Michelle Obama has finally shut down speculation that she and former President Barack Obama are headed for divorce, while admitting her newfound independence has fueled the rumors.

When asked what her life looks like these days, the 61-year-old former first lady told Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast that “it’s whatever I want....Read more

WASHINGTON — The U.S. federal government’s central human resources office will begin deploying artificial intelligence to clean up its personnel records this year, marking the boldest public move yet into using the technology on sensitive records.

The Office of Personnel Management’s disclosure — in a privacy impact memo posted ...Read more

CHICAGO — The state’s top universities, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, confirmed Wednesday that visas of international students were revoked by the Trump administration, joining a growing number of international students across the country who have had their visas...Read more

The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it would begin screening the social media accounts of migrants applying for permanent resident status, as well as foreign students and aliens affiliated with academic institutions, for “antisemitic activity” to determine if those individuals qualify for benefit consideration.

“Today U.S. ...Read more

President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at relaxing rules that limit water flow for shower heads, targeting an issue he has long complained makes it harder for him to properly wash his hair.

The order ends water conservation standards that restrict the number of gallons per minute that are allowed to flow through shower heads, ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — No transgender athlete ever asked Idaho’s high school sports governing body to play for a school’s athletic teams. But the Idaho High School Activities Association conformed with an executive order from President Donald Trump on Wednesday and banned transgender athletes from its girls sports.

During its April board meeting,...Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to use military action against Iran if it were to try and acquire a nuclear weapon, as negotiators are set to meet Saturday to discuss the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Trump told reporters he would “absolutely” consider using military action “if necessary” during an event in the Oval ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed Paul Atkins as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, ushering him into the role only a week after President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs unleashed market turmoil.

Atkins, approved Wednesday in a 52-44 vote, is expected to scale back regulation, reduce corporate disclosures and make ...Read more

Right-wing cable channel Newsmax defamed Dominion Voting Systems by falsely reporting that the company was involved in rigging the 2020 presidential election, a Delaware judge ruled Wednesday.

Damages will be decided by a jury in a trial that will begin April 28 unless a settlement is reached. Dominion is seeking $1.6 billion.

The ruling from ...Read more

Three Americans extradited from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were being held Wednesday in the U.S. on charges of participating in a failed coup.

Marcel Malanga, 22; Tyler Thompson, 22; and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, had been sentenced to death in Congo for participating in the coup but were shipped back to the U.S. amid diplomatic ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina House delayed for the second day in a row a vote on legislation that would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state and local government.

But the Senate took up a different DEI bill later Wednesday, restricting those programs in higher education.

House Republicans had initially scheduled ...Read more

The police chief of a Florida beach town is blaming high school students, including many from Georgia, for causing mayhem this spring break — with their parents “nowhere to be seen.”

Panama City Beach police Chief J.R. Talamantez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week that many of the Georgia teenagers his officers have arrested ...Read more

In recent years, Gov. Ron DeSantis has helped install political allies at the helm of public colleges and universities in an effort to remake Florida’ higher-education into a bastion of conservatism.

Now, a bill advancing in the Republican-led Florida House seeks to stop the governor and employees in his administration from getting involved ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Meta has worked “hand in glove” with the Chinese Communist Party and taken steps to “undermine American interests to build its China business,” a Facebook whistleblower said in a Wednesday Senate subcommittee hearing.

Sarah Wynn-Williams, who worked for Facebook from 2011 to 2017 and served as the company’s director of ...Read more

MIAMI — Defense attorneys for the jet-setting Alexander twins and a friend charged with a trio of sex crimes on Miami Beach say text messages of the principal accusers show that at least one of the criminal investigations began with the help of a personal injury attorney for a woman who was looking to make money.

Joel Denaro, the twins’ ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher tariffs that hit dozens of trade partners after midnight, while raising duties on China to 125%.

The president’s about-face came roughly 13 hours after high duties on 56 nations and the European Union took effect, fueling market turmoil and stoking recession fears. ...Read more

In the escalating court battle between the Justice Department and major law firms over President Donald Trump’s punitive executive orders, Chicago-based Jenner & Block is leading a counteroffensive on the front lines in a Washington federal court.

Jenner & Block, which was targeted by a March 25 executive order to restrict the 111-year-old ...Read more

A prominent advocate for child safety in upstate New York has been arrested on child pornography charges, authorities announced Wednesday.

John Todaro, 49 of Amherst, was charged with promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child, both felonies, the New York State Police said in a statement.

Todaro is...Read more

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he's working with Michigan leaders to keep Macomb County's Selfridge Air National Guard Base "open, strong, thriving" ― teasing the possibility of new fighter jets ― and separately promised "to save Lake Michigan" from the invasive Asian carp.

"I think we're going to be successful, Governor. I ...Read more