garden lawn and install flagpoles on the north and south lawns. Reporters saw the Rose Garden project had begun Monday as they were taken out to the South Lawn to wait for Trump to return on the Marine One helicopter. The Republican president had overnighted at the Camp David retreat in Maryland. After getting off the chopper, Trump walked over to a bulldozer positioned on the lawn to start digging a foundation for one of two flagpoles.

Bella Bautista, 22, a trans woman from Cartersville, Ga., walks past the U.S. Capitol after attending the World Pride Parade, Saturday, June 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

PHOTO ESSAY: A young trans woman’s journey, and her latest destination: World Pride in Washington

June 8, 2025

WASHINGTON By JACQUELYN MARTINAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As they get ready in their hotel room, Bella Bautista trades makeup

2026 races loom at Georgia Republican convention as Trump loyalty dominates

June 7, 2025

Many Georgia Republicans are already thinking about races for governor and Senate in 2026. The state party held its yearly convention Friday and Saturday in Dalton. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s still thinking about a run for governor and gave a speech that centered on state-level issues. Attorney General Chris Carr, a declared candidate for governor, greeted delegates but didn’t give a speech. Another likely candidate for governor is Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. He emphasized his accomplishments and support for President Donald Trump. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and state Insurance Commissioner John King both boosted their candidacies to challenge Democratic U.S. Senate incumbent Jon Ossoff.

A sign supporting citizenship for American Samoans is posted outside the Log Cabin Gifts store on the waterfront in Whittier, Alaska, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

A US territory’s colonial history emerges in state disputes over voting and citizenship

June 7, 2025

A criminal case in Alaska involving nearly a dozen people born in American Samoa is highlighting concerns about birthright citizenship and voting by people who are not U.S. citizens, issues that have been prominent in the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term. Alaska is not the only state where confusion over voting by American Samoans has surfaced in recent years. It’s an issue that traces its roots to colonialism in the South Pacific. American Samoa is the only U.S. territory where residents are not automatically granted citizenship by virtue of having been born on American soil.

Rayceen Pendarvis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Washington, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

As a generation of gay and lesbian people ages, memories of worse — and better — times swirl

June 7, 2025

As World Pride wraps up this weekend in Washington D.C. the older LGBTQ+ generation can sometimes find a hard time fitting in among the after-parties and DJ sets. Advocates warn of a quiet crisis among retirement-age LGBTQ+ people and a community at risk of becoming marginalized inside their own community. The older LGBTQ+ population can often suffer from chronic loneliness and isolation; they’re less likely to be in contact with their families and less likely to have children to help care for them. And the national debate over transgender protections and drag shows can also break down along generational lines inside the community.

Points of Light president and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo and Neil Bush, chair, speak at the 2025 Points of Light Conference in New Orleans, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Points of Light, founded by former President Bush, aims to double American volunteerism by 2035

June 6, 2025

Points of Light, the nonprofit founded by former President George H.W. Bush, will lead an effort to double the number of people who volunteer with U.S. charitable organizations from 75 million annually to 150 million in 10 years. CEO Jennifer Sirangelo announced the campaign in New Orleans at the foundation’s annual conference, which concludes Friday. The ambitious goal would represent a major change in the way Americans spend their time and interact with nonprofits. It also coincides with deep federal funding cuts to grant programs and with an effort to gut AmeriCorps programs, which sent 200,000 volunteers all over the country.

FILE - The federal courthouse stands in Fargo, N.D., June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jack Dura, File)

A judge tells federal agencies they can’t enforce anti-trans bias policies against Catholic groups

June 5, 2025

A federal judge has ruled that two federal agencies cannot punish Catholic employers and health care providers if they refuse, for religious reasons, to provide gender-affirming care to transgender patients or won’t provide health insurance coverage for such care to their workers. The ruling Thursday from North Dakota’s chief federal judge bars the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing a 2024 health care rule that said health care providers risked losing federal funds if they refused to provide gender-affirming care. The judge also barred the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from telling employers that failing to have their health plans cover gender-affirming care would be discriminatory.

WhyHunger marks 50 years of fighting for food security, a point of ‘pride and shame’

June 5, 2025

WhyHunger is celebrating 50 years of fighting to eradicate hunger at its root. Singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres founded the grassroots support organization in 1975 with the idea they could leverage their music industry connections to fund community groups advancing economic and food security. But the half-century mark reflects the sobering need for continued food assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates more than 47 million people, including nearly 14 million children, lived in food-insecure households in 2023. Jen Chapin, Harry’s daughter and a WhyHunger board member, says it’s “embarrassing” that the nonprofit “is still relevant when hunger is a completely solvable problem.”

Thune Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News

June 5, 2025

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News. On pro-growth policies: “[E]verybody’s going

FILE - Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. displays pictures of three civil rights workers, who were slain in Mississippi the summer before, from left Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman, at a news conference Dec. 4, 1964, in New York, where he commended the FBI for its arrests in Mississippi in connection with the slayings. (AP Photo/JL, File)

Judge weighs government’s request to unseal records of FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.

