Category : News

"Improper Government Actions" Trump's $1.8 Billion Proposal Lands in Court Over Compensation Requests

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A proposed $1.776 billion fund tied to President Donald Trump's settlement with the Internal Revenue Service touched off a fierce dispute over who could qualify for taxpayer funded compensation and who would control distribution o...

"State Workers Miss Out on Across the Board Raises" Florida House and Senate Leaders Finally Approve $114.5 Billion Spending Plan

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — White handkerchiefs finally dropped inside the Capitol after weeks of bargaining, stalled talks and extended meetings, bringing Florida's budget fight to a close. The spending package totals roughly $114.5 billion, according to...

"1963 on the Page" Colin Kaepernick Visits Birmingham Classrooms Where Children's Crusade Research Became Graphic Novels

Colin Kaepernick spent part of Tuesday inside the J.H. Phillips Academy auditorium, stopping at tables lined with illustrated books created by Birmingham middle schoolers studying the 1963 Birmingham Children's Crusade. He paused to examine artwork,...

$150,000 Paychecks Outlive Springfield Crunch as Illinois Lawmakers Back Diversity Commission Raises

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Seven commissioners drawing salaries of roughly $150,000 a year will receive raises after Illinois lawmakers approved funding for the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion as part of a $55.9 billion state budget package pas...

The Calm Didn't Last: Oil Prices Climb Roughly 4% as Oil Traders Reprice the Middle East

The Strait of Hormuz, southern Lebanon and ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations all landed back in focus Monday as oil prices surged nearly 4%, erasing much of the optimism that had pushed energy costs lower only days earlier. Reports involving Iranian a...

"Make Composting Accessible" Mayor Bowser Expands DC Program as Food Waste Diversion Tops 11 Million Pounds

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mayor Muriel Bowser announced plans to install 20 additional food waste smart bins across the District this summer, expanding a composting network that has steadily grown since 2017. National Learn About Composting Day served as...

"He Was Only a Child" Family Weeps as Jury Finds Chikei Rick Chow Not Guilty in Death of Black 14-Year-Old Cyrus Carmack-Belton

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A hush settled over the courtroom Monday before cries from the gallery shattered the silence. Moments earlier, jurors cleared Chikei Rick Chow of murder charges in the 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton. Relati...

"How Long Can This Last?" Jobs Report Lands as Americans Try To Keep Food On The Table

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday's employment numbers could provide one of the clearest snapshots yet of how much financial pressure American families can absorb before pulling back. Cash registers have continued ringing across the country despite higher p...

"From the First Bell to the Last Bell" Illinois Student Phone Ban Heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Desk

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois legislators have approved a statewide plan that would keep student cell phones out of use during the school day, sending the measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for final approval. The proposal requires public schools to rest...

"You Can't Read Our Road Signs" Fatal Virginia Bus Crash Puts CDL English Rules Back in the Spotlight

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — A charter bus slammed into slowed traffic on Interstate 95 before dawn Friday, leaving five people dead, dozens injured, and federal investigators examining whether the driver's inability to speak English played a role in the...

"Good Things Are Happening for Us" Jan. 6 Rioters Eye $1.8 Billion Fund as Payout Bid Gains Ground

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While legal challenges continue to pile up, some of the people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 are already positioning themselves for a potential payday worth billions of dollars. David Johnston, a former South Carolina at...

"Not Mine" White Executive Says He Was Promoted, Then Gone 11 Days Later Before Filing Race Bias Lawsuit Against Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott

BALTIMORE, Md. — Eleven days after stepping into a higher ranking role at East Baltimore Development Inc., Andrew C. Freeman says he suddenly found himself unemployed. The real estate executive, who identifies as white and Jewish, has filed a feder...

Illinois Diversity Chair Updates Disclosure After $7,500 Income Goes Unreported

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The chair of the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion amended a financial disclosure after failing to report more than $7,500 received from a former employer during 2024. Nina Harris, who leads the commission and earns a...

Dead Mother's Ballot Puts Waukegan Alderman Sylvia Sims Bolton in Criminal Court

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — A Waukegan alderman is facing a felony charge after prosecutors alleged she used her deceased mother's vote-by-mail materials during Illinois' primary earlier this year. Sylvia Sims Bolton, 67, is charged with one count of mutilati...

Jeff Landry Signs Louisiana Map Erasing One Majority Black District

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana lawmakers have approved a new House map that reduces the state's majority Black districts from two to one, setting the stage for a major shift ahead of the 2026 elections. The vote came weeks after the U.S. Supreme Cour...