SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna on Wednesday called for a “full and transparent” investigation into the death of Suchir Balaji, the OpenAI whistleblower who gained national attention last year after publicly claiming the company violated federal copyright laws.

Khanna’s request — made in an apparent exchange...Read more

A stricter speed limit isn’t coming to the waters of the North Atlantic right whale calving grounds off the Georgia coast after all.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, on Wednesday withdrew a proposed vessel speed rule meant to protect the endangered whales, which swim near the ocean’s surface and are susceptible ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Sean P. Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Transportation Department, had a light day Wednesday compared with some other Cabinet picks, promising senators he’d work to improve safety and get Boeing “back on track.”

The former Wisconsin lawmaker and Fox News co-host faced little resistance to his ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — In the Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles, the asking rent for a two-bedroom condo jumped from $5,000 to $8,000 in the wake of the fires that started last week and have left thousands homeless.

In Venice, a single-family house saw a jump of nearly 60%. In Santa Monica, an owner listed a five-bedroom house for $15,000 ...Read more

CHICAGO — Jurors in the Michael Madigan corruption case have heard a lot of evidence about a 2018 meeting between the then-powerful House speaker and incoming Gov. JB Pritzker, where the two Democrats allegedly discussed the topic of state boards.

On Wednesday, however, the jury learned that if he were called to testify, Pritzker would say he...Read more

CHICAGO — An effort by opponents of Mayor Brandon Johnson to water down Chicago’s sanctuary city ordinance faltered in the City Council Wednesday, a victory for the mayor as his administration prepares for the looming threat of deportations under incoming President Donald Trump.

Aldermen voted 39-11 to table the vote on an amendment from ...Read more

NEW YORK — More than a month after their arrests, a federal judge in New York on Wednesday ordered the detention of three wealthy brothers from Miami Beach before trial on sex trafficking charges that allege the Alexander siblings drugged and raped dozens of women over the past two decades.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni reached her ...Read more

ATLANTA — Brian Kemp will seek federal approval to add parents and legal guardians of children six and younger to the state’s Medicaid rolls through a GOP-backed state program, as he unequivocally ruled out a full-scale expansion of the healthcare program during the rest of his second term as governor.

The Republican staked that position ...Read more

Arab and Jewish residents expressed a range of emotions Wednesday after a ceasefire and hostage deal was agreed to by Israel and Hamas following a 15-month war in Gaza.

Some felt relief and were hopeful that the ceasefire would hold. Others called on the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to make sure that Hamas lives up ...Read more

CHICAGO — Several members of the Chicago Fire Department falsified reports and misled investigators after a high-ranking department member was found slumped over the steering wheel over a vehicle in 2022, according to a new report from the city’s Office of Inspector General.

In late May 2022, a civilian called 911 to report a motorist was ...Read more

Donald Trump is treating California Gov. Gavin Newsom “as his punching bag,” triggering an extraordinary battle between a president and a governor at a time when thousands are suffering and dozens are dying from the wildfires that have ravaged Southern California.

“He’s treating Gavin Newsom as his punching bag before he’s even in ...Read more

While fishing off the coast of Honduras in 2023, a group of anglers stumbled upon a rare sight: a pod of orcas hunting down a sperm whale.

The underwater attack — which was organized and bloody — unfolded over many minutes alongside the anglers’ vessel.

Now, over a year later, biologists have tracked down eyewitness accounts of the ...Read more

Pam Bondi refused to say President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden in her Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general on Wednesday, intensifying Democratic concerns that the former Florida attorney general would be a rubber stamp for the White House.

“At issue, I believe, in this nomination hearing is not ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration unveiled a proposal on Wednesday to limit the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes and some other combustible tobacco products, a final step for the agency before the Trump administration takes over next week.

The FDA first announced it would pursue regulatory changes to maximum nicotine ...Read more

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday scoffed at Florida’s legislative leaders who said he was “premature” to call for a special session on immigration, then outlined an aggressive agenda that includes forcing local law enforcement to cooperate in federal deportation efforts, making it a state crime to enter the U.S. illegally and denying bail to...Read more

Just a day after President Joe Biden took Cuba off the list of nations that sponsor terrorism in exchange for the release of political prisoners, the deal is falling apart.

During his Senate confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of state, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said Cuba belongs on the list, adding the incoming Trump ...Read more

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are each seeking to claim credit for the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and release of Israeli hostages.

With the proverbial ink not even dry on a deal between Israel and Hamas, Biden stressed that an agreement was reached by his administration under “the precise contours” of a plan he set ...Read more

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey proposed a series of major changes to state-run emergency shelters Wednesday that attempt to cordon off the maxed-out system from individuals who are not Massachusetts residents, including by implementing a three-month residency requirement.

A day before Healey is scheduled to offer her yearly State of the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The most extreme level of a red flag fire warning, a “particularly dangerous situation,” returned to parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Wednesday morning, heightening concerns about the potential for new fires to start.

The period of highest risk was expected to begin just before sunrise through midday. Mountain wind ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the answer to Haiti’s gang-fueled security crisis will not come from U.S. military intervention, but could still come from a multinational support effort spearheaded by the Biden administration, indicating President-elect Donald Trump will stay the current U.S. policy course on the ...Read more