JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 875

Indianapolis — Governor Mike Braun signed HEA 1001 on Monday, requiring every city, town and county to evaluate barriers to housing, hold public hearings this year on expanding supply, and submit annual progress reports to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority; the law emphasizes reducing parking mandates, permitting smaller lots and enabling higher density.

Seattle officials are pursuing creation of a state Department of Housing after Gov. Bob Ferguson issued an executive order in December that convened elected officials, agency staff and tribal representatives to develop proposals; in Central Florida, Orange County plans to invest $160 million over ten years to build or preserve 11,000 affordable units by 2030, according to a 2025 University of Florida study.

Washington — President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social Sunday that depicted him in a white robe and red sash with a glowing hand appearing to heal someone, an image similar to one previously shared by influencer Nick Adams; the timing coincided with Orthodox Easter and drew immediate public attention and commentary.

The post prompted swift criticism from social users and some conservative figures, with CBS reporting Monday that the White House had not initially commented; Trump defended the image Monday as portraying him as a doctor supporting the Red Cross, and WTVF reported the post was subsequently removed, while public debate and statement exchanges continued across platforms.

SACRAMENTO — Federal fishery managers voted Sunday to reopen California ocean waters to limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing after a three-year closure, citing rebounds in Sacramento River and Klamath River fall-run Chinook populations. The Pacific Fishery Management Council issued the advisory vote; the U.S. Secretary of Commerce is expected to publish the final rule in the Federal Register within days. This weekend decision follows wet winters and habitat work that improved river conditions after the 2021–22 drought.

California officials, including Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and CDFW Director Meghan Hertel, welcomed the move this week and Governor Gavin Newsom issued a supportive statement. Managers set an initial open period from May 1 through May 6, imposed vessel restrictions of six lines, a 160-fish per-period cap per vessel, and a seasonal cap of 83,000 fish through August; managers kept commercial coho fishing closed and emphasized monitoring and enforcement.

Denver this week saw near-record warmth before forecasts predict a rapid shift: meteorologists reported mid-to-upper 70s on Monday, cooler conditions Tuesday, and increasing clouds with rain possible Tuesday night; by Friday a strong cold front is expected to bring rain-snow mix and mountain snow across Colorado, with passes possibly receiving several inches and slick road conditions.

In Colorado and Montana, the National Weather Service has issued winter advisories and storm watches this week, forecasting 3–10 inches for some passes, 10–15 inches in higher ranges, and wind gusts up to 60 mph in parts of the Billings region; officials advised caution for mountain travel, and travel impacts are possible Thursday into Friday with a hard freeze late Saturday.

Washington: U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Monday, finding the complaint failed to plausibly allege that the newspaper published the article with actual malice regarding a sexually suggestive letter tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

The judge permitted Trump leave to file an amended complaint but noted the plaintiff had not demonstrated malice; Trump filed the suit in July after the Journal published the letter, which Congress had subpoenaed and released from Epstein's estate, and Trump has denied writing the letter, calling the report false and defamatory.

United States. Kinetic announced on April 13, 2026 that it deployed multi-gig fiber internet to about 51,900 additional homes across five states in the fourth quarter of 2025, reporting 23,000 builds in Georgia, 7,900 in Texas, 7,600 in North Carolina, 6,400 in Oklahoma and 7,000 in Florida.

The company said the network offers a company-stated 99.95% reliability and published community-level lists and customer testimonials; North Carolina deployments were partly supported by U.S. Department of the Treasury funds. The announcements, released via GlobeNewswire this week, named specific towns served and affirmed Q4 2025 as the rollout period.

CANFIELD, Ohio — Farmer Wayne Greier sought to lease part of his land for a solar farm that would have paid about $540,000 annually, but local officials blocked the project in 2023 under state law, and Greier subsequently sold a portion of his property to cover medical debt.

Trumbull County recorder documents show developers signed 31 lease agreements from September 2022 through March 2026 across multiple townships, and some renewals were filed in 2026; local leaders and landowners continue to debate zoning rules, tax implications and job prospects as similar proposals emerge.

Lexington, Ky. — Tennessee defeated Kentucky in a three-game SEC series at John Cropp Stadium, winning 6-0 on Sunday and completing the sweep with a 10-3 victory on Monday. The Lady Vols combined effective starting pitching and power hitting across the two games to secure consecutive conference wins this weekend.

The sweep extends Tennessee's recent dominance over Kentucky, marking 10 straight wins against the Wildcats and 20 of the last 22 meetings dating to 2015. Erin Nuwer recorded her 14th victory in the finale, Tennessee produced 13 hits in Game 3, and the team is scheduled to play Duke on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT.

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, a selection reported this week by multiple outlets. The team has publicly signaled the quarterback position as a top roster priority heading into the draft.

The expectation follows analysis noting that of 19 quarterbacks taken first overall this century only Eli Manning won a Super Bowl with his original team, and several top picks did not remain with their drafting clubs into their 30s; last month Arizona released Kyler Murray. Analysts including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah have pointed to coaching turnover and organizational instability as factors affecting long-term success, while Sports Illustrated detailed the Raiders’ front-office personnel and draft strategy ahead of the selection.

Washington — Gas prices held from Sunday to Monday after a three-cent national weekend decline, with the American Automobile Association reporting a $4.125 per gallon national average on Monday. The small weekend drop followed a recent 2026 high in some regions and comes amid continued uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and related shipping routes.

This week AAA noted state-by-state variations: Michigan averages fell from a 2026 high last week to about $3.98 per gallon, while Florida’s average dropped 20 cents in ten days to $4.03. U.S. Central Command announced a blockade of ships entering or leaving the strait beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern on Monday, a development that could affect short-term price volatility and regional pump prices.