June 4, 2025

A federal judge is weighing a request from the Trump administration to unseal records of the FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. — files that the civil rights leader’s relatives want to keep under wraps in the national archives. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., said during a hearing on Wednesday that he wants to see an inventory of the records before deciding whether the government can review them for possible public release. Justice Department attorneys have asked Leon to end a sealing order for the records nearly two years ahead of its expiration date. A department attorney said the administration is only interested in releasing files related to King’s assassination.

FILE - Cut down trees lie near the Cordillera Azul National Park in Peru's Amazon Forest on Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File)

Cuts to USAID severed longstanding American support for Indigenous people around the world

June 4, 2025

The effort to protect the Peruvian Amazon from deforestation related to the cocaine trade was long supported by financial assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The agency spent billions of dollars starting in the 1980s to help farmers in Peru shift from growing coca for cocaine production to legal crops such as coffee and cacao for chocolate. But the Trump administration’s recent sweeping cuts have thrown that tradition of U.S. assistance into doubt. Without American help, Indigenous people in the Amazon are worried. They are bracing for a resurgence of the cocaine market, increased threats to their land and potentially violent challenges to their human rights.

FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference in Miami, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Federal judge blocks Florida from enforcing social media ban for kids while lawsuit continues

June 3, 2025

A federal judge has barred state officials from enforcing a Florida law that would ban social media accounts for young children, while a legal challenge against the law plays out. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued the order Tuesday, blocking portions of the law from going into effect. The measure was one of the most restrictive bans on kids’ social media use in the country when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law in 2024, banning social media accounts for children under 14 and requiring parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds. Also Tuesday, a judge in Georgia heard arguments seeking to block a 2024 Georgia law that would require age verification for social media accounts.

Employee Savannah Gavlik displays THC products at the Dope Daughters dispensary that Texas lawmakers are seeking to ban, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Texas considers banning products infused with THC derived from hemp, and retailers are worried

June 3, 2025

Texas lawmakers have approved banning gummies, drinks and vapes infused with THC, the compound that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott hasn’t said whether he will sign the bill. If he does, opponents say a ban would threaten a multibillion-dollar industry and the income of thousands of retailers. Texas has some of the nation’s most restrictive marijuana laws. Other states, including California, have imposed restrictions in recent years that include banning underage use and limits on the potency of the products, which are often marketed as legal even in states where marijuana is not.

FILE - Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

What cases are left on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket? Here’s a look

June 2, 2025

A little less than once a week on average since President Donald Trump began his second term, his administration’s lawyers have filed emergency appeals with the Supreme Court. The sequence of events is familiar: A lower court judge blocks a part of the Republican president’s agenda, an appellate panel refuses to put the order on hold while the case continues and the Justice Department turns to the nation’s highest court. The Supreme Court is not being asked to render a final decision but rather to set the rules while the case makes it way through the courts. The administration’s most recent emergency filing arrived May 27, seeking to halt an order by a judge in Boston.

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center on Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

States are rolling out red carpets for data centers. But some lawmakers are pushing back

May 30, 2025

The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza. It’s also eliciting pushback in places where an influx of data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk. Many states are offering financial incentives or tax breaks worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval only after a fight or efforts to attach riders that require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy efficiency standards.

FILE - Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, speaks at a hearing on Capitol Hill Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell, File)

Ernst draws groans at Iowa town hall after retort on Medicaid cuts, saying ‘we all are going to die’

May 30, 2025

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is facing backlash after saying “we all are going to die” while talking about potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa. Despite shouts and groans from the crowd at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, Ernst stayed on message as she defended the tax and immigration package making its way through Congress. But as she emphasized the reasons for the $700 billion in reduced Medicaid spending, someone in the crowd yelled that people are going to die without coverage. Ernst said: “People are not … well, we all are going to die,” prompting groans from the audience.

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks to the media in North Charleston, S.C., Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

Biden says he’s ‘feeling good’ in first remarks after cancer diagnosis announced

May 30, 2025

Former President Joe Biden has delivered the first remarks since he announced he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, speaking in a steady voice during a somber Memorial Day gathering and later smiling and saying he’s “feeling good.” Biden spoke at an annual gathering marking Memorial Day at Veterans Memorial Park in his home state of Delaware, not far from his home in Wilmington. The event coincided with the 10th anniversary of his son Beau’s death. It also comes amid renewed questions about Biden’s mental and physical health after the recent publication of a book about his fitness for office.

FILE - Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik stands outside the Federal Court in Washington, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69

May 29, 2025

Bernard Kerik, who served as New York City’s police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned, has died. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel says Kerik’s death Thursday came after an unspecified “private battle with illness.” Kerik was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud and false statement charges. He served nearly four years in prison. Trump pardoned Kerik during a 2020 clemency blitz.

