States report traffic deaths over Fourth of July

 

Missouri and Ohio reported updated highway patrol totals on Monday for the July Fourth holiday reporting period (July 2–5, 2026). Missouri's State Highway Patrol listed nine traffic deaths, three drownings, 235 crashes and 113 traffic injuries with 125 DWI arrests; Ohio's State Highway Patrol reported 18 traffic fatalities in 18...

Balogun Reinstated After FIFA Suspends World Cup Ban

 

NEW YORK — Folarin Balogun was reinstated to play for the United States in the World Cup round of 16 after FIFA suspended a ban stemming from a red card he received in the United States’ prior match against Bosnia and Herzegovina; the suspension was announced on Sunday ahead of...

Memphis National Guard Shooting Prompts State Lawmakers' Inquiry

 

Memphis authorities say two Tennessee National Guard soldiers assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson near Ida B. Wells Avenue and Union Avenue early Sunday. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the victim and took over the inquiry, and Memphis police reported officers had been...

Rochester man sues ICE over federal warning visit

 

Rochester, New York. A local resident, David Streever, filed a federal lawsuit this week in Washington D.C. after two federal officers visited his Rochester home in June and presented a warning to his wife about an email he had sent in January to then-acting ICE director Todd Lyons following deadly...

Pensacola police release details after deadly downtown shooting

 

Pensacola, Fla. — Police reported that a downtown shooting in the early hours of July 5 left 19-year-old Phillip Sheppard dead and six others wounded; officers said shots were fired around 1:20 a.m. and that multiple weapons may have been used. Investigators described connections among victims and a possible years-long...

Illinois Enacts Landmark Law Requiring Oversight of AI

 

Chicago. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed Senate Bill 315, the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, into law, imposing transparency, reporting and safety obligations on large-scale AI developers and establishing thresholds and oversight mechanisms for the most advanced systems. The bill was approved by the Illinois legislature in May...

Kansas Announces Multiple State Tax Credits and Extensions

 

Topeka, Kansas. On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Kansas Department of Revenue published four notices announcing new and amended tax credits and extensions covering ethanol retailers, angel investors, gun- and ammunition-storage expenditures, and state participation in a federal scholarship contribution tax credit for taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2026. The...

Maine Senate Nominee Accused of Assault; Campaign Pauses

 

Augusta, Maine. A Politico report published Monday states that Jenny Racicot, who previously dated Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, alleges he sexually assaulted her in late 2021; Platner denies the allegation and several public events were postponed on Sunday and Monday as his campaign cited health and scheduling concerns. The postponements...

Louisiana LEAP Results Show Statewide and District Gains

 

Baton Rouge: The Louisiana Department of Education released 2025-26 LEAP assessment results this week showing statewide student Mastery+ rates rose to 36%, a two-percentage-point increase, marking the highest statewide performance on record for grades 3–12. The report notes improvement or maintenance of Mastery+ in 28 of 31 grades and courses...

Utah braces for extreme heat and elevated wildfire risk

 

Salt Lake City: ABC4 meteorologists warned Utah residents Monday and Tuesday that a dangerous heat wave will build this week, with daytime highs in northern valleys reaching the mid-to-upper 90s and southern Utah, including St. George, Zion and Moab, climbing into the 100°–105° range or higher by the weekend. The forecasts...