Washington deadlock lets key US surveillance law lapse

 

Washington, United States – Congress allowed a central U.S. surveillance authority to lapse after the House of Representatives failed late last week to pass a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The measure, which permits intelligence agencies to intercept foreign communications without a court...

Florida senators urge review of Kanye West concerts

 

St. Petersburg, Fla. U.S. Senator Rick Scott and a bipartisan group of officials held a Monday press conference at the Florida Holocaust Museum urging the Tampa Sports Authority to reconsider hosting Kanye West's concerts at Raymond James Stadium, which are scheduled for June 26 through June 29, citing the artist's...

Washington: Trump marks 80th birthday with White House cage fight

 

Washington – President Donald Trump is marking his 80th birthday on Sunday, June 14, 2026, with a high-profile cage-fighting exhibition on the South Lawn of the White House, in a sharp break from traditional presidential birthday observances. The celebration features a temporary arena and a large-scale lighting structure known as...

Washington orders Anthropic to block advanced AI models

 

The U.S. government has directed artificial intelligence firm Anthropic to suspend access to its advanced "Fable 5" and "Mythos 5" models for all foreign nationals, citing national security concerns. To comply, Anthropic has disabled these models for users worldwide, effectively taking its most sophisticated systems offline for a large share...

United States announces imminent Iran maritime peace agreement

 

United States, June 14, 2026 – U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran plan to electronically sign a comprehensive bilateral framework agreement later in the day, aimed at concluding the ongoing Middle East war. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose...

Washington crews remove Trump name from Kennedy Center

 

WASHINGTON — Construction workers in the U.S. capital carried out a predawn operation on Saturday, June 13, 2026, to remove President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following a protracted legal battle. The work began at about 1:20 a.m. Eastern...

Municipal and State Responses To Data Center Growth Intensify

 

Fayetteville — The City Council will consider stricter data center regulations this Tuesday, proposing ordinance amendments to add consumer protections and require operators to address utility impacts; Mayor Molly Rawn announced the draft on June 4 and council sponsors Mike Wiederkehr and Scott Berna emphasized the need to balance technology...

Texas GOP elects new chair ahead of midterm elections

 

HOUSTON — Republican Party of Texas Vice Chair D'rinda Randall defeated incumbent Abraham George on Friday at the state convention, becoming the party's new chair. Randall, who first became involved in GOP politics nearly two decades ago, campaigned on accomplishments as vice chair, highlighting financial recoveries including the return of...

Texas AG warns Big 12 against sanctioning Texas Tech

 

Austin — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office sent a letter to Big 12 Conference leaders this week, warning that any effort to sanction Texas Tech University for complying with a June 8 Texas court injunction restoring quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility would violate federal and state law and risk antitrust...

Republican Zach Lahn names Derek Wulf as running mate

 

Belle Plaine, Iowa. Republican gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn announced Friday that he selected State Representative Derek Wulf to be his lieutenant governor running mate; Wulf is a fourth-generation farmer, chair of the Iowa House Agriculture Committee, and has led right-to-repair legislation and advocacy against eminent domain use in carbon capture...