United States

United States


Fees for public records? A bill could kneecap California transparency laws

A bill winding its way through Sacramento right now would make some of the biggest changes in decades to the California Public Records Act — the 58-year-old state law that guarantees everyone has access to government documents and data. Proponents argue AB 1821 is necessary to help local governments weather a deluge of burdensome requests […]

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Trump moves oversight of special education and civil rights out of the Education Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is further dismantling the Education Department, moving oversight of special education and civil rights to other agencies. The Department of Justice will take on enforcement of civil rights in education, while the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. The Trump administration made the announcement […]

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Trump’s Justice Department is investigating him and his wife

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday accused the Justice Department of launching a politically motivated investigation into him and his wife, saying the Trump administration was targeting him as he weighs a presidential bid. Newsom, a longtime political rival of the Republican president, said in a video posted on X […]

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A key US government surveillance program is set to expire. A look at what that means

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key surveillance tool seen as vital in preventing terror attacks and catching foreign spies is set to expire Friday after congressional efforts to temporarily extend it failed in bipartisan fashion. It’s a significant lapse for the program known as Section 702, and even as President Donald Trump nominates a new national […]

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Ohio adds new photo ID requirement for mail voting for 2027 election

Ohioans soon will be required to provide a photo ID when voting by mail – a major change to a voting method that previously had been exempted from the strict voter ID requirement Republican lawmakers passed following the 2020 presidential election. Republican lawmakers unveiled the new photo ID requirement for mail voting on Tuesday, before […]

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What to know about the World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US

— MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somali soccer referee who was due to become the first from his country to officiate the World Cup but was denied entry to the United States was named Africa’s best referee and is considered a hero to many in his country. Omar Artan, 34, was due to be the […]

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Vance demands Justice Department probe of Minnesota officials as White House presses ‘war on fraud’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance is pressing federal prosecutors to investigate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison over allegations they failed to stop widespread social services fraud, amplifying concerns the White House will use a new Justice Department division to target political rivals. Vance, who has been tapped to […]

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Deaths at Michigan women’s prison spur calls for Whitmer to act, director to resign

Federal and state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to intervene at Michigan’s only women’s prison after a third inmate in less than a month died Saturday, intensifying scrutiny over conditions and medical care at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility. Ashley Hoath of Hillsdale County was rushed to Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, about […]

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Ads in New York must now label AI-generated ‘synthetic performers’

— Any advertisements in New York that feature artificial intelligence-generated people in place of actors will now be violating state law if they don’t clearly label that they have used a “synthetic performer.” The law, signed in December by Gov. Kathy Hochul, went into effect Tuesday. Her office is calling it a “first-in-the-nation law” that […]

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World Cup ref denied entry to the US was about to make history for Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States after arriving in Miami and subsequently cut from the tournament by FIFA was set to make history for his country. Omar Artan was going to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup […]

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Congress asks NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify about league’s embrace of streaming services

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been invited to testify before Congress as the league faces increasing federal scrutiny about its broadcast deals and its recent practice of airing games on paywalled streaming services. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the commissioner on Monday requesting his appearance […]

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Congress has taken on Epstein. But lawmakers and survivors are still searching for accountability

WASHINGTON (AP) — For nearly a year, public demand and increasingly outspoken calls from the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse have driven Congress to mostly set aside party politics and search for accountability. Yet even after interviews with some of the highest-ranked officials to ever appear before a congressional investigation, including a former president, […]

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