WASHINGTON — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released 19 photographs from Jeffrey Epstein's estate on Dec. 12, drawn from a trove of roughly 95,000 images, officially obtained under subpoena. The uncategorized images include President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and others; some female faces were redacted....
Indianapolis, Indiana's Republican-led Senate rejected a mid-decade congressional redistricting map Thursday, voting 31-19 after 21 GOP senators joined all 10 Democrats to defeat a White House-backed plan that would have favored Republicans in 2026. The vote followed weeks of pressure from President Donald Trump, state statements, ad campaigns, and warnings...
Washington, President Donald Trump announced on December 11 that he granted a pardon to former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was sentenced in August 2024 to a nine-year term on state charges for facilitating unauthorized access to election systems. State officials, including Colorado Governor Jared Polis and AG Phil...
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Multiple North Carolina businesses removed Sycamore Brewing products this week after authorities arrested co-owner Justin Tawse Brigham, 44, on Dec. 10 following a 911 call reporting an adult inside a 13‑year‑old girl's bedroom in Stanfield. Deputies found Brigham near the home, unclothed in a vehicle; court records...
Washington, the United States recently launched Pax Silica, a coalition of allied nations to secure silicon supply chains critical to artificial intelligence and semiconductors. The State Department said leaders signed a declaration at the inaugural summit on Friday to reduce coercive dependencies, protect critical minerals and align economic-security approaches. Partners...
Washington — Lawmakers disputed characterization of the Nov. 26 killing of National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the shooting a terrorist attack, while Rep. Bennie Thompson described it as an "unfortunate accident" and later said he misspoke. Testimony...
Chicago — A federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily blocked the release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a recent Chicago-area immigration enforcement operation, and allowed extension of a 2022 consent decree limiting warrantless arrests. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court issued a 2–1 decision pausing a district judge’s blanket release...
Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Berlin this weekend to discuss peace negotiations aimed at ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany will host a leaders' meeting next Monday after Zelensky attends a German‑Ukrainian business forum, officials said in...
United States — Fire departments across multiple states responded to several residential, brush and vacant-building fires this week, displacing residents and prompting investigations. On Tuesday through Saturday, crews extinguished blazes in Fall River, Fort Madison, Tulia, Montgomery County, Munfordville, San Diego, San Francisco, Springfield, Albany, Champaign and Knoxville, evacuating occupants...
Boston — A federal court on Thursday ordered restoration of FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, ruling the administration unlawfully terminated its funding. Judge Richard Stearns sided with a coalition of state attorneys general, finding the executive branch lacked authority to divert Congress-appropriated funds. The order requires FEMA...