Trump holding Pennsylvania rally to promote deal for Japan-based Nippon to ‘partner’ with US Steel

May 29, 2025

President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday to celebrate a details-to-come deal for Japan-based Nippon Steel to invest in U.S. Steel. He says the plan will keep the iconic American steelmaker under U.S. control. Trump initially vowed to block the Japanese steelmaker’s bid to buy Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. But he changed course and announced an agreement last week for what he described as “partial ownership” by Nippon. It’s not clear if the deal Trump’s administration helped broker has been finalized or how ownership would be structured.

Wayne Gosnell, center, attorney for John Woeltz, cryptocurrency investor charged for kidnapping and false imprisonment, exits a courtroom, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NYPD probing detectives who worked security at house where man says he was tortured, AP source says

May 29, 2025

New York City police are investigating two detectives who worked security at an upscale Manhattan townhouse where an Italian man was kidnapped and tortured for weeks by two crypto investors who wanted to steal his Bitcoin. A city official told The Associated Press on Thursday that the two detectives have been placed on modified leave. They said the department is probing whether the officers were approved to do off duty security work. They also confirmed one of the detectives serves on Mayor Eric Adams’ security detail and drove the victim from the airport to the townhouse.

FILE - Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold speaks in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, Feb. 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Man who says far-right content led him to threaten election officials is sentenced to 3 years

May 29, 2025

A man who blamed exposure to far-right extremist content for leading him to threaten Democratic election officials in Colorado and Arizona has been sentenced to three years in prison. A judge said Thursday that the penalty for what he called “keyboard terrorism” needed to be serious enough to deter others. The federal judge said threats against public officials are on the rise and people need to worked out differences through the democratic process, not violence. The convicted man, Teak Ty Brockbank, apologized for his “ugly posts” and says he has turned away from the online fear, hate and anger that derailed his life.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, preserver of Virginia history and grandson of 10th US president, dies at 96

May 29, 2025

Harrison Ruffin Tyler died on Sunday. He is the last living grandson of U.S. President John Tyler known for preserving his grandfather’s plantation and nearby Union Civil War fort. The cause of Tyler’s death on Sunday was not immediately available. Tyler’s grandfather was a Democrat nicknamed the “Accidental President” after unexpectedly assuming the presidency when President William Henry Harrison died in office. The time between the president’s birth and his grandson’s death spans 235 years.

FILE - A child holds an iPhone at an Apple store on Sept. 25, 2015 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Texas push to ban minors under 18 from social media fades with time running out

May 28, 2025

A push in Texas to ban children under 18 years old from social media platforms is fading at the state Capitol. Lawmakers on Wednesday night did not take a key vote on creating one of the nation’s toughest restrictions aimed at keeping minors off the platforms. The bill aimed to go further than Florida’s ban on social media for minors under 14. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has not said publicly whether he supported the proposed ban. It was opposed by tech trade groups and critics who called it it an unconstitutional limit on free speech.

FILE - People gather in support of transgender youth during a rally at the Utah State Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Utah lawmakers said gender-affirming care is harmful to kids. Their own study contradicts that claim

May 28, 2025

Utah Republicans passed a ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender youth in 2023 and argued it was needed to protect vulnerable kids from treatments that could cause long-term harm. The newly released results of a study commissioned under that very law tell a different story. The Republican-controlled Legislature is facing pressure to reconsider the restrictions. Utah health experts concluded from a study of thousands of transgender people that gender-affirming care generated “positive mental health and psychosocial functioning outcomes.” Some state Republicans said they were open to considering the findings, while others were quick to dismiss the new report.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan author and dissident who became a giant of modern literature, dies at 87

May 28, 2025

One of the world’s most acclaimed writers, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, has died at 87. A publicist for his U.S. publisher confirmed the death Wednesday. The Kenyan man of letters wrote dozens of fiction and nonfiction books that traced his country’s history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny and challenged not only the stories told but the language used to tell them. Whether through novels such as “The Wizard of the Crow” or “Petals of Blood,” or his landmark critique “Decolonizing the Mind,” Ngũgĩ embodied the very heights of the artist’s calling. He was a truth teller, rule breaker and explorer of myth.

FILE — Former Rep. Michael Grimm arrives to his polling site in the Staten Island borough of New York, June 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Trump pardons former NY Rep. Michael Grimm after tax fraud conviction

May 28, 2025

President Donald Trump has pardoned former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after a tax fraud conviction. The pardon was disclosed Wednesday by a White House official who requested anonymity before an official announcement. Grimm, a former Marine and FBI agent, pleaded guilty in late 2014 to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan. He resigned from Congress the following year and served eight months in prison. Grimm tried to reenter politics in 2018 but lost a primary for his old district.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US stops scheduling visa interviews for foreign students while it expands social media vetting

May 27, 2025

U.S. officials say the State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while it prepares to expand the screening of their activity on social media. A U.S. official said Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration document. A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting.

